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  • WY.SCI.MS.LS2.5 - Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and e...
  • WY.SCI.MS.LS2.5 - Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and e...
7.5 Ecosystem Dynamics
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How does changing an ecosystem affect what lives there? This unit on ecosystem dynamics and biodiversity begins with students reading headlines that claim that the future of orangutans is in peril and that the purchasing of chocolate may be the cause. Students then examine the ingredients in popular chocolate candies and learn that one of these ingredients--palm oil--is grown on farms near the rainforest where orangutans live. This prompts students to develop initial models to explain how buying candy could impact orangutans.

This unit is part of the OpenSciEd core instructional materials for middle school.

Subject:
Applied Science
Atmospheric Science
Career and Technical Education
Engineering
Environmental Studies
Life Science
Physical Science
Material Type:
Lesson
Lesson Plan
Unit of Study
Author:
OpenSciEd
Date Added:
02/11/2022
Bird Migration & Light Pollution Lesson Plan — Lights Out Connecticut
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This five-part lesson plan for middle school science classrooms is designed for exploration and learning about the impacts of light pollution on migratory birds in Connecticut. Light pollution negatively affects many species of migratory birds that fly through Connecticut, especially migratory songbirds.

The learning module equips learners with the necessary skills and knowledge to extend their understanding of light pollution and its effects on migratory bird populations as an unintended consequence of human development. It identifies specific learning goals, objectives, and activities for students, providing both direction and pace for the learning process. It also serves as a roadmap for educators with sequential learning objectives and thoughtful handout materials.

This curriculum was designed by Catherine Ferreri, a sixth-grade science teacher at Coleytown Middle School, in Westport, CT, who has a background in biology and the environment. Meredith Barges, a bird-friendly building expert and co-chair of Lights Out Connecticut, collaborated on the development and design of the project. The project was funded by the Hartford Audubon Society and individual donors to Lights Out Connecticut.

Educators who wish to adapt the curriculum for their students and classroom goals are encouraged to download the PDF as a word-processing document and make modifications directly to the main document and handout materials.

It is hoped that by increasing learning and engagement by young people about bird migration—and the challenges migratory birds face as a result of light pollution—will inspire greater care for migratory birds and meaningful, lasting change.

Subject:
Life Science
Material Type:
Module
Author:
Catherine Ferreri
Date Added:
10/04/2024
The Effects of Climate Change on Agricultural Systems
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Educational Use
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This set of five activities focuses on how climate change can affect agriculture, including crop production and ranching. The activities in this guide are appropriate for both formal and informal settings and all student handouts, instructor guides, and supporting files are included. The curriculum is designed for five days of activities that build on one another, but can also be used individually.

Subject:
Agriculture
Applied Science
Career and Technical Education
Environmental Science
Environmental Studies
Physical Science
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Provider:
CLEAN: Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network
Provider Set:
CLEAN: Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network
Author:
Asombro Institute for Science Education
Date Added:
07/18/2022
Explore the Salish Sea - Unit 2: Stormwater
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In Unit 2 of the Explore the Salish Sea curriculum, students will review the water cycle, learn the parts of a watershed, and the effects of erosion and pollution, then learn ways of purifying these waters before they enter our streams and estuaries to safeguard these ecosystems for marine life and us.
Each unit in this series contains a detailed unit plan, a slideshow, student journal, and assessments. All elements are adaptable and can be tailored to your local community.

Subject:
Applied Science
Biology
Environmental Science
Life Science
Physical Science
Material Type:
Lesson
Lesson Plan
Unit of Study
Author:
Junior SeaDoctors
Pacific Education Institute
UC Davis Veterinary Medicine
SeaDoc Society
Date Added:
12/19/2022
Exploring the Salish Sea - Unit 8: Salish Sea Heroes
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CC BY-NC-SA
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The culmination of the Explore the Salish Sea Curriculum is improving the environment for wildlife and people in your own community. Students will review the science and traditional ecological knowledge-based recommendations they have made after each scientific investigation throughout the previous units, then choose one to put into action. Their choices will depend on available resources, time, and expertise available.

Subject:
Life Science
Physical Science
Space Science
Material Type:
Lesson
Lesson Plan
Unit of Study
Author:
Pacific Education Institute
SeaDoc Society
UC Davis Veterinary Medicine
Junior SeaDoctors
Date Added:
04/25/2023
Extinction Prevention via Engineering
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Species extinction is happening at an alarming rate according to scientists. In this lesson, students are asked to consider why extinction is a problem that we should concern us. They are taught that destruction of habitat is the main reason many species are threatened. The lesson explores ways that engineers can help save endangered species.

