Curated OER
Animals, Soil, Trees
Fourth graders describe the various kinds of soils and how plants and animals are affected by them. They describe the baic needs of plants, scoring at least a 3 or 4 on a 4-point rubic. Students are able to predict and/or infer what...
Curated OER
EEEK! A Spider!
Youngsters complete a unit of lessons based on the story "Little Miss Muffet." They predict what will happen in the story, and use context clues to look for meaning in the words. They research information about spiders using the Internet...
South Gloucestershire Council
Animal Classification: A Collaborative Sorting Activity for Key Stages 2 & 3
Introduce the logic behind a dichotomous key or administer a group performance assessment with a fun and challenging classification lesson. With explicit instructions for the teacher and for collaborative groups, as well as engaging...
Curated OER
Write a Description
Finding the central idea is the focus of this activity. Middle schoolers write descriptions of different animals using details and descriptive language. They watch a video of kids using descriptive language, and then use showing language...
Curated OER
Respiratory, Circulatory, and Urogenital Systems in the Rat
Here is a lesson which describes a lab activity in which a rat is dissected, and its heart is studied. The lesson has ample background information about three of the rats internal systems, and excellent lab sheets that support the...
Curated OER
Dining Out With Fishes and Birds of the Hudson
While this lesson focuses on the birds and fish found on the Hudson River, it could be adapted for use in any classroom. Using a vocabulary list, learners explore the meaning of words like adaptation, habitat, barbel, and more. Then,...
Curated OER
The Animals Kingdom
Students are introduced to the classification system of animals. In groups, they set up an aquarium in which they must maintain throughout the year. They also observe earthworms and how they react to various stimuli and research the...
University of Kentucky
The Great Spider Debate
Poor, misunderstood spiders! They are feared, disrespected, and detested by many people, yet they do so many positive things. A great addition to any insect unit, learn about some of the more common spiders, while hopefully dispelling...
American Museum of Natural History
What do You Know About Life on Earth?
Humans have only inhabited the earth for a fraction of the time that life has existed. Young scientists explore the facts about the emergence of life on Earth with an interactive resource. While highlighting different types of life, the...
Curated OER
Diversity of Modern Life
Convey classification to your amateur biologists with this bright and bold presentation. After you introduce each kingdom, query your viewers with the included reinforcement questions. Since there are no photos of the different...
Curated OER
Animal Classifications
Third graders work in small groups to investigate how to sort a variety of items into groups and subgroups. They work on a class chart based on the activity which show how the items are classified based on commonalities. Upon completion...
Curated OER
Be Brain Smart
Students examine the function of the brain. Using the internet, they research facts of the brains of vertebrates. Using clay, they make three sculptures of brains of different vertebrates and use crayola colors to color it. To end the...
Curated OER
Art: Go Ahead and Bug Me!
Students research arthropods, and identify the differences between vertebrates and invertebrates. After comparing and contrasting insects and arachnids, they create drawing of them that are anatomically correct. Students place their...
Curated OER
What is an Animal Reading?
Students read an article out of their science book. In this vertebrates and invertebrates lesson students complete a worksheet and answer questions after reading.
Curated OER
Is It Slimy? Does It Have Fur? Is It Really a Bird?
Sixth graders identify the different types of vertebrate animals based upon their major characteristics, as they create collages in groups. Collages show pictures of vertebrate animals labeled with the appropriate structural...
Curated OER
Making Cladograms
Learners construct cladograms (evolutionary trees), showing how shared derived characters can be used to reveal degrees of relationship. They interpret and analyze cladograms, and determine where unclassified vertebrates would fit on a...
Curated OER
Where are the Dinosaurs?
Students understand what it means when an animal is extinct. In this dinosaur lesson, students create dinosaur dioramas showing their habitat and what in their environment might make them become extinct. students pay particular attention...
Curated OER
Shark Attack
Students study the white shark and the red triangle. In this critical thinking lesson students assess the validity of facts about sharks and create a public service announcement either promoting shark or human protection.
Curated OER
Week 8 - Sea Life
Using a magnifier, mini marine biologists examine the barbules of a bird feather. They swirl the it into a mixture of oil and water and then re-examine the feather. After the activity, discuss how the oily feathers pose a problem to sea...
Curated OER
Life Science: Living Things
Have your class build their vocabulary bank by studying life science terms. Basic terms like organism, cell, unicellular, and vertebrate are included on the definition sheet provided. Demonstrate how to identify different life science...
Curated OER
The Wonderful World of Slugs
Examine a slug? Of course, what else would a 2nd grader do with it? Pupils use clues and go on a slug hunt, read a slug story, or make a cooperative group mural of a slug's habitat. While older learners catalog slugs, go on a slug hunt,...
Out of Africa Wildlife Park
A Thematic Learning Guide to Lions
Written as an accompaniment to a field trip to the Out of Africa Wildlife Park in Arizona, this is an interdisciplinary, themed lesson on lions. Even if you cannot take your upper-elementary kids to this attraction, there are a few...
Curated OER
What's the Difference?
Students analyze the similarities in different species. This activity is part of a multi-segmented unit on the diversity of life. In this segment, students classify shoes to mimic the scientific categories of the classification system.
Curated OER
Oceans in Motion
This simple lesson introduces children to basic marine life as well as to show them the necessity of protecting aquatic environments. Some famous marine life animals are introduced via vocabulary words, then children cut out pictures of...