Camouflage is an essential survival strategy in the natural world. Students discover the value of protective coloration as they pretend to be birds in search of colored bugs.
For the complete activity and more like this, purchase the Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide or the Together for Birds activity collection at Shop.PLT.org and/or attend a professional development training in your state.
Below are some supporting resources for this activity.
Every organism needs food, water, shelter, and space. A place that meets all these needs is called a habitat. Students will explore a nearby habitat—their backyard, schoolyard, or other outdoor setting—to look for signs of animals living there.
For the complete activity and more like this, purchase the Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide or the Together for Birds activity collection at Shop.PLT.org and/or attend a professional development training in your state.
Below are some supporting resources for this activity.
Students discover that trees have life stages that are similar to those of other living things. They discuss a tree’s role in the ecosystem at each stage of its life.
For the complete activity and more like this, purchase the Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide at Shop.PLT.org and/or attend a professional development training in your state.
Below are some supporting resources for this activity.
By conducting research and modeling a food web, students take a close look at a forest ecosystem and discover ways that plants and animals are connected to one another. Although this activity focuses on forests, you can also use it to study other ecosystems, such as oceans, deserts, marshes, or prairies, by substituting the appropriate information.
To get this activity, purchase it from Shop.PLT.org as part of the Biodiversity Blitz activity collection and/or find out about professional development opportunities in your state.
Below are some supporting resources for this activity.
Students explore the amazing diversity of life on Earth and discover how plants and animals are adapted for survival. This activity helps students understand why there are so many different species and teaches them the value of biodiversity.
To get this activity, purchase it from Shop.PLT.org as part of the Biodiversity Blitz activity collection and/or find out about professional development opportunities in your state.
Below are some supporting resources for this activity.
Students imagine that they are visitors from outer space, viewing life on Earth for the first time. By describing in minute detail all the life they find in a small plot of land, they will become more aware of the diversity and abundance of life on Earth and will better understand its importance.
To get this activity, purchase it from Shop.PLT.org as part of the Biodiversity Blitz activity collection and/or find out about professional development opportunities in your state.
Below are some supporting resources for this activity.
Even though students may be very familiar with trees, they may not have thought much about the actual structure of a tree. In this activity, your students will go outdoors or view pictures to take a closer look at trees and their parts.
To get this activity, purchase it from Shop.PLT.org as part of the Sensational Trees activity collection and/or find out about professional development opportunities in your state.
Below are some supporting resources for this activity.
Students select individual trees to observe over time, deepening their awareness of tree changes and developing a greater appreciation for their local environment.
To get this activity, purchase it from Shop.PLT.org as part of the Sensational Trees activity collection and/or find out about professional development opportunities in your state.
Below are some supporting resources for this activity.
Students explore their sense of smell and discover why smell is important to animals, including beetles and humans.
To get this activity, purchase it from Shop.PLT.org as part of the Sensational Trees activity collection and/or find out about professional development opportunities in your state.
Below are some supporting resources for this activity.
The trees in our communities provide many benefits: they improve air quality, store carbon, and conserve energy. Trees also enhance human health by reducing blood pressure, decreasing stress, and elevating attentiveness. In this activity, students conduct a survey to investigate the social and psychological effects of the urban forest.
To get this activity, purchase it from Shop.PLT.org as part of the Discover Your Urban Forest activity collection and/or find out about professional development opportunities in your state.
Below are some supporting resources for this activity.
