A Living Watershed
Standards Alignment: Grades 3-5
Topics Covered: Diversity and Interdependence of Life; Earth Systems
Lesson Synopsis: Using the local watershed as a classroom, students have the opportunity to understand basic ecological concepts, conduct scientific inquiries, understand the interdependence between science, technology, and mathematics in an urban community, develop competency in the use of technology equipment, and develop co-operative working relations in this unit. Promotes stewardship for our earth.
Link to Lesson: http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/AEF/1996/droege_watershed.html

A Lot of Litter
Standards Alignment: Grades 3-5
Topics Covered: Earth Systems: recycling; Diversity and Interdependence
Lesson Synopsis: Students will be able to: identify sources of litter as they read through a play; take a leadership role and address public issues as they deliver a presentation to their peers; and identify and assess the possibilities of group decision making, cooperative activity and the elements of the rules of fair play.
Link to Lesson: A Lot of Litter (pdf document)

Algae Growth
Standards Alignment: Grades 5 & 7
Topics Covered: Diversity and Interdependence of Life
Lesson Synopsis: Students will test the effects if common pollutants on algae growth in water and observe the growth of algae in a water sample.
Link to Lesson: Algae Growth (pdf document)

Aquatic Roots
Standards Alignment: Grades 4-8
Topics: Diversity & Interdependence of Life: Interactions; Evolutionary Theory: Heredity, Introduced vs. Native Species, Nature of Energy
Lesson Synopsis: Students use reference materials to research various local aquatic plants, or animals, to find out whether they are natives or exotics and to investigate their effects on people, other animals, and the environment.
Link to Lesson: Not available in electronic format at this time. To obtain this Project Wild Aquatic lesson, visit the Project Wild website at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/5864/Default.aspx


Birds of Prey
Standards Alignment: Grades 3-8
Topics Covered: Diversity and Interdependence of Life: Ecosystems, Food Webs
Lesson Synopsis: The purpose of this resource is to help students further understand the predator/prey relationship by researching specific examples of birds (predators) and what they eat to survive (prey).
Link to Lesson: http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?BenchmarkID=5&DocID=82

Blue Ribbon Niche
Standards Alignment: Grades 4-8
Topics Covered: Earth Systems; Diversity & Interdependence of Life: Habitats, Interactions, Food Webs; Evolutionary Theory: Heredity
Lesson Synopsis: Students create a variety of representations of wildlife that can be found in riparian zones using a variety of art materials.
Link to Lesson: Not available in electronic format at this time. To obtain this Project Wild Aquatic lesson, visit the Project Wild website at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/5864/Default.aspx


Career Critters
Standards Alignment : Grades 3-5
Topics: Diversity and Interdepence of Life: ecosystems, science and technology, human impact on earth
Lesson Synopsis: Students match organisms to environmental problems in a community and evaluate the potential of the organisms to help solve the problems.
Link to Lesson: Not available in electronic format at this time. To obtain this lesson, visit the Project Wild website at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/5864/Default.aspx

Designing a Habitat
Standards Alignment: Grades 3-8 (Heavy Hitter for grade 7)
Topics Covered: Earth Systems; Diversity & Interdependence of Life: Habitats, Interactions; Evolutionary Thoery: Heredity
Lesson Synopsis: Students design a habitat suitable for aquatic wildlife to survive in a zoo or an aquarium.
Link to Lesson: Not available in electronic format at this time. To obtain this Project Wild Aquatic lesson, visit the Project Wild website at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/5864/Default.aspx

Ecosystem Face Lift
Standards Alignment: Grades 3-5
Topics: Diversity and Interdependence of Life: Ecosystems; Science and Technology; Human Impact on Earth
Lesson Synopsis: Students simulate the restoration of a working ecosystem on the site of an abandoned shopping center or on an island in a river near an urban area. Students share their ecosystem designs, comparing and contrasting the two types of systems and the influencing factors on these systems.
Link to Lesson: Not available in electronic format at this time. To obtain this lesson, visit the Project Wild website at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/5864/Default.aspx

EnviroScape Watershed Model Presentation
Standards Alignment: Grades 3-5; 6-8
Topics: Ecosystems; Science and Technology: Human Impact
Lesson Synopsis: Learners develop understandings of the difference between point and non-point pollution and things that they do everyday that can affect eater and the environment.
Link to Lesson: EnviroScape Watershed Model Presentation (pdf document)

Exposure!
Standards Alignment: Grades 5-12 (Heavy Hitter Grade 8 genetics!)
Topics Covered: Diversity and Interdependence of Life; Genetics and Heredity; Nature of Matter; Chemical Properties
Lesson Synopsis: In this simulation, participants are "exposed" to various agents (confetti pieces) and then determine their exposure levels. A comparison between naturally occurring and synthetic pesticides is also made. This activity helps participants understand that chemicals may affect different people & organisms in different ways.
Link to Lesson: http://www.terrificscience.org/freeresources/lessonpdfs/Exposure!.pdf

