Save an Animal Board Game - Impact of Human Activity or Natural Disasters part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This student activity engages the students' thinking by listening to a story, brainstorming ideas in small groups about how human activity or natural disasters could possibly impact an animal's environment, and then reinforcing that thinking using a board game called Save an Animal.

Investigative Case - Living in an Alkaline Environment part of Starting Point-Teaching Entry Level Geoscience:Investigative Case Based Learning:Examples
Living in an Alkaline Environment is a three-part interactive activity that explores the ecology and diversity of life in alkaline environments.

Insect Investigations part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a field investigation or bio-blitz where students are collecting as many different types of insects as they can. Back in the lab, they will record their findings, sort and classify the insects found. This will lead into a class discussion on biodiversity and the importance of insects and their benefits all living things.

Minnesota Tree Blitz part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
In this biology field experience, students will explore trees of Minnesota. Working in cooperative groups, students will discover biodiversity of trees and determine populations of tree species through observation and use of dichotomous keys.

Nature Stories: Promoting Environmental Awareness through Culture and Exploration. part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity uses a cultural story to excite kinesthetic homework, nature journaling and daily adventure in a child's own back yard or kitchen flower pot.

Discovering Nature in our Neighborhood: An Investigation of Natural Communities around Our School part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
In this unit, students make regular journal entries about a plant/animal/insect community in the natural area around our school and use this to create a Non-fiction Class Book. They also interview family/resources to discover, record and present stories about human relationships with nature from their culture(s).

English Language Learners Create a Botanic Field Guide part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
ELL students create and share a botanic field guide incorporating depiction, measurement, description, and classification of common Minnesota trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and plants.

Diversity of Life in Your Neighborhood part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This is a field investigation on diversity of life where students count the number of kinds organisms in two locations. Students report their results on posters and propose reasons why there might be difference in diversity between the locations.

Habitat Part 1 (See Julie Olson's for Part 2) part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This lesson is an introduction to a unit on habitat. It is designed to combine literature and science.

"Mystery and the Unknown": Teaching Inquiry Through Aquatic Exploration part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a longer project that involves using inquiry to find out what kinds of aquatic animals live in our school pond. Students use direct observation, journaling, outdoor classroom techniques, research skills, collaboration, and service learning to learn about their question.

Investigative Case - Protistan Tales of Atlantic White Cedar Swamps part of Starting Point-Teaching Entry Level Geoscience:Investigative Case Based Learning:Examples
The Protistan Tales of Atlantic White Cedar Swamps WebQuest features a guided exploration of microbial diversity. It introduces students to the extreme habitat of the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp and encourages them to explore characteristics of the microorganisms that live there. The WebQuest applies the personification theme of Aesop's Fables as a means to acquaint students with protists. It challenges them to search for microbial "personality traits" and to implement these traits into a creative storyline.