Do you eat like a horse? Or more like a bird? As you might expect, different animals eat different things. Some animals specialize in eating one particularly rich food source, while others eat whatever they can find. This video segment samples the diversity of feeding habits among some of the world's creatures.
Recommended for: Grades K-5

This is a lesson plan designed to guide kindergarten students through a  research activity about what animals eat. Students research an animal of their choice, then assemble a presentation using Google Slides to share their research with the class.Thumbnail image created by Kimberly Jerman.

“What lives here?” is a question that students tend to wonder about, and this activity taps into that natural curiosity. Students figure out what lives in an ecosystem by looking for evidence and by using a simple field guide. They deepen their understanding of evidence, both the evidence organisms leave behind and evidence in general. Often, students might see a hair, track, or other piece of evidence and jump to conclusions about what left it behind. They may also treat all evidence as equal, whether it’s actually flimsy or strong. This activity helps them slow down, make observations, and evaluate their evidence as strong, less strong, or weak. Later in the activity, students make ecosystem models from their notes and, through discussion, use them as evidence to try to better understand the ecosystem.

Science literacy is of great value for any citizen of the world. For students to develop science literacy, it’s important that they not only engage in science practices, but also that they take time to reflect on practices they use, which most students are unlikely to do without scaffolding and support from an instructor. This activity engages students in reflecting on science practices.

This activity has three parts that are meant to be led with students before and after a field experience in which students engage in science practices. The first two parts are meant to be taught at the beginning of a field experience, and the third part at the end of the field experience. In the Science = Adventure introduction, the instructor builds up anticipation and excitement about doing field science. Then the instructor introduces some core field science practices by leading students in using those practices briefly to explore a mysterious object. Later during the Post: Debriefing Science Practices, after other field science experiences (not included in this activity), students reflect back on the science practices they engaged in and experienced.

Developed for second grade. Each student group will be assigned one of three habitats: ocean, desert, or forest. They will create their assigned environment inside of a shoebox (for forest and desert) or a 2-liter bottle (for ocean). Sand, grass, leaves, stones, water, and other materials will be provided along with various art supplies for students to create more features that they feel are necessary for their environment. Students will then choose the appropriate animals that live in their habitat from the drawings provided and place them into or on the outside of their models.

Biology In Elementary Schools is a Saint Michael's College student project. The teaching ideas on this page have been found, refined, and developed by students in a college-level course on the teaching of biology at the elementary level. Unless otherwise noted, the lesson plans have been tried at least once by students from our partner schools. This wiki has been established to share ideas about teaching biology in elementary schools. The motivation behind the creation of this page is twofold: 1. to provide an outlet for the teaching ideas of a group of college educators participating in a workshop-style course; 2. to provide a space where anyone else interested in this topic can place their ideas.

This informational text introduces students to the life cycle and life of the arctic wolf. The pack life is described including caring for young, hunting and how they deal with the summers of no darkness and winters of no sunlight. The text is written at a kindergarten through grade one reading level. This is a PDF containing the informational text and a glossary.

In this video segment from Planet H20: Water World, experts and teens inside and outside the Great Lakes watershed provide different perspectives on sharing the water from one of the largest bodies of fresh water in the world.

In this video segment adapted from United Tribes Technical College, listen as six Native American students share their concerns, hopes, and knowledge about climate change.

In this video adapted from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, see how volunteers care for sick or injured animals. Also learn why human interaction is not always the best solution.

In this What's Up in the Environment? video segment, learn how various indicator species are used to monitor the environmental condition of the Everglades.

In this video segment adapted from Haskell Indian Nations University, meet Elders who describe dramatic changes that they have witnessed in their local environments.

This lesson introduces students to the concepts of evolution, specifically the evolution of humans. So often our students assume that humans are well adapted to our environments because we are in control of our evolutionary destiny. The goal is to change these types of misconceptions and get our students to link the concepts learned in their DNA, protein synthesis, and genetics units to their understanding of evolution. Students will also discover that humans are still evolving and learn about the traits that are more recent adaptations to our environment. The lesson is designed to take two one-hour class periods to complete. The activities will allow students to draw connections between environmental pressures and selected traits, both through data analysis and modeling. Most activities can be done without any special materials, although the Modeling Natural Selection activity needs either a tri-colored pasta, or tricolored beans, to be completed effectively.

Jade and Lauren want to know if it's genetically possible to grow wings on your back and fly. Find out from MIT biologist, Dr. Sera Thornton!