Fishy Who's Who
Standards Alignment: Grades 4-8
Topics Covered: Diversity & Interdependence of Life: Habitats, Food Chains
Lesson Synopsis: Students complete an inventory of fish habitats that exist in their area, obtain information about the various fish species that occur in these habitats, and locate the fish species on a map.
Link to Lesson: Not available in electronic format at this time. To obtain this Project Wild Aquatic lesson, visit the Project Wild website at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/5864/Default.aspx

Get the Groundwater Picture
Standards Alignment: Grades 3-7
Topics Covered: Earth Systems; Diversity and Interdependence of Life
Lesson Synopsis: Students will “get the ground water picture” and learn about basic ground water principles as they create their own geologic cross section or earth window.
Link to Lesson: Not available in electronic format at this time. To obtain this lesson, visit the Project Wet website at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/3501/Default.aspx

Habitat Rummy
Standards Alignment: Grades 3-5
Topics: Diversity & Interdependence of Life: Ecosystems
Lesson Synopsis: Students make cards and play a card game to learn about habitats
Link to Lesson: Not available in electronic format at this time. To obtain this lesson, visit the Project Wild website at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/5864/Default.aspx

Hazardous Links, Possible Solutions
Standards Alignment: Grades 3-5
Topics: Diversity & Interdependence of Life: Ecosystems, Science and Technology, Human Impact
Lesson Synopsis: Students become hawks, shrews, and grasshoppers in a physical activity.
Link to Lesson: Not available in electronic format at this time. To obtain this lesson, visit the Project Wild website at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/5864/Default.aspx

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
Standards Alignment: Grades 3-5; 6-8
Topics: Diversity & Interdependence of Life: Ecosystems; Science and Technology: Human Impact
Lesson Synopsis: Students become familiar with the various designations of animals such as "threatened," "rare," and "endangered;" conduct research; and make a master list of threatened and endangered animals locally or nationally, including factors that affect the animals' condition.
Link to Lesson: Not available in electronic format at this time. To obtain this lesson, visit the Project Wild website at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/5864/Default.aspx

Home, Safe Home
Standards Alignment : Life Science, Grades 3, 5, 6 and 7
Topics Covered : Diversity and Interdependence of Life
Lesson Synopsis: Students will be able to: identify potential household hazardous products; describe the potential effect of hazardous products on human life and the environment; and identify less hazardous alternative products.
Link to Lesson : Home, Safe Home (pdf document)
Handouts: Small Wheel, Large Wheel, Alternative Products, Home Safe Home, Green Cleaning 1,
Green Cleaning 2, Mapping Pollution, and Unsafe Situations.

How Does Your Stream Flow?
Standards Alignment: Grades 3-5, 7
Topics Covered: Processes that Shape the Earth; Diversity and Interdependence of Life
Lesson Synopsis: Using a Stream Table, students will become familiar with stream features and the natural processes of erosion and deposition. They will also experiment with materials that might encourage more natural patterns of sediment movement and deposition. They will also explore the impacts of altering streams.
Link to Lesson: How Does Your Stream Flow? (pdf document)

Is This Water Polluted?
Standards Alignment: Grade 3-7
Topics Covered: Diversity & Interdependence of Life
Lesson Synopsis: Students will try to detect water pollution by looking at and smelling samples of water. Students will discuss types of water pollution and how we determine if pollution exists.
Link to Lesson: Is This Water Polluted? (pdf document)

Macroinvertebrate Mayhem
Standards Alignment: Grades 3-5
Topics Covered: Earth Systems; Diversity and Interdependence of Life
Lesson Synopsis: Students play a game of tag to simulate the effects of environmental stressors on macroinvertebrate populations
Link to Lesson: Not available in electronic format at this time. To obtain this lesson, visit the Project Wet website at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/3501/Default.aspx

Marsh Munchers
Standards Alignment: Grades 3-5
Topics Covered: Diversity & Interdependence of Life: Food Webs, Interactions
Lesson Synopsis: Students use body movement and pantomime to simulate the feeding motions of marsh animals. They will also identify their inter-connectedness in the food web.
Link to Lesson: Not available in electronic format at this time. To obtain this Project Wild Aquatic lesson, visit the Project Wild website at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/5864/Default.aspx

Pollution on the Move
Standards Alignment: Grades 3-7
Topics Covered: Earth Systems: pollution; Diversity and Interdependence of Life: Interactions
Lesson Synopsis: Students will be able to: describe pollution; identify sources of natural and human-made pollutants; explain how pollutants enter and move through the environment; and explain how recycling reduces pollution.
Link to Lesson: Pollution on the Move (pdf document)
Handouts used with this lesson: Mapping Pollution, Pollution Clues, Venn Diagram

