The students will investigate the world's ecosystems and identify what attributes may be helpful or harmful to an ecosystem and its production. Students will read about honeybees and how their nationwide disappearances are endangering the productivity of our crops and stability of life. They will investigate ways to protect them from natural and man-made enemies. The students will recognize the importance of having a balanced ecosystem and how protecting the balance is important for sustaining life. Students will read a nonfiction text about honeybees. They will then discuss and complete a Problem Based Learning Project to implement the plans they will create to help protect such a valuable species. This lesson was developed by Victoria James 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.            

For this lesson, the students will work in small collaborative groups to investigate ways to recycle large quantities of paper such as a phone book. Students will need to know what the Three R’s represent and how countries all over the world play a part in preserving their ecosystems. Students will complete a Performance Based Learning (PBL) activity in which they will have to find reasons for recycling phone books. 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.            

For this lesson, the