In this classroom activity, middle school students examine the wide-ranging sizes of dinosaurs. The activity opens with background information about the enormous range of dinosaur sizes and a classroom discussion in which students describe the size of some of the dinosaurs they know. Then, working from gridded drawings which are provided, students create either a life-size drawing of a Tyrannosaurus ... Full description.

This is the first section of a module about wetlands in New England for educators and their middle school students. Although designed for students in New England, it applies to and gives examples of wetlands across the country. It suggests ways to study wetland characteristics, why wetlands are important, and how students and teachers can help protect a local wetland. This guide aims to help students ... Full description.

This activity will help students understand that harmful algal blooms (HABs) can negatively impact organisms in a variety of ways, ranging from cell and tissue damage to death. Students will also realize that toxic blooms are caused by algae. The potent toxins produced by these algae can cause massive fish kills, marine mammal deaths, and human illness. Students will participate in a game based on ... Full description.

This activity will help students to understand and graph population change over time according to habitat availability. Students will discover that many factors affect the ability of deer or other wildlife to survive over time. Weather conditions, disease, predators, pollution and habitat destruction are some examples. Habitat is the key to wildlife survival and population size. Habitat is defined ... Full description.

This experiment was designed for the El Paso region of Texas, but the concept applies to all areas. Water can be conserved by using indigenous plants that have adapted to the conditions of the locality and do not require excessive amounts. This lesson has students identify native species of desert vegetation, plan a xeriscape landscape, and recognize the importance of water conservation. It contains ... Full description.

In this activity, students will discover some of the factors involved in fishery management. They will be able to describe stages in a commercial fishery that eventually becomes severely depleted, interpret basic data to predict when a fishery stock is beginning to show signs of overexploitation, and describe the potential consequences of overexploitation on fish populations, marine habitats, and ... Full description.

This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades 6-8. It focuses on a current controversary among scientists over whether dinosaurs were warm-blooded or cold-blooded. Students research both sides of the argument and then present a debate over this topic. It includes objectives, materials, procedures, discussion questions, evaluation ideas, suggested readings, and ... Full description.

In this activity, centered on the ecology of a cold-seep community, students will investigate how deep-sea tube worms are adapted for a symbiotic relationship that allows them to survive. As they proceed, they should be able to describe chemosynthesis and contrast it with photosynthesis; describe features and list organisms of cold-seep communities; define symbiosis and provide examples; and describe ... Full description.

This lab investigates the exchange of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and the ocean's surface. It is based on the fact that carbon dioxide dissolves in the ocean and provides the source of that plants and plankton living in the ocean rely on for photosynthesis. Students will discover that the amount of carbon dioxide the ocean can contain depends on the temperature of the water and its salinity ... Full description.

This resource will help students to understand that in the Chesapeake Bay region, waterways support more than 3,000 species of plants and animals, and that healthy water contains a balanced amount of nutrients and normal fluctuations in salinity and temperature. They will also discover that healthy water has plenty of oxygen and little sediment so that underwater living resources can breathe or receive ... Full description.