Subject:
Applied Science
Ecology
Engineering
Life Science
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Lesson Plan
Provider:
TeachEngineering
Provider Set:
TeachEngineering
Author:
Janet Yowell
Karen King
Michael J. Bendewald
Date Added:
09/18/2014
Food and Climate Change
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In this activity, students listen to a podcast and then investigate causes of and solutions to food waste, plant-based recipes to get excited about, and the diversity and variety of heirloom foods.

Subject:
Agriculture
Applied Science
Career and Technical Education
Environmental Science
Environmental Studies
Physical Science
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Provider:
CLEAN: Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network
Provider Set:
CLEAN: Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network
Author:
Environmental Solutions Initiative
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date Added:
08/01/2022
Green Infrastructure and Low-Impact Development Technologies
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Students are introduced to innovative stormwater management strategies that are being used to restore the hydrology and water quality of urbanized areas to pre-development conditions. Collectively called green infrastructure (GI) and low-impact development (LID) technologies, they include green roofs and vegetative walls, bioretention or rain gardens, bioswales, planter boxes, permeable pavement, urban tree canopy, rainwater harvesting, downspout disconnection, green streets and alleys, and green parking. These approaches differ from the traditional centralized stormwater collection system with the idea of handling stormwater at its sources, resulting in many environmental, economic and societal benefits. A PowerPoint® presentation provides photographic examples, and a companion file gives students the opportunity to sketch in their ideas for using the technologies to make improvements to 10 real-world design scenarios.

Subject:
Applied Science
Engineering
Hydrology
Physical Science
Material Type:
Lesson Plan
Provider:
TeachEngineering
Provider Set:
TeachEngineering
Author:
Brigith Soto
Jennifer Butler
Krysta Porteus
Maya Trotz
Ryan Locicero
William Zeman
Date Added:
09/18/2014
A Guide to Rain Garden Construction
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Students are presented with a guide to rain garden construction in an activity that culminates the unit and pulls together what they have learned and prepared in materials during the three previous associated activities. They learn about the four vertical zones that make up a typical rain garden with the purpose to cultivate natural infiltration of stormwater. Student groups create personal rain gardens planted with native species that can be installed on the school campus, within the surrounding community, or at students' homes to provide a green infrastructure and low-impact development technology solution for areas with poor drainage that often flood during storm events.

Subject:
Applied Science
Engineering
Hydrology
Physical Science
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Provider:
TeachEngineering
Provider Set:
TeachEngineering
Author:
Brigith Soto
Jennifer Butler
Krysta Porteus
Maya Trotz
Ryan Locicero
William Zeman
Date Added:
09/18/2014
Iowa 8th grade Science Bundles – Open Textbook
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The University of Iowa Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research and College of Education teamed up to develop free eighth grade science curricula on land use and climate science, in response to Iowa’s grade level alignment of the middle school Next Generation Science Standards.

Primary author Dr. Ted Neal, clinical associate professor of science education, led a team of graduate and pre-service teaching students and CGRER scientists to develop the material. They grouped standards, resources and lesson material into six bundles, each designed to engage Iowa’s middle schoolers with local data and information on relevant topics like athletic concussions and agriculture.

These lessons are built on NGSS principles and put learning in the students’ hands with hands-on activities for groups and individuals. Kids will have ample opportunity to get curious, generate questions and lead themselves to answers.

Subject:
Anthropology
Applied Science
Astronomy
Chemistry
Education
Environmental Science
Geology
Physical Geography
Physical Science
Social Science
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Primary Source
Textbook
Author:
Ted Neal
Date Added:
10/31/2018
Is my Local Stream a Healthy Habitat? (Middle School NGSS Unit)
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CC BY-NC-ND
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This unit explores Performance Expectations MS- LS2-4, LS2-5 by having students collect local ecosystems data with a variety of computational tools: pH sensors, turbidity, oxygen levels and temperature – and to develop a presentation to communicate how and why their stream is a healthy habitat, or not!

Subject:
Life Science
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Date Added:
05/24/2018
Is my local stream a healthy habitat? (Middle School Life Science Unit)
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CC BY
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This unit explores Performance Expectations MS- LS2-4, LS2-5 by having students collect local ecosystems data with a variety of computational tools: pH sensors, turbidity, oxygen levels and temperature – and to develop a presentation to communicate how and why their stream is a healthy habitat, or not!

