All Resources and Lesson Plans: Organisms and Their Environments

Acid Lake
Add acidity to a healthy lake and see what happens to the plants and animals in this interactive activity adapted from EcoKids.

Analyzing an Ecosystem
In this interactive activity adapted from the University of Alberta, identify the living and nonliving things in an ecosystem. Then look further at the living things to identify the producers, the consumers, and examples of mimicry.

Animal Classification Game
Learn about classes of animals and test your ability to identify animals as mammals, birds, reptiles and more in this interactive activity adapted from Sheppard Software.

Animal Defenses
In nature, survival is the name of the game. This video segment explores the world of animal defense and shows that predators don't always have the upper hand.

Animals Making a Living
For most animals, finding food is a full-time job. This video segment explores the food-finding strategies of a variety of creatures, illustrating the idea that different animals have very different ways of getting enough to eat.

Antarctic Ecosystem
In contrast with its largely lifeless interior, the Antarctic coastal marine environment supports a vibrant and diverse ecosystem. Explore the region's living bounty in this interactive activity adapted from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Arctic Ecosystem
Despite seemingly inhospitable conditions, the Arctic environment has a vibrant and diverse ecosystem. Explore the life that thrives in this region in this interactive activity adapted from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Atmospheric Oxygen
In this feature, adapted from Interactive NOVA: "Earth," students explore the relationship between oxygen concentration and the well-being of various organisms by simulating a change in oxygen levels and observing what happens.

Biodiversity in the Dzangha-Sangha Rain Forest
In this interactive activity from the American Museum of Natural History, play "connect the dots" and discover the connections between the people, animals, and plants in three habitats of the Dzanga-Sangha rain forest in the Central African Republic.

Bird Beak Gallery
This collection of images of 10 different birds illustrates the diversity of bird beaks.

The Bounty of Bees
Bees are an extremely vital part of life on this planet. In this video segment from QUEST, explore the huge impact these small insects have on our civilization.

Collection Developed by: KQED Public Television

Center for Sustainability at Penn State University Tour
Laura Silver introduces the Center for Sustainability at Penn State; Dave Lettero, a graduate student, explain's what it's like to live here.

Collection Developed by: WPSU

Compare the Poles
Explore the defining features of the Arctic and the Antarctic in this interactive activity adapted from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Contaminants in the Arctic Human Population
In this video segment adapted from LOKE Films and the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, learn how human populations in the Arctic are affected by industrial contaminants in the food chain.

Creepy Crawlies
This interactive feature from the NOVA: "Odyssey of Life" Web site explores the often unwitting relationship we share with the billions of organisms that reside in our bodies and in our homes.

Deep Sea Vents and Life's Origins
Deep-sea vents are home to strange, luminescent life forms that thrive through chemosynthesis. This video segment from NOVA: "Volcanoes of the Deep" hypothesizes life's beginnings in this extreme environment.

Discovering Antarctica
Take a guided tour of Antarctica by watching brief video segments of its landscape and wildlife in this interactive activity adapted from the British Antarctic Survey.

Energy Flow
This feature, adapted from Interactive NOVA: "Earth," follows the path of energy as it is transferred via the food chain from one type of organism to another.

Exploring Plants
In this media-rich lesson, students observe plant growth by watching a time-lapse video and by growing their own seeds. They identify the conditions seeds need to germinate and consider the role that fruits play in seed dispersal.

Finding Animal Tracks
In this video from Curious George, young children identify animal tracks in the snow based on observations of how animals move and comparisons with footprint charts.

Fruit Wrappers
In this video from Curious George, join students as they investigate banana peels and fruit seeds to discover their different functions.

Guess How Whales Hear!
This video segment explores how one marine biologist used the scientific process to discover how whales hear.

Illuminating Photosynthesis
This interactive feature from the NOVA: "Methuselah Tree" Web site details the process of photosynthesis and its role in the oxygen/carbon dioxide cycle.

The Kemps Ridley Sea Turtle
This video adapted from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department describes how humans are helping restore safe nesting grounds for the critically endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle to ensure its successful repopulation.

Ladybug Pajama Party
This video segment adapted from QUEST describes certain aspects of the life cycle of a species of ladybug found in the bay area.

Collection Developed by: KQED Public Television

Light Pollution
In this interactive activity adapted from the National Park Service, learn how light pollution affects the night sky, animals, and humans, and then explore several possible solutions.

Living Life as a Plant
In this media-rich lesson, students investigate how plants respond to their environment. They also explore adaptations, such as how some plants are adapted to life in the desert and why some plants trap and digest insects.

Managing Your Energy Budget
An Ecological Footprint Assessment

Collection Developed by: WPSU

Masters of Disguise
In the face of danger, what's a spineless animal to do? This video segment introduces the concept of camouflage -- how animals achieve it and how this form of disguise benefits both predators and prey. Footage from NOVA: "Animal Impostors."

The Needs of Living Things
Students learn what animals and plants need to survive, how their habitats support these needs, and how organisms can change their environment.

Nowhere to Hide
Notice how the birds select orange or green bugs as you alter the levels of local pollution in this interactive activity from Kinetic City.

Paper Towel Plants
In this video from Curious George, learn about how beans, a type of seed, can sprout into plants.

Plant Life Cycles
Students explore the cycles of plant life and compare them with those of animals.

Prairie Dogs
In this video adapted from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, learn about the prairie dog, the importance of its role in its ecosystem, and how it is affected by an ever-growing human population.

Seahorses
This video from Thinkport introduces the seahorse, an unusual, endangered fish that has puzzled scientists who are attempting to save it.

Sock Seeds
In this ZOOMSci experiment, you're invited to walk through a grassy or weedy field in your stocking feet, then plant a sock and see what grows.

Teri and Jairus: Biome Buddies
This video segment from ZOOM compares and contrasts the habitat and life forms found in Death Valley with those found in the temperate rainforest of the Pacific Northwest.

What Do Animals Eat?
Some animals -- like some children -- are notoriously picky eaters. Others will eat whatever they can find. This video segment explores the diversity of feeding habits among some of the world's creatures.

Where Creatures Live
Students explore several biomes, the challenges each presents to its inhabitants, and the adaptations that allow plants and animals to live successfully in that environment.