Teaching Resources
Teaching environmental issues in your classroom is a critical component of providing your students a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience. Discover a wealth Chesapeake Bay related books, multimedia, curriculum guides, individual lesson plans and online data sources.
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Subject
Level
- All Levels
- Early Learning
Elementary School- Middle School
- High School
Type
Alignment
Keywords
- All Keywords
- acid rain
- adaptation
- African American
- agriculture
- air pollution and fossil fuels
- aquatic grass SAV
- beaver
- biodiversity
- blue crab
- boats, canoes and kayaks
- climate change
- culture and watermen
- development
- dissolved oxygen
- Drinking Water
- economics
- ecosystem and biomes
- erosion
- experiments and investigations
- fish
- food web
- forest
- geocaching (GIS/GPS)
- Geography
- green development
- habitat and niche
- identification
- invasive species
- John Smith and colonial times
- land use
- litter, trash and recycling
- Native American
- nitrogen and carbon cycle
- non-point source
- orienteering
- Outdoor Activity
- oyster
- photosynthesis
- point source
- pollution
- population growth
- predator prey relationships
- renewable resource
- restoration
- salinity
- schoolyard habitat
- sediment, soil and rocks
- smart growth
- stormwater
- stream study
- student action
- Temperature
- transportation
- Underground Railroad
- water and energy conservation
- water cycle and movement
- water quality
- water testing
- watershed
- weather
- wetland
- wildlife
> Elementary School > wildlife Schoolyard Habitat Project Guide, Second Edition
This “how-to” guide provides the basic steps needed to restore or create wildlife habitat on school grounds. It will take you and your students through each step of the process: planning, installing and sustaining a project. This is not a book about why schoolyard projects are important; this is a guide about how to make the best one for your site. It is also designed to engage students the completion of several tasks that will lead to establishing a schoolyard woodland, meadow or wetland.
Subject(s):
Science, Technology
Type(s):
Curriculum Guide
Level(s):
Early Learning, Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Keywords:
biodiversity, habitat and niche, restoration, schoolyard habitat, water quality, wildlife, student action
A Teachers Guide to Delaware State Parks: Field Trips and Outreach Opportunities
Delaware State Parks are great places for students and teachers to explore nature and history. With 16 parks, five historic sites and many natural areas, Delaware State Parks offer you a comprehensive view of our state’s natural and historical heritage. This resource contains an overview of Delaware State Park field trip and outreach programs, as a printable PDF.
Subject(s):
Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Early Learning, Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Delaware
Keywords:
land use, watershed, wildlife, Outdoor Activity
Riverworks Discovery: Wildlife Logbook
RiverWorks invites your students to come and explore the intricate web of river life. Through these activities and this information packet, your students will play detective and use their senses to find clues of local wildlife. They will also write their thoughts about your river experience and learn what you can do to make a difference.
Subject(s):
Language Arts, Mathematics, Science
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School
Keywords:
water cycle and movement, watershed, wildlife
Earth's Freshwater: A Guide for Teaching Freshwater in Grades 3-8
This guide was developed to support teachers in teaching topics with real-world context, and provide them with the background to feel competent and comfortable when teaching about fresh water. It provides a solid introduction to fresh water in an accessible and reader-friendly manner. In addition to general information about fresh water, the guide includes numerous education features, such as teaching tips and student thinking, that help to connect the content to classroom practice.
Subject(s):
Science
Type(s):
Books and Publications
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School
Keywords:
water cycle and movement, watershed, biodiversity, water quality, wildlife
Virginia's Natural Resource Education Guide: Virginia's Wildlife Resources
Virginians are fortunate to share their home with a wide diversity of wildlife. This informational packet provides information on the importance of habitat to wildlife, and Virginia's wildlife management and conservation efforts. By completing the Counting Critters lesson plan that is included in this packet, students will be able to conduct a wildlife inventory of their community; describe cause and effect relationships that help and hinder wildlife in their community; and recommend changes in their community that could benefit wildlife.
Subject(s):
Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Virginia
Keywords:
wildlife
Trout In the Classroom Activity Guide
This activity guide and reference list gives teachers the background necessary to raise trout in their classroom.
Subject(s):
Science, Technology
Type(s):
Curriculum Guide
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Keywords:
restoration, stream study, wildlife, fish
Skates Lesson
Using a rubber skate models, students will learn to identify the parts of a skate, observe the details of a skates body and skate egg case and understand the unique characteristics of a skate.
Subject(s):
Art, Language Arts, Science
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Keywords:
wildlife
Seashell Mapping Lesson
During this cooperative group activity, students work with seashells to build science skills in classifying, identifying, organizing, observing, interpreting, reaching consensus and drawing conclusions.
Subject(s):
Language Arts, Mathematics, Science
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School
Keywords:
wildlife
Seashell Homes Lesson
During this interdisciplinary lesson, students listen to a story about seashells, discuss shelled animals to gain scientific understanding and participate in a visual arts activity that reinforces the lesson's key concept that shells are made by certain marine animals called mollusks for shelter and protection.
Subject(s):
Art, Language Arts, Science
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Keywords:
habitat and niche, wildlife
Oceans for Life Videos
http://oceanslive.gso.uri.edu/ is a marine science portal that offers live video and special content to educate people of all ages about the ocean, including national marine sanctuaries. Learn more about oceanography, marine life, conservation and preservation, marine research technologies, and the nation's maritime heritage.
Subject(s):
Language Arts, Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Multimedia
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Keywords:
ecosystem and biomes, habitat and niche, wildlife
Maryland Project WET Training and Curriculum Guide
After completion of a six hour training, educators are given a free Project WET curriculum and activity guide packed with 91 hands-on activities that cross many disciplines in the study of water and water resources - chemistry and physics, life science, earth systems, natural resource management, history and culture. During the workshop educators learn how to incorporate local issues into the lessons.
Perfect for 4-H Youth Development, Scouts, and other youth organizations as well, the goal of Project WET is to facilitate and promote the awareness, appreciation, knowledge, and stewardship of water resources through the development and dissemination of classroom ready teaching aids.
Subject(s):
Art, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Technology
Type(s):
Curriculum Guide
Level(s):
Early Learning, Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Maryland
Keywords:
pollution, watershed, biodiversity, culture and watermen, ecosystem and biomes, water quality, wildlife
Leaf Pack Network Database
Student collected data from leaf pack experiments that assess stream health by using aquatic insects as their indicator species. Data is available for the Susquehanna, James and Patapsco Rivers.
Subject(s):
Science, Technology
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities, Data
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Keywords:
stream study, water testing, wildlife
Gateways to Conservation Curriculum Guide (Grades 1-5)
Pickering Creek published this guide with the help of the National Park Service's Chesapeake Bay Gateways. Explore 183 pages full of hands-on learning activities and background information to help students and teachers explore the outdoors in conjunction with a nearby nature center, while gaining an understanding of their relationship with the Chesapeake Bay.
Subject(s):
Science
Type(s):
Curriculum Guide
Level(s):
Elementary School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Maryland
Keywords:
pollution, water cycle and movement, wetland, land use, food web, watershed, agriculture, water and energy conservation, ecosystem and biomes, erosion, experiments and investigations, forest, habitat and niche, litter, trash and recycling, renewable resource, schoolyard habitat, stream study, water quality, water testing, wildlife, student action
Counting Critters Lesson
Students inventory wildlife and investigate their neighborhoods for cause and effect relationships affecting wildlife; develop and use Wildlife Observation Record sheets and recommend actions to improve and/or maintain the quality of wildlife habitat in their community. Keywords: critters, habitat, wildlife
Subject(s):
Science
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Virginia
Keywords:
food web, habitat and niche, predator prey relationships, wildlife
Classification and Identification Lesson
During this set of activities, students explore diagrammatic and taxonomic keys and their application in the marine sciences. Following completion students will be able to: 1)Sort and classify objects and organisms based on visual attributes 2)Create their own diagrammatic key 3)Use a taxonomic key to identify objects and organisms.
Subject(s):
Art, Mathematics, Science
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
New York
Keywords:
habitat and niche, identification, wildlife
Beaver Tales Lesson
Students will investigate changes in beaver habitat and the interrelationships between beavers and the environment. The lesson explores the ecological role of beavers through observing beavers' life history, modeling beaver-predator relationships and learning the protective importance of hearing and smelling.
