Students work in cooperative learning groups and respond to cases involving ethical choices by students and teachers in science classrooms. They create and submit additional cases and questions for use throughout the school year.

Students explore the topic of waste management. They define key vocabulary words, take a pre-quiz, complete a questionnaire, evaluate their own waste reduction habits, and write a short summary.

Students explore resource management, specifically farming. After reviewing vocabulary words, groups of students explore what is conserved by each practice. They compare and contrast responses. Students describe farming procedures which...

Explore the habitats around you with an activity that takes kids out of the classroom to learn about the local variety of habitats and the living things that call them home. In small groups, scholars investigate their surroundings,...

Transform your classroom into the African savannah, a mountain range, the forest, and an urban environment! Young scientists embark on an imaginary field study observing various cat species in native habitats and recording in field guides.

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 investigate safe laboratory procedures, classroom management guidelines, and group roles and procedures. They study a set of safety guidelines with their parents, and to sign a contract stating that they understand the...

First graders discuss a plan to minimize waste. In this waste management lesson, 1st graders read "Why Should I Recycle," by Jen Green and create a classroom recycling plan.

Second graders identify coping skills during times of stress. In this mental health lesson, 2nd graders read the story, Stressed Out Sally and brainstorm events that produce stress. Students rewrite a different version of the story...

Get to the know the common house mouse and the Norway rat with an activity that reinforces reading comprehension skills. Scholars read a three-page document detailing key information about mammals, specifically rodents, and use their...

What one person thinks is a pest may not be a pest to someone else. Here, scholars examine the characteristics of living things and pests through grand conversation and a variety of activities. Class members play a game of pest or not a...

In this forest planning lesson plan, students visit the 400-acre wood website and work in groups to learn about the specific aspects of forest development. Students create, label and color a forest planning map and present their map...

Do you have pests at your school? Find out through a series of interviews with school personnel. Scholars visit a variety of knowledgable individuals to ask them questions, record their answers, and present their findings to their...

Keep your eyes peeled for pests! Here, scholars inspect their campus for signs of living things such as insects and rodents. Upon observation, class members record their findings and present the information to their peers.  

Think like an engineer and an agricultural scientist over the course of 12 lessons in a STEM based unit. Young scientists take on the roles of animal physiologists, animal geneticists, agricultural engineers, animal nutritionists,...

Construct a maze in your classroom and have a blindfolded scientist act as a space rover, maneuvering unfamiliar terrain while another scientist plays commander. Classmates record the number of occurrences of the commander having to...

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...

Students investigate more about a medical condition that is of interest to them and write what they have learned about that condition, using the information as a personal resource or to share with others. They record information they...

Think beyond the animals and habitats we've already discovered and allow scholars to dream up their very own habitat and an animal that lives there. Class members present the new habitat and animal on a poster alongside an...

Fifth graders study the ecology and impact of animal and human life as it relates to the environment of the Great Plains and its grasses. They compare types of grasses with a rainfall map to illustrate the effect of precipitation on...

Students perform a series of experiments which show that plants require nutrients in certain quantities. They also cooperatively read materials on the nutrient requirements of plants, fertilizers, composting, and soil management, and...

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...

High schoolers describe migrations and life cycle pattersn of a key alfalfa pest, the Porato Leafhopper. They define the Economic Inquiry Level and Economic Threshold. Students evaluate data in relation to profit as it applies to IPM. ...

Wanted! Pests are on the loose! Here, class members create a wanted poster highlighting one pest. Posters includes a picture, description, and signs of pest activity.