Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Outdoor Activities/Problem Solving: Nature Scavenger Hunt

For Teachers Pre-K - K
Students act as young explorers on this scavenger hunt. In this early childhood lesson plan, students build problem-solving and visual discrimination skills as they search outdoors to find matching nature items.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tree Identification to Observe Diversity of a Given Nature Area

For Teachers 2nd
In this tree identification lesson, 2nd graders read A Tree is Growing, discuss what makes up a forest, brainstorm characteristics of leaves, gather samples of leaves and examine their samples. Students will sort leaves and compare them...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Nature's ABC's

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Pupils will recognize objects in nature that are similar in shape to the letters of the alphabet. In this digital camera lesson, students will find objects in nature that look like letters of the alphabet. They will create a poster of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Make a Natural Weaving

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Students use natural materials and yarn to create weavings. In this natural weaving lesson, students find large branches to act as the loom, use other natural objects to act as designs within the weave, and use fine motor skills to wrap...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water: Naturally Cleaned

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students use stream trays covered in different types of rocks or soil to investigate infiltrates and runoff. In this water pollution lesson, students work in groups with stream trays that have different substrates. They write a paragraph...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Are You One of Us?

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students investigate how scientists sort and classify organisms. In this sorting and classifying lesson, students examine what systematics are as tools that scientists use. They examine images of invertebrates and sort them while stating...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Case of the Threespine Stickleback

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine why some freshwater populations of stickleback fish.  In this macroevolution lesson students read a study packet then answer questions. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Teaching about Increased Conductivity: Are Culverts The Culprits?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students encounter the complexity of identifying the cause of unusual variations in WOW conductivity data. They propose theories on why there was a sudden increase in conductivity in Ice Lake, Minnesota during July of 1998.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Night of the Twister

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners use reading strategies for Night of the Twister. In this reading strategies lesson, students name five major catastrophes and books about each. Learners complete a vocabulary section, make inferences and predictions, read the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life Science- Useful Waste

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore the topic of waste and recycling. In this useful waste lesson plan, 4th graders classify objects and sort them into most usable and least usable categories. Students complete an activity sheet and have a discussion...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Warmth of the Sun

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students broaden their understanding of the sun, particularly its critical role in warming the land, air and water around us.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Warmth of the Sun

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students compare and discuss the warmth of the classroom in a variety of places. They chart the warmth of places inside, outside and a pan of water.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Looking at Owls in Literature, Art, and Science

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders investigate the characteristics of owls through various science and art activities. They analyze drawings by J.J. Audubon and complete a Venn diagram comparing the similarities and differences of different kinds of owls,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Survival in the Land of Batzilla

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students experience a guided inquiry into the workings of an ultrasonic motion detector. They are led to study something they cannot see, hear, feel or taste. Students design strategies to avoid becoming prey of the predatory "Batzilla."
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mystery of the Matching Marks

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students view a Power Point and complete activities related to genetic evidence of human evolution. In this molecular evolution lesson, students view and discuss a provide presentation. They search for the "tell-tale telomere" and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Effects of Agricultural Fertilizer Runoff Upon Aquatic Ecosystems

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Learners measure the toxic levels of runoff and discuss the effects it would have on the aquatic system. In this runoff lesson plan, students answer questions to how runoff would affect the animals in an aquatic system.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Land of No Trees

For Students 4th - 8th
In this Land of No Trees learning exercise, students read a passage titled "Land of No Trees" about the Arctic Tundra and complete an experiment and short answer questions about it. Students complete an experiment with a plastic...
Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Quantifying Refraction

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Class members discover how mathematics can quantify the behavior of light waves with the fourth installment of a seven-part series that teaches future engineers about equations related to refraction, including the equation to...
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Using Greek and Latin Roots to Help Students Learn Vocabulary in Science Classes

For Teachers 4th - 8th
You can help students confidently approach science vocabulary by teaching them about Greek and Latin roots.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Nature Print Silk Suncatchers

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students are introduced to the beauty of silk painting. They create a colorful leaf-print sun catcher that glows when placed in a window. Each student experiences the mixing of the colors and tie a link with Asian cultures, science and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bugging Out

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore how insects behave in their natural habitats and build dioramas to create an Insect World in their classroom. They investigate various insects and the roles they play in the environment. They write creative short...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Eye on the Storm

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students discover the way geologists collect information about past hurricanes to determine patterns that may help with storm prediction. They then research the history of natural disasters in different regions of the United States and...
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Bring Science to Life With Lesson Plans for Eric Carle Books

For Teachers 1st - 6th
An Eric Carle author study can lead students to study a variety of subjects including ocean life, life cycles, and symbiotic relationships.
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Teaching the Complexities of Earth's Systems

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
An understanding of systems is integral to the study of the Earth.