Students are introduced to the concept of life cycles. They discover how many species go through their lives in a series of stages from birth or hatching to adulthood. Such stages make up the life cycle. Students investigate the life...

Learners are introduced to careers with an aquatic emphasis. They take a self-evaluation test on what they enjoy in school to determine which career is right for them. They listen to people in the field discuss what their job is like.

Students explore the interdependence of animals and their habitat.  In this Hawaiian ecology lesson, students work in groups to research the necessity of preserving precious coral as a habitat for monk seals.  Students prepare...

Students reconstruct the skeleton of the fossil Scaphognathus crassirostis. For 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...

Students discover various facts about spiders including different species, body parts, and types of webs.  In this insect biology lesson plan, students begin a K-W-L chart about spiders, are read I Love Spiders by John Parker and...

Students gather information on a kelp forest and identify species in that ecosystem.  For this underwater ecosystem lesson students gather data, give an oral presentation and create a poster.

Explore the amazing temperate rainforest of the Pacific Northwest. Your class starts by investigating the animals and plants of the Northwest, specifically Washington, and then research an animal population common to the area. In small...

Several factors affect the rate of a chemical reaction including temperature, surface area, and concentration. Using an experimental approach, learners explore the effect concentration has on this rate while maintaining consistency with...

Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass serves as the anchor text for a lesson on symbolism. Readers use the provided worksheets to examine the symbols in the novel as well as in the world around them.

Learn how ocean currents are vital to humans and marine life. The eighth installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program, focuses on ocean currents and how they affect global climate. The...

Students complete an activity that allows them to better understand that birds traits are closely related to what they eat, where they live, etc.  In this bird trait lesson students complete an activity, create a data board and...

Students are introduced to different types of owls and owl pellets. They list several adaptations that benefit the owls. Students identify the various species of owl that live in Wisconsin. Students discuss owl pellets and identify the...

Students illustrate the results of natural selection by identifying conditions that could lead to the development of new species (speciation) based on a given description of environmental conditions and description of variation within a...

Students discuss what human traits might help a person be more successful. They discuss how all birds are of the same species but have different beak traits. Students comprehend that the birds that eat the most food will have a baby with...

Fourth graders are introduced to the concept of ecosystem; specifically, the interrelationships among plants and animals within an ecosystem, and their relationships to the environment in which they live and interact.

Students conduct an experiment using a small sample from a local water source. They introduce fertilizers and pesticides, separately, and carefully examine the results in their simulated aquatic ecosystem.

First graders explore the job done by ornithologists. They role play identifying the characteristics that make a bird a bird. They discuss what makes each bird species unique. Students are introduced to Wisconsin's most common and rare...

Students are introduced to Scientific Inquiry and discover how to design an experiment that answers critical questions using butterflies as the topic. They design experiments that compare the number of species of butterflies in a vacant,...

Students are introduced to the concept and components of a habitat. They discuss the key components of a habitat and describe how certain factors can cause disturbances in a habitat and change its population. Activities are leveled for...

Students are introduced to the unit on the importance of diversity of life and the role that interdependence plays in our worlds. this is part of a multi-lesson unit on the diversity of life.

Learners recognize native species of desert vegetation while examining the need for water conservation. They design and create a xeriscape landscape using a variety of materials.

Seventh graders identify native species of desert vegetation, plan a xeriscape landscape, and recognize the importance of water conservation.

Students examine the different colors and patterns found on animals bodies, specifically birds. Through discussion, students discover the use of the colors and patterns for protection from predators and the advantages while hunting prey,...

Fifth graders explain how organisms' specialized structures and variations work with the environment to help them survive.