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...

Sixth graders study the food web in a bay. For this food web lesson, 6th graders investigate the SAV- submerged aquatic vegetation of a bay including their predators, and how the organisms eat, have proper living space and water. They...

Some fish contain proteins that act like antifreeze in order for them to live in the frigid waters of Antarctica! High schoolers determine how much antifreeze a fish needs to lower its body temp to -2.5 degrees. Teachers act as a...

A pool of brine in the deep sea can be up to four times as salty as the surrounding sea water. The deep sea ecosystem relies on chemosynthesis and the organisms that live there are often strange to us. The lesson focuses on researching...

The saguaro cactus has an amazing ability to survive in a harsh environment. Learners identify the many adaptations for desert life that the saguaro employs. They look at each part of the saguaro and determine what role it plays in the...

Fourth graders experiment with compost. In this Science lesson, 4th graders begin a worm compost as well as an outdoor compost. Students discuss decomposition.

Approximately 50 percent of people in the world who are chronically hungry work in agriculture. While it seems counter-intuitive, the farther you live from a farm, the more food options are available. Scholars explore concepts related to...

Fourth graders observe and identify a variety of weathering and geological activities in the area in which they live. This focuses primarily on what happened during the Ice Age, and how, even today, glaciers are shaping and re-shaping...

A bird's life is one of danger and intrigue as it struggles for survival in sometimes harsh environments. To understand how difficult surviving in the wild can be, children play a simulation game where they act as little auks, birds from...

Students explore the limits of life on Earth to extend their beliefs about life to include its possibility on other worlds. They investigate three hypothetical environments and the bacterial life forms that could exist on Earth.

Students explore concepts of environment and survival among different marine life, focusing on the ocean environment.

Students read literature selection, discuss habitat, divide habitats into different categories such as water, soil, and land, list animals that live in each habitat, and describe habitats using descriptive words in vocabulary list.

Pupils explore the challenges of living in space by designing a facility that can provide everything required to support humans and can protect them from the harsh environment of space.

Fourth graders complete a variety of experiments to meet science goals.  In this life sciences lesson, 4th graders make yogurt, discover the attraction of opposite charges in electricity, learn the effects of glaciers, and explore...

Students discuss the impact of not keeping the environment in balance for future generations. As a class, they are introduced to the concept of "Balance of Nature" and what it means. In groups, they research the role of trees and how to...

Learners build mine-earthworm habitats to discover their niche in them. They make predictions about what the niche looks like in a week and draw a picture of it. Students notice the tunnels in the soil and how the sand and dirt are now...

Students recognize the different types of plants and animals living in a local environment. They determine how they require different habitats to live, and relate simple life processes to plants and animals found in local environments.

Students explore wetland ecosystems. In this wetland instructional activity, students discuss and observe salt ponds and the organisms that live there. They explain how abiotic and biotic factors of species are important to survival.

Learners explore and discuss facts about a woodland environment, the plants and animals that live there, and changing seasons in the woods. They conclude that plants in the woods provide food and shelter for animals living there.

Students study the environment and interactions of living organisms. They identify abiotic and biotic factors and create a foldable and vocabulary cards. They create a poster illustrating soil and watch a video to study symbiosis.

Students examine the characteristics of the ocean floor and the importance of of extreme environments.  In this investigative lesson students use four methods to sample populations, gather, record and analyze data from a scientific...

Fourth graders examine watersheds. In this ecosystem lesson, 4th graders discover what a watershed is and identify the local watershed they live in. Students investigate the attributes of a watershed as well.

Students observe their environment and come up with ways to protect it. In this environment lesson plan, students discuss pollution and ways to prevent it. Then they create a poster with drawings that show a goal to reduce pollution and...

Middle schoolers examine how connected they are to the environment and how organisms are affected by other organisms. They also discover that the environment is affected by human interactions.