Investigating simple plants part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Students will observe simple plants, develop an investigable question, and form an investigation. They will document their investigation in their science notebooks.

Plant Field Study: Adaptations of Plants for Survival in Different Environments part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This is a field investigation where students observe plants in a school forest setting . Students then compare adaptations of plants from different parts of the forest.

Buddy Biology: Observing Living and Non-living 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 characteristics of the ecosystem surrounding their school.

Schoolyard Trees: Creating a field guide for your school part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a field-based investigation involving identifying and investigating common trees on the schoolyard and creating a field guide containing pressed leaves.

Plant Identification part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a field investigation where students identify native MN plants and record the common name, scientific name, and important information about each.

Classroom Phenology: Using the Environment as a Source of Data and Observations part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a classroom and schoolyard investigation where students collect daily temperature and precipitation readings, weather observations, and weekly phenology reports in a phenology binder and in nature journals. Students then analyze this data and compare to recorded values in the Weatherguide calendar.

Determining Bird Populations Through Counting part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a field investigation where students gather population data on bird species. The students will create bar graphs and interpret their findings. Based on their experiences and data, they will write an answer to the guiding question.

Effects of Air Temperature on Seed Germination part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity begins as a classroom investigation, but may extend to a field investigation where students will determine the effects of air temperature on seed germination. This is accomplished by developing investigative questions, recording, and analyzing data.

Food Chains: Nature's Restaurant part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
In these life science activities, students will participate in field observations of living things & do research of animals they observe to create a food chain & present it to the class. Students will participate in a food web simulation game.

Investigation a food web: producers, consumers, and decomposers part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a field investigation where students list plants and animals they observe. Students will organize their data as producers, consumers, or decomposers and create a food web showing how they affect each other. They will predict what will happen if the food web becomes imbalanced by extinction or over population.

Investigating Trees: Using a dichotomous key to identify local tree types part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a field investigation where students explore different types of trees and identify them using leaves and classification tools.

Tree Leaf Identification and Leaf Display Activity part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a tree leaf collection, identification, and display of dried and pressed leaves. It teaches students about distinguishing leaf characteristics as well as a way to display and label their collection.

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.

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.

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.

What is a bird? part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is an inquiry based lesson focused on students making observations of birds in order to problem solve how to attract more birds to a schoolyard.

Mn Fish Families part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a classroom and field investigation where students will group Mn fish families and create their own pop can fishing rods.

Birds: How do we increase the bird population at our school? part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a field investigation of the bird population in the schoolyard and how the students will plan to attract more birds.

Investigating What Living Things Need: Space part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
In this biology investigation, students will make observations of the growth of bean seeds to determine what plants need to live and grow in a healthy way.