Review with students how they have been learning about how all living organisms have basic needs. Ecosystems are made up of interactions of organisms with their living and non-living environment. Organisms and their environments are interconnected and therefore rely on one another for survival. If one part of the environment changes, the interconnectedness will change and cause a chain reaction. Using this information, students will create a Google Slides presentation using the research from their collaboration with ELA class. This lesson was developed by Lindsey Chavis-Turner as part of their completion of the North Carolina Global Educator Digital Badge program. This lesson plan has been vetted at the local and state level for standards alignment, Global Education focus, and content accuracy.            

This scientific article describes various aspects of bees. It starts with specialized functions within the bee population. It then elaborates how bees manage to survive the winter and keep the bee hive warm. The next section discusses the tasks of bee keepers. Finally, current threats to bees are mentioned. Three embedded audio files provide additional information to some of the sections. The text is child-friendly and created for children 8 years and up.

During this unit, students will learn about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. They will read about the GPGP and then prepare a presentation with their findings and solutions.  Lastly, they will create a prototype to help with the ocean cleanup and use Spheros to maneuver the prototype to pick up trash in water.

In this lesson, students visit a forest and make observations. Students will understand that cutting trees is necessary and that there are basic principles that guide a forester's decision to cut specific trees.

In this lesson, students learn what it means to be a forest steward. Students suggest solutions to forest problems by using an I Spy-like picture. A board game illustrates various decisions people can make for forests. As a conclusion, students draw their impressions of what our forests will be like in the future based on stewardship decisions.

Students will be conducting a "wander and wonder" in a local park, where they will observe their surroundings and its impact for animals. After discussion, a guided wander and wonder will be taken with the teacher to provide more guidance. Questions will be asked to help students begin to understand how environmental changes impact animals. Students will used digital photography to document these changes and put in their science notebooks as a way to help conclude information.

In this lesson, students will identify factors and benefits of good forest management and factors and ramifications of bad forest management.

This simulated experiment allows students to investigate how temperature affects how an animal grows, with application for global climate change. There are three different experiment options, Quick Virtual Lab, Full Virtual Lab, DIY Lab. Each lab allows students to choose which data to see. The Quick Lab limits the number of manduca caterpillars that can be selected. The Full Lab gives students access to all the caterpillar subjects. The DIY Lab also includes all the caterpillars that were raised in a do-it-yourself (DIY) incubator. A Teacher's Resource Packet, containing full instructions for each experiment, student handouts, a sample lesson plan, and background information to help get you started, is also included.

In this short video, students will learn how female loggerhead sea turtles make their way to beaches all along the Atlantic Ocean to lay their eggs.

In this short video, students learn how fire plays an important role in the survival of the plants (such as venus flytraps and longleaf pines) in the habitat of Carolina Beach State Park.

In this short video, accompanying activities, and readings, students learn about North Carolina's State Reptile - the Eastern Box Turtle! Students also learn how State Park Rangers collect data on these turtles and how that helps us learn more about them and protect them.

In this short video, students learn about the butterfly life cycle and how they can help protect and take care of butterflies and moths in their own neighborhood.

In this short video and accompanying activity and readings, students learn about Longleaf Pine Ecosystems by exploring Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve in North Carolina.

In this short video and accompanying activity and readings, students learn about the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve and the many unique plants and animals that call this type of ecosystem home - including the red-cockaded woodpecker.

This article introduces the Plant Scientists Investigate project, and presents three plant-related activities for primary-school children. Students will compare the carbon dioxide concentrations of inhaled and exhaled air, visualise their own oxygen consumption, and weigh up the importance of plant conservation versus economic development.

In this lesson, students identify the common characteristics of primates that allow them to survive in their environments. Students will also explore how changes in the environment can affect the survival rate of certain organisms in an ecosystem and come up with at least one action item to help protect primates in the natural world.

In this online interactive, students discover things that are beneficial and harmful to the puma in its habitat. The interactive looks at the habitat area 500 years ago, 200 years ago, and in present day.

In this lesson, students will understand the negative effects of pollution on storm water runoff, investigate the negative effects of paved areas on water runoff, explain the importance of water conservation, and describe how rain gardens can help filter our water supply and improve our environment.

This course was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team. This course is aligned to the NC Standards for 4th Grade Science. 

This course was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team. This course is aligned to the NC Standards for 4th Grade Science.