Students simulate overfishing by conducting a guided experiment in the classroom. In this ecology lesson, students discuss the environmental consequences of overfishing. They research additional information about the issue and share...

Explorers of the environment construct a dichotomous key for a variety of organisms and design a key to classify Galapagos animals based on descriptions and images. The lesson includes a link to an animal gallery and the worksheet for...

Students explore the similarities and differences between ocean mammals and fish. The characteristics of the life forms observed are placed onto a graph. The classroom becomes the botom of the sea and is explored to gain the required data.

Students in a special education classroom examine the role of weather and water in their lives. Each day, they add a symbol for the weather outside and identify the proper activities for the weather on that day. In groups, they...

Young scholars use maps and other geographic resources to learn about their world while problem solving. They read clues each day and use classroom resources to narrow down where the prize is located.

In this forests and people lesson, 3rd graders brainstorm what forests are used for, discuss forest habitats, and how human interventions have affected trees and animals that depend on the forest environment. Students read the books,...

Students explore the basic biology of a pest. They identify the four major kinds of insect mouthparts and explain how they work. Students examine the specific mouthparts and how they can limit food resources and in what environment an...

Students create a bracelet that has different colored beads to represent different parts of the Earth's environment. The lesson has a short summary to be used by the teacher to introduce the concept of Earth Day. The bracelet is meant to...

Sixth graders examine how plants collect water and breathe. In groups, they participate in a variety of activities in which they discover how plants operate in terrariums. To end the lesson, they discuss why plants are important to the...

Students complete a unit that focuses on their school's waste production. They conduct a litter survey, collect the waste produced in their classroom for a week and generate a waste-audit, and identify how their school can minimize...

Students locate and trace Florida on a United States map as well as their local counties and city of residence on a state map. In addition, they label all the directions north, south, east and west on each map.

What is that out in the water on the horizon? Teams work together to study the coastline using maps to determine the best and worst locations to place an offshore wind farm. The teams then build a scale model wind farm to see what it...

What better way to learn about ecosystems than by getting outside and observing them first hand? Accompanying a field trip to a local park or outdoor space, this series of collaborative activities engages children in...

Take a step into the virtual farm world and explore the impact farming has on our everyday eating habits. Future farmers discover the meaning of agriculture and the hard work that goes into providing food for us to enjoy. A computer...

Do “memories need to be shared?" Are “memories…forever?" Would you give up memory to live in a perfect world? Introduce a unit centered on Lois Lowry’s utopian/dystopian novel The Giver with a series of activities that has groups...

Who's your Daddy ... and Mommy for that matter? Given a first-generation group of gummy bear offspring, young scientists must determine which bears are their parents. An activity learning exercise covers the differences in genotypes...

Colors and crayons are the inspiration for this collection of activities! Kids illustrate the real world, come up with their own names for colors, make their own crayons (with teacher assistance), create artwork they can eat, and more.

Momoyama and Edo are periods in Japanese history that can be defined culturally and artistically. Learners explore and discuss how the samurai used sword guards and grip enhancers. Pupils read the story "The Inch-High Samurai," examine...

Determining whether or not something is living can be more difficult than it seems. Put your young scientists to work defining their own criteria to identify life, then work with three samples to see if they are alive or...

Start off a unit on YouTube with an introduction to the service and all that it offers. Learners watch various video clips before participating in a brief discussion about YouTube. The plan includes an activity based around...

Two stuffed animals open a lesson that examines two types of touch. Scholars discuss the difference between comfortable and uncomfortable touch. They offer examples then brainstorm ways an individual can keep safe from uncomfortable...

Students discover the vocabulary of the Six Pillars of Character and their relation to the school environment. In this character education lesson, students discuss the character pillars and brainstorm about their use in the classroom....

Third graders discover that Christmas is a time for giving and sharing. In this Christmas spirit lesson, 3rd graders read a book about a child who is excited about Christmas trees and presents, but comes to realize that Christmas is...

Use a five-lesson unit to investigate how different cultures use art for common purposes, such as the marking of special events, celebrations, and the validation of human experience.