Subject:
Life Science
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Provider:
Educational Service District 112
Date Added:
01/04/2019
Just Breathe Green: Measuring Transpiration Rates
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Through multi-trial experiments, students are able to see and measure something that is otherwise invisible to them seeing plants breathe. Student groups are given two small plants of native species and materials to enclose them after watering with colored water. After being enclosed for 5, 10 and 15 minutes, teams collect and measure the condensed water from the plants' "breathing," and then calculate the rates at which the plants breathe. A plant's breath is known as transpiration, which is the flow of water from the ground where it is taken up by roots (plant uptake) and then lost through the leaves. Students plot volume/time data for three different native plant species, determine and compare their transpiration rates to see which had the highest reaction rate and consider how a plant's unique characteristics (leaf surface area, transpiration rate) might figure into engineers' designs for neighborhood stormwater management plans.

Subject:
Applied Science
Engineering
Hydrology
Physical Science
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Provider:
TeachEngineering
Provider Set:
TeachEngineering
Author:
Brigith Soto
Jennifer Butler
Krysta Porteus
Maya Trotz
Ryan Locicero
William Zeman
Date Added:
09/18/2014
Life Science
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This unit covers the processes of photosynthesis, extinction, biomimicry and bioremediation. In the first lesson on photosynthesis, students learn how engineers use the natural process of photosynthesis as an exemplary model of a complex yet efficient process for converting solar energy to chemical energy or distributing water throughout a system. In the next lesson on species extinction, students learn that it is happening at an alarming rate. Students discover that the destruction of habitat is the main reason many species are threatened and how engineers are trying to stop this habitat destruction. The third lesson introduces students to the idea of biomimicry or looking to nature for engineering ideas. And, in the fourth and final lesson, students learn about a specialty branch of engineering called bioremediation the use of living organisms to aid in the clean up of pollutant spills.

Subject:
Applied Science
Botany
Engineering
Life Science
Material Type:
Full Course
Provider:
TeachEngineering
Provider Set:
TeachEngineering
Date Added:
10/14/2015
Limiting Factors and Survival
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CC BY
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 Grey heron, Bird, Fish image. Free for use retrieved from https://pixabay.com/photos/grey-heron-bird-fish-hunting-heron-4353038/ 

Subject:
Life Science
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Author:
Christi Thompson
Date Added:
06/27/2023
Living and Working in Space Slide Show
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CC BY-NC
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Have you ever dreamed of becoming an astronaut? Use this slide show presentation as an introduction to the many challenges of living and working in space.

Subject:
Physical Science
Material Type:
Lesson Plan
Author:
National Air and Space Museum
Date Added:
06/28/2022
Map-a-Buddy
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Educational Use
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Students are introduced to the concept of tracking and spatial movements of animals in relation to the environments in which they live. Students improve their understanding of animal tracking and how technology is used in this process.

Subject:
Applied Science
Engineering
Life Science
Zoology
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Provider:
TeachEngineering
Provider Set:
TeachEngineering
Author:
Heather Kerkering
Jonelle Stovall
Kimberly Goetz
Melissa Sanderson
Date Added:
10/14/2015
Marine Mapping
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The marine environment is unique and because little light penetrates under water, technologies that use sound are required to gather information. The seafloor is characterized using underwater sound and acoustical systems. Current technological innovations enable scientists to further understand and apply information about animal locations and habitat. Remote sensing and exploration with underwater vehicles enables researchers to map and understand the sea floor. Similar technologies also aid in animal tracking, a method used within science and commercial industries. Through inquiry-based learning techniques, students learn the importance of habitat mapping and animal tracking.

Subject:
Applied Science
Engineering
Oceanography
Physical Science
Material Type:
Full Course
Provider:
TeachEngineering
Provider Set:
TeachEngineering
Author:
Heather Kerkering
Jonelle Stovall
Kimberly Goetz
Melissa Sanderson
Date Added:
10/14/2015
Marine animal tracking
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The following lesson is an introduction to the ideas and implications of animal tracking. Animal tracking is a useful method used within science and commercial industries. For instance, when planning the development coastal areas, animal presence and movement should be taken into consideration. The lesson engages students in an activity to monitor animal foraging behavior on a spatial scale. The students will break into groups and track each other's movements as they move through a pre-determined course. The results will be recorded both individually and collaboratively in an attempt to understand animal movement regarding foraging behavior. Students will also engage in a creative design activity, focusing on how they would design a tag for a marine animal of their choice. In conclusion, instructors will query the class on data interpretation and how spatial information is important in relation to commercial, conservation, and scientific research decisions.

Subject:
Applied Science
Ecology
Engineering
Life Science
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Lesson Plan
Provider:
TeachEngineering
Provider Set:
TeachEngineering
Author:
Heather Kerkering
Jonelle Stovall
Kimberly Goetz
Melissa Sanderson
Date Added:
09/18/2014