Related: Life Science

LESSON PLANS AND ACTIVITIES

Click on a lesson plan or activity name to learn more about it

  • Build Your Own Ecosystem

    / NOAA Ocean Explorer

    Students identify key functions that are present in healthy ocean ecosystems. Students will discuss how these functions are met by biotic and abiotic components in a model aquatic ecosystem.

    For more information:
    http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov

    Grades: 3-5

  • 1st Grade Moorea Coral Reef LTER Education Curriculum

    / Moorea Coral Reef LTER Education

    These multidisciplinary lessons and activities include “What do scientists do?”, “What is a coral reef?” and “Fish Feeding.” For more information and to download the lesson plans and activities, go to http://mcr.lternet.edu/education/.

    Grades: K-2

  • 4th Grade Moorea Coral Reef LTER Education Curriculum

    Moorea Coral Reef LTER Education / Moorea Coral Reef LTER Education

    These life science lessons and activities are about food chains and ecosystems and include “Food Chain Hide and Seek,” “Connected Ecosystems” and “In Hot Water.” For more information and to download the lesson plans and activities, go to http://mcr.lternet.edu/education/.

    Grades: 3-5

  • 7th Grade Moorea Coral Reef LTER Education Curriculum

    / Moorea Coral Reef LTER Education

    These life science lessons and activities are about coral reefs and evolution and include “What is Coral?”, “Coral Adaptations,” and several on symbiotic relationships. For more information and to download the lesson plans and activities, go to http://mcr.lternet.edu/education/.

    Grades: 6-8

  • A Reef of Your Own

    / NOAA Ocean Service

    Students learn what physiological, ecological, and behavioral strategies contribute to the success of reef-building corals.

    For more information about NOAA Ocean Service, visit http://oceanservice.noaa.gov.

    Grades: 9-12

  • A Tale of Deep Corals

    / NOAA Ocean Explorer

    Students describe and explain the two hypotheses for the frequent occurrence of deep-sea corals in the vicinity of hydrocarbon seeps. Students evaluate relevant experimental data and explain how this data may support or refute these hypotheses. Students define and contrast coincidence and causality, explain the relevance of these terms to hypotheses such as those related to deep-sea corals and hydrocarbon seeps.

    For more information:
    http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov.

    Grades: 9-12

  • Animals of the Fire Ice

    / NOAA Ocean Explorer

    Students define and describe methane hydrate ice worms and hydrate shrimp. Students infer how methane hydrate ice worms and hydrate shrimp obtain their food. Students infer how methane hydrate ice worms and hydrate shrimp may interact with other species in the biological communities of which they are part. Students build a methane hydrate molecule.

    For more information:
    http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov.

    Grades: 6-8

  • Are Great White Sharks As Dangerous As We Think They Are?

    / National Geographic Xpeditions

    Students discuss their existing thoughts on sharks and analyze a map of reported shark attacks. After viewing and discussing both a painting of a shark attack and an image of a researcher swimming with a bull shark, students do research to determine the real dangers posed by and to sharks.

    For more information:
    http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions

    Grades: 3-5

  • Be a Scientist

    / Monterey Bay Aquarium

    Learn how scientists collect field data by being a scientist yourself! By studying a specific ecosystem, students learn how different scientists work together, what kinds of data scientists record, and experience the scientific process through observation and data collection.
    For more information: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/

    Grades: 6-8, 9-12

  • Benthic Drug Store

    / NOAA Ocean Explorer

    Students identify three chemicals that are pharmacologically active and are derived from marine invertebrates. Students describe disease-fighting action of these chemicals. Students infer why sessile marine invertebrates appear to be promising sources of new drugs.

    For more information:
    http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov.

    Grades: 3-5

  • BioBlitz Organizational Guide

    / Connecticut State Museum of Natural History at UCONN

    Learn all about BioBlitz and how to organize one for your school. Includes a checklist and schedule.

    For more information: http://www.cac.uconn.edu/mnhhome.html
    http://web2.uconn.edu/mnh/bioblitz/

    Grades: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

  • Call to Arms

    / NOAA Ocean Explorer

    Students describe human arm motion, design/construct mechanical arm model that biomimics human arms. Students describe simple machine aspects of their mechanical arm models. Students define mechanical advantage and discuss the importance of its use in robotic arm design. Students will describe four common robotic arm designs that biomimic human arm motion.

    For more information:
    http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov.

    Grades: 6-8

  • Caribbean Coral Reef and Climate Case Study

    / NOAA Ocean Service

    Through a case study and related activities, students learn where coral reefs are found and what conditions are necessary for their survival.

    For more information about NOAA Ocean Service, visit http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education.

    Grades: 6-8

  • Caution! Do Not Bleach

    / NOAA Ocean Service

    Students learn why coral reefs are important, and what possible explanations are for the phenomenon known as “coral bleaching.”

    For more information about NOAA Ocean Service, visit http://oceanservice.noaa.gov.

    Grades: 9-12

  • Climate Change Metaphors

    / Wild BC

    Students will use and describe how a variety of objects provide metaphors for why climate change is occurring and the impacts resulting from it. Students will demonstrate the ability to interpret metaphors, describe the factors contributing to climate change and make connections between human behavior and environmental changes. For more information: http://wildbc.org/index.php/programs/climate-change-education/

    Grades: 3-5, 6-8