Point out the Gulf of Mexico and tell your class about the 2010 oil spill. Give each emerging ecologist a large bird feather. Have them make observations about it and then predict what would happen if it were to be placed in oil. Have...

Marine biologists research sea ice communities. Assign some groups to construct paper models of sea ice communities in winter, and some to construct models of them in summer. The lesson plan is simplistic, but the Internet resources...

Begin with an introduction to famous deep-sea submersibles. Learners work in groups to gather information on different vessels and then share with the class. Each group then uses water displacement to help calculate the density of...

Light the Halloween festivities with an exercise that connects math, physical science, and language arts. After watching a demonstration of a burning candle, learners use division, multiplication, or algebra to determine how many boxes...

Eager ecology learners read about characteristics of the Lake Erie water snake and the round goby fish. They find that the goby is an invasive species, introduced to Lake Erie in 1990, and has since had an impact on the water snake...

Reward biology learners for working hard in their mitosis lesson with a sweet snack at the end! They begin by twisting apart creme-filled cookies and using the icing as a cytoplasm. Colored candy sprinkles make up chromosome pairs,...

Curious kids examine plate tectonics and give examples of their movement. They recognize how plates change the Earth through video, and web-based articles. In small groups, they receive complete a tectonics puzzle by silently switching...

Students investigate mechanical weathering as a form of erosion. In this erosion lesson, students, define weathering and erosion before determining how the Earth's surface is in a constant state of change. They watch a video, access...

Students build a coral polyp out of a banana, straw, oyster crackers, sprinkles, and more. In this coral polyp lesson plan, students also list the differences between plants and animals.

Students compare the digestive systems of the buffalo and of the zebra, diagram their systems, and compare their lengths. In this digestive system lesson plan, students learn about their diets as well.

Students compare kelp and land plants. In this sea plant lesson, students look at the role of algae in aquatic environments. They research the properties of kelp and explore seaweed. 

Students explore biology by completing animal activity pages in class. In this bird characteristics lesson, students discuss the different types of birds that exist in North America and identify their migration habits. Students read...

Look into the future with a lesson plan on biodiversity and natural habitats. Learners read articles about different perspectives when it comes to planning future development, and decide which angle is the highest priority in a...

What better way to introduce the idea of a sequence than with robots! An educational lesson explains the classic Fibonacci sequence before pupils build and program a robot to move. Additionally, the lesson challenges individuals to...

What is biogas and how is it made? After examining background information about the sources of biogas and biogas generators, class members follow the provided information and build a biogas generator that can be used in the...

Nothing says classroom fun like an invertebrate and a magnifying glass! Snails, earthworms, and roly-poly bugs become the center of attention as pint-sized investigators hone their inquiry and observation skills. They are...

Explore the world's endangered species with a presentation and bingo game activity. After viewing a presentation about the meaning of endangered species as it relates to specific animals, kids play a game of bingo with cards that...

Understanding the life cycle of a mosquito helps us understand how to prevent the spread of diseases they carry. A lab investigation provides learners with the opportunity to track the two-week life cycle of the mosquito. Scholars make...

Slow the spread of disease by slowing disease carriers in their tracks. Learners explore just how they might accomplish this as they experiment with the life cycle of a mosquito under different conditions. Scholars design and conduct...

Students complete an activity by looking and gathering data on plants and soils.

Students are given a fictitious case study to read in preparation for the class. This lesson can also be readily adapted for a role-playing classroom exercise. They discuss the ethical issues of the case.

First graders gain knowledge about solids, liquids and gases by taking a look at the things around them. They have to classify certain picture cards based on which category they feel the picture falls under. As a whole, the class...

Second graders examine the properties of liquids and their classifications. They compare and contrast cups of different liquids and record their findings in journals. Students observe how liquids flow at various speeds and that unlike...

Fourth graders identify the four kinds of violent storms. Using photographs, they create "eye spy" questions for each and mount them on construction paper. They write a brief summary for each photo and share the questions with the class...