Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Diversity of Life

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students study fungi and its characteristics.  In this fungi lesson students collect and observe fungi then answer questions on what they saw. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Human Populations Studies: the Ghost of Populations Past

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers compile data on population distribution and develop survivorship curves using information from cemetery tombstones and obituaries. They develop inferences on the changes in population age distribution in their area over time.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Role of Fire in Healthy Prairie, Brush and Forest Lands

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Pupils create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast wildfires and prescribed fires. In this earth science lesson, students conduct a series of experiment to explore fire characteristics. They describe favorable conditions to start a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Diversity of Life

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students compare the different classifications and explore how organisms are grouped.  In this classification lesson students study images of organisms and answer questions. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fungi

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Students examine the characteristics of fungi. In this biology lesson, students investigate the factors needed for fungi growth. They collect data and observations and write a report about them.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water, Water Everywhere (Pond Animals)

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders examine the characteristics of animals who live in a pond environment. In groups, they describe the various stages in the life of a frog and identify the characteristics of other pond animals. Using this information,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is a Raptor?

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students explore, analyze and discover the characteristics of raptors and generate a word bank for owls and raptors. They identify attributes shared by raptors and practice various key vocabulary words to master and utilize in sentence...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Viruses and Bacteria

For Students 9th - 12th
In this viruses and bacteria learning exercise, learners will read information comparing the characteristics of bacteria and viruses. Then students will match 8 statements as either describing a virus or a bacteria.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Butterfly Adventure

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students in second grade are paired with fifth grade computer research buddies. They observe the characteristics of caterpillars, and identify the four stages of the caterpillar to butterfly life cycle. They graph the number of...
Lesson Plan
Michigan Sea Grant

Fish Identification

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Using a dichotomous key, pupils identify characteristics of fish who live in the Great Lakes and explain how these features help them survive. In small groups, class members discover what features scientists consider important and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Folk Groups

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students study the characteristics of a folk group, themselves and their folk groups, and write about a folk group that is meaningful to them. They identify various folk groups within the school community and discover that everyone,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Lions and Tigers and Bears-Oh MY!"

For Teachers K
Students explore the characteristics of an animal. What do all animals need to live and can what we expect to accomplish by studying about animals. They keep a science journal daily.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ella Fitzgerald: Something to Live For

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students examine the basic characteristics of jazz, and its relationship to African-American culture and history. They listen to examples of jazz, conduct research, and create a 20th century timeline of music and historical events.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossils

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders study the characteristics of fossils. They create a chart comparing the different fossil size, shape and texture. Students make observations and describe fossil characteristics in journals.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

GPS Ecosystem (Ecotone) Scavenger Hunt

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners describe the characteristics of an ecotone. In this ecotone lesson, students pick out their area and describe the visual appearance, conditions, ecosystem, biodiversity, predators, prey, and trees in their ecotone. They create a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Deep Gardens

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students investigate the differences and similarities between shallow-water and deep-sea coral reefs.  In this coral reef instructional activity, students research and compare the characteristics of reefs.  Students describe...
Lesson Plan
Michigan Sea Grant

Invasive Species

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Learners identify invasive species to the Great Lakes and analyze their impact on the ecosystem. Using photo cards with pictures and facts, young scientists work in small groups to match invasive species with their corresponding...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reconstructing a Fossil Pterosaur

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Students reconstruct the skeleton of the fossil Scaphognathus crassirostis. In this fossil lesson plan, students discuss the Kingdoms of life, geologic history and the history of the skeletons of species. Students are given 20 minutes to...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Acids and Bases

For Students 9th - 12th
In this acid and base worksheet, students read about the characteristics of acid and bases, the pH scale and neutralization reactions. Students match 10 terms with their definitions related to acids, bases and pH, they identify acids and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Beginning with Bosch

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students explore surrealism through the artwork of Hieronymus Bosch. In this surrealism lesson, students understand the characteristics of the art of Bosch and create an original artwork and poem to go with it.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Caring for a Pet

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students identify the responsibilities of pet owners. In this animal welfare lesson, students read the book Animals As Friends and list the characteristics of a good pet owner. Students use a tally sheet to determine what pets students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reduced Fare

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers discover the relationship between tectonic plate boundaries and the communities of life that thrive at such boundaries. In this biology lesson plan, students find that methane from oxidized carbon in sediments provides...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let's Get Square

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students predict possible phenotypic and genotypic outcomes for avariety of common plant hybrids. They review and explain the characteristics of dominant and recessive traits and explore Mendelian genetics. Students plot the possible...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heroes and Heroines: King David, Julius Caesar, Cleopatra and Napoleon

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students identify and examine four heroes from history and imaginative literature. They discuss the characteristics of a hero and share perceptions of what makes a hero. By comparing and analyzing a few historical and literary figures,...