A Student Produced Field Guide to Neighborhood Trees part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
During this project, students will be working to cooperatively create a field guide to trees in the neighborhood near the school. In doing so they will be making observations, introduced to tree and plant anatomy and physiology, and will learn how to make and use dichotomous keys.

Lichen Hunt--Identifying and Classifying Lichens by their Physical Characteristics part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a guided inquiry where students will find their own lichen and classify it into one of three categories. They will collect, analyze, and present their finding to the class.

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.

What Lives Under a Rock? part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Students will listen to the book, Under One Rock Bugs, Slugs, and Other Ughs, written by Anthony D. Frederick and illustrated by Jennifer DiRubbio and then make a mini-book observation journal, Under One Rock to record what they see when they go outdoors to investigate what lives under a rock.

Sensory Butterfly Garden part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This is an activity in which students use their senses to describe their garden. This is a guided inquiry lesson.

Comparing the Simple Structure of Plant and Animal Cells part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
The lesson is designed for fourth grade students using scientific investigation to identify and compare the basic parts of a plant and animal cells. This activity consists of several steps over a period of several days. It includes student use of microscopes for observations and journals to collect data to identify and classify the basic parts of plant and animal cells. The assessment has an individual component and uses student work.

Guided Leech Activity and Record Keeping in a Science Notebook part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a teacher-directed investigation where students observe leeches, create questions and determine which ones are investigable. Together, teacher and students design and carry out a test for their question and record the information in a science notebook.

Plant Science Inquiry: From Seed to Flower part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a first grade life science activity where the students practice inquiry skills by developing questions about seeds, planting them and noting details about how they change as they grow.

Bioinformatics part of Microbial Life:Teaching Methods:Teaching with Data:Examples
This exercise contains two interrelated modules that introduce students to modern biological techniques in the area of Bioinformatics, which is the application of computer technology to the management of biological information. The need for Bioinformatics has arisen from the recent explosion of publicly available genomic information, such as that resulting from the Human Genome Project.

Investigating Wolf Behavior part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a classroom investigation of wolf behavior where students use observational evidence to identify and describe wolf pack structure.

Worm Investigation to Explore Experimental Design part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a lab intended to help students learn to setup an investigation with worms to learn about experimental design and data collection.

Ecology/Geography Classification part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection

Schoolyard BioBlitz: Monthly Observations of Plants, Insects, Weather, the Sun and Moon part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
In this field lab students will go outside and observe a particular area of the schoolyard. Students will design investigations to complete outside and will use outdoor observations to provide evidence for our indoor activities.

Chemical Changes and Healthy Bodies all from Snot! part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This demonstration has the students observe the properties of "snot", record their observation and discuss the importance of snot in keeping our bodies healthy.

Minnehaha Falls: Observing Changes in Nature through Drawing and Writing part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
The activity is a field trip to Minnehaha Falls where students will observe and record their findings in a science notebook.

Identifying plant family characteristics part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is designed for students to discover how making observations of the environment is the key to making sound predictions. Students will also learn how both positive and negative outcomes of these predictions can affect and shape future decisions.

Buddy Biology: Observing Living and Nonliving Components of an Ecosystem with a Partner part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a field investigation where students gather data on physical changes of the ecosystem surrounding their school habitat.

Tulip Growth and the Parts of the Flower part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This is a field and classroom activity in which students will observe tulip growth and identify and describe the parts of the tulip flower.

Southwest MN Fish Families part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity will expose students to the local fish in their lakes. The students will be asked to identify, sort, and classify local fish.

Schoolyard Field Guide and Flower Part Identification part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This lesson is a classroom and field-based activity where students learn about the parts of a flower through observation, journaling, and Observation.