This lesson will review the difference between producers and consumers, and show how both play important roles in a food web. It is 4 of 4 in the series titled "Producers and Consumers."
Studying life on the seafloor beneath Antarctica's thick ice is a major challenge for ecologists. Learn about a new device that can reach those icy depths in this video segment adapted from WomenInAntarctica.com.
Student teams investigate the migration of small-particle plastic pollution by exposing invertebrates found in water samples from a local lake or river to fluorescent bead fragments in a controlled environment of their own designs. Students begin by reviewing the composition of food webs and considering the ethics of studies on live organisms. In their model microcosms, they set up a food web so as to trace the microbead migration from one invertebrate species to another. Students use blacklights and microscopes to observe and quantify their experimental results. They develop diagrams that explain their investigations—modeling the ecological impacts of microplastics.
This nonfiction article, written for students in grades 4-5, explores the relationships between various tundra species: marsh marigolds, bot flies, and caribou. Modified versions are available for students in younger grades.
In this video, students examine the role of vultures as scavengers, and explore the link between the vultures' niche and human health in India. [4:40]
Discover why the gray wolves were important to Yellowstone National Park before they become extinct in that area. Find out how gray wolves were reintroduced back into this area. [5:19]
Distance learning environmental education from a community non-profit, based on local, southeast Ohio ecosystems. Blog posts feature hands-on nature activities that can be done in any green space of any size. These STEM activities focus on observation skills, inquiry and exploration, and human's relationship with plants and animals. Topics include plants/wildlife, habitats, watersheds, survival skills, nature journaling and more.
Rural Action's naturalists are also available for video calls and correspondence with kids around science, inquiry, and nature.
Created in response to COVID-19 school closures.