Sixth graders identify and classify changes in their lives. During the second lesson students record observations of Blue Palo Verde seed pods and predict changes over time leading to further investigations.

First graders use senses to examine objective or events, then gather and interpret data with instruments. They design invention to support or refute hypothesis, then generate, record, and organize data. They improve environmental...

Students explore the relationships within the food chain between plants and animals. They construct modules of food chains, keeping them simple and not complex. They focus on what the animals eat and not on what eats it.

Seventh graders construct a large mural of a praire showing plants, and animals that would live there.

Students explore, via a CD-ROM, the Virginia's five geological regions and discover the rocks and minerals located in each. In stone kits, they examine samples of rocks and minerals and answer questions about them. After discovering the...

Third graders transplant, tend and observe a plant for each letter of the alphabet in a school garden. They work individually to research and select a plant that will grow in their local climate. Students then care for and observe the...

StudentsMatch the vocabulary terms in column A with the definitions in column B. Write the letter of the definition in column B in the space next to the terms in column A. Afterwhcich, students Write short answers or fill in the blank to...

Students participate in a mini field trip around the neighborhood to observe nature and changes that are occurring during fall. They collect leaves of various colors, shapes and sizes on their trip. Upon return to the classroom, they...

Here is a document full of teaching notes on water quality and bodies of water that you can use in your ecology curriculum. It has information specific to the Hudson River area, but can easily be adapted to any local body of water....

Students discover the various ways in which tree rings can give information. After a brief disucssion of concentric tree rings, they use cross section cut outs of tree rings to identify the time and type of various naturally occuring...

Students create a legend that explains the existence of Mount St. Helens. They discuss how natural occurences often have no clear explanation. After listening to legends concerning the formation of Mt. St. Helens, students create their...

First graders are read a story about the various stages of matter with a focus on gases. Using a ziploc bag, they capture as much air as possible and discuss how it takes up space even though it is invisible. To end the lesson, they blow...

In this phase changes learning exercise, students use the specific heats for different substances to determine how much heat is needed for those substance to change phases. This learning exercise has 9 problems to solve.

Students design pictures of ocean environments. In this art lesson plan, students use mixed media art materials to develop a picture that depicts the ocean environment. They use paint, sand paper and various basic art materials.

Students explore energy by researching fuel usage on Earth. For this fossil fuel lesson, students define fossil fuels, the energy created by burning them, and the impact on the environment when using them. Students conduct pollution...

Students look at the data maps given to them about how chlorophyll affects the algae blooms and make predictions about the harm they will cause. In this data maps lesson plan, students manipulate data sets from the website.

Learners study global change and how these changes impact wildlife.  In this polar bears  lesson students analyze maps and data to understand climate change. 

Interested in a "how and why" story to read with young students? In this storytelling lesson, readers will discuss sea creatures, focusing on practicing new terminology through retelling the story. This resource provides a list of...

Discuss the animals and plants in the rainforest food chain using this lesson. Learners talk about and do research on the top predators from the Costa Rican region and create a model of one of them in class. They also make a visual model...

Convection is thoroughly demonstrated using a model of Earth's mantle. Detailed background information is provided for the teacher, as well as a list of materials. Although a colorful and detailed worksheet is available for the class,...

The topic is fascinating, but there is not much for learners to do here. Food borne illness has always been a problem for humans to face, and here, data from the Center for Disease Control is analyzed. Learners look at the number of...

After listening to your lecture on climate change, young scientists access NOAA's database listing Mauna Loa's carbon dioxide data. They graph the monthly means and then compare their graphs to NOAA's. This is a concise plan that could...

Hold a discussion in your class about the increase in mercury being found in fish that are caught commercially as food for humans. Given a worksheet, learners then calculate how much fish a person can safely eat each month to remain...

Rotating through five stations, evolutionary biologists explore the question of how changes in DNA facilitate the changes in a population over time. High-quality, colorful cards of animals, skeletons, skulls, and DNA sequences can all be...