Subject(s):
Science
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Early Learning, Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Virginia
Keywords:
beaver, habitat and niche, predator prey relationships, wildlife
NOAA - Turning the Tide on Trash: A Learning Guide on Marine Debris
Educators, parents, students, and researchers can use NOAA's “Turning the Tide on Trash” as they explore the serious impacts marine debris can have on wildlife, the environment, our well being, and our economy. This interdisciplinary guide can be used as a stand-alone teaching tool, or individual activities within the guide may be used to supplement work in other subject areas. Students searching for science fair projects can also adapt some of these lessons into research projects.
Subject(s):
Art, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Curriculum Guide
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Keywords:
litter, trash and recycling, restoration, water quality, wildlife
TEAM DNR
TEAM DNR is a volunteer program, organized by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, that is dedicated to educating elementary and middle school students about the Chesapeake Bay and other natural resource issues in Maryland. TEAM DNR currently offers schools four different classroom programs and one outdoor program. Each program has pre and post visit activities to enhance the experience of your students. These programs are available upon request of the classroom teacher or school administrator.
Subject(s):
Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Maryland
Keywords:
pollution, point source, non-point source, population growth, land use, watershed, oyster, culture and watermen, experiments and investigations, habitat and niche, predator prey relationships, restoration, stream study, water quality, water testing, wildlife, fish
Raising Horseshoe Crabs in the Classroom
The Raising Horseshoe Crabs in the Classroom program was developed and is implemented by MD DNR's Environmental Stewardship Division and Fisheries Service to educate students about horseshoe crabs and the management of this important species. This project provides equipment, Teachers' Guide and horseshoe crab eggs to schools for students to learn the ecological, medical and historical importance of the vanishing species.
Subject(s):
Science
Type(s):
Curriculum Guide, Lessons and Activities, Supplies
Level(s):
Early Learning, Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Maryland
Keywords:
watershed, experiments and investigations, predator prey relationships, restoration, wildlife
Chesapeake Bay Field Guide
One of the most comprehensive informational resources on the plants and critters that call the Chesapeake home. Just click on a critter for details about the organism you're interested in.
Subject(s):
Science
Type(s):
Multimedia, Books and Publications
Level(s):
Early Learning, Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Keywords:
invasive species, oyster, blue crab, beaver, biodiversity, habitat and niche, predator prey relationships, wildlife
Captain John Smith 400 Project: Curriculum Guide
In conjunction with the Maryland State Department of Education and the Maryland Geographic Alliance, the Sultana Project has developed a curriculum unit based around the history of John Smith's 1608 voyage and the world of the early 17th century Chesapeake. The Captain John Smith Curriculum Unit consists of eight separate lesson plans designed for 4th and 5th grade students. The unit is aligned with goals and outcomes from the Maryland State Department of Education's voluntary state curriculum.
Subject(s):
Language Arts, Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Curriculum Guide
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Maryland
Keywords:
population growth, land use, development, ecosystem and biomes, forest, John Smith and colonial times, Native American, renewable resource, water quality, wildlife
Building-A-Bird's Nest Activity
Students will identify local birds and their habitats by making a diorama and writing a three- to four-sentence description.
Subject(s):
Art, Science
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Early Learning, Elementary School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Pennsylvania
Keywords:
habitat and niche, wildlife
Build-A-Horseshoe Crab Lesson
Following completion of this lesson, students will be able to: 1)identify and describe three main parts of a horseshoe crab 2)begin to know the history and habits of the horseshoe crab 3)state several reasons why horseshoe crabs are important 4)understand how to properly handle real horseshoe crabs.
Subject(s):
Art, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Early Learning, Elementary School, Middle School
Keywords:
habitat and niche, identification, wildlife
Bay and Pond Food Webs Lesson
Students will examine the food web of aquatic and estuarine ecosystems by acting out the Bay food web and diagramming the flow of energy through it. Students will also discuss the impact of pollution, loss of underwater grasses, and over-fishing on the Bay's animal resources.
Subject(s):
Language Arts, Mathematics, Science
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School
Aligned with the following standard(s):
Virginia
Keywords:
wetland, food web, habitat and niche, stream study, wildlife
USGS Barrier Islands as Part of and Protection for the Wetlands Lesson
Students will identify the barrier islands as part of the wetlands and learn the value of the barrier islands to the wetlands.
Subject(s):
Science
Type(s):
Lessons and Activities
Level(s):
Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Keywords:
wetland, habitat and niche, wildlife