Posted: No Fishing
Standards Alignment : Grades 5 and 7
Topics Covered : Diversity and Interdependence of Life
Lesson Synopsis : The students will play a game to learn that it is not always safe to eat fish they catch, write a story about taking a trip to the beach and finding swimming prohibited and recognize that environmental laws protect their health.
Link to Lesson : Posted: No Fishing (pdf document)

Role of Plants in Water Filtration
Standards Alignment: Grades 4-7
Topics Covered: Diversity and Interdependence of Life; Earth Systems
Lesson Synopsis: Students will experiment with plants and pollutants to understand the role of plants in filtering water moving through a watershed.
Link to Lesson: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/activity_grades_4-8_plantsinwaterfiltration.htm

Sum of the Parts
Standards Alignment: Grades 3-8 (No Grade 4 Indicators)
Topics Covered: Earth Systems: Water cycle; Diversity and Interdependence of Life
Lesson Synopsis: Students demonstrate how everyone contributes to the pollution of a river as it flows through a watershed and recognize that everyone’s “contribution” can be reduced.
Link to Lesson: Not available in electronic format at this time. To obtain this lesson, visit the Project Wet website at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/3501/Default.aspx

To Dam or Not to Dam
Standards Alignment: Grades 4-8
Topics Covered: Earth Systems; Diversity & Interdependence of Life: Human Impact
Lesson Synopsis: Students portray individuals representing differing perspectives and concerns related to the potential positive and negative effects from constructing a dam on a river.
Link to Lesson: Not available in electronic format at this time. To obtain this Project Wild Aquatic lesson, visit the Project Wild website at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/5864/Default.aspx

Turbidity or Not Turbidity
Standards Alignment: Grades 3-5
Topics Covered: Diversity & Interdependence of Life: ecosystems
Lesson Synopsis: Students explore the effects of sediment on turbidity; compare the turbidity of muddy and clear water; simulate environmental conditions that cause erosion; and investigate ways to reduce erosion that leads to turbidity in adjacent waterways..
Link to Lesson: Not available in electronic format at this time. To obtain this Healthy Water Healthy People lesson, visit the Project Wet website at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/3501/Default.aspx

Water Canaries
Standards Alignment: Grades 5-8 (Heavy Hitter grades 5 & 7)
Topics Covered: Earth Systems: Water Quality; Diversity & Interdependence of Life: Interactions
Lesson Synopsis: Students investigate a stream or pond using sampling techniques (pH, water temperature, and the presence of a diversity of organisms).
Link to Lesson: Not available in electronic format at this time. To obtain this Project Wild Aquatic lesson, visit the Project Wild website at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/5864/Default.aspx


Web of Life
Standards Alignment: Grades 3-8 (Heavy Hitter gr. 6-7)
Topics Covered: Diversity & Interdependence of Life: ecosystems; Characteristics & Structure of Life
Lesson Synopsis: In this activity, students will take a closer look at one particular ecosystem (a forest) and will discover the ways that plants and animals are connected to each other. By substituting the appropriate information, you can also use the activity to study other ecosystems such as oceans, wetlands, deserts or prairies.
Link to Lesson: Not available in electronic format at this time. To obtain this lesson, visit the Project Learning Tree website at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/5116/Default.aspx

Water Address
Standards Alignment: Grades 3-8
Topics Covered: Earth Systems; Diversity & Interdependence of Life; Evolutionary Theory: Heredity
Lesson Synopsis: Students identify plants and animals and their habitats by analyzing clues that describe water related adaptations of aquatic and terrestrial organisms.
Link to Lesson: Not available in electronic format at this time. To obtain this lesson, visit the Project Wet website at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/3501/Default.aspx

Wetland Metaphors
Standards Alignment: Grades 5, 7, 8 (Heavy Hitter grades 5 & 7)
Topics Covered: Earth Systems; Diversity & Interdependence of Life
Lesson Synopsis: Students are presented with a selection of objects to investigate as metaphors for the natural functions of wetlands.
Link to Lesson: Not available in electronic format at this time. To obtain this lesson, visit the Project Wild website at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/5864/Default.aspx

Where Does the Water Run?
Standards Alignment: Grades 4-8 (Heavy Hitter gr. 7)
Topics Covered: Earth Systems: Water Cycle; Diversity & Interdependence of Life: Habitats, Nature of Matter, Interactions
Lesson Synopsis: Students will describe relationships among precipitations, runoff, and aquatic habitats, using measurements they take in the field about these items.
Link to Lesson: Not available in electronic format at this time. To obtain this lesson, visit the Project Wild website at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/5864/Default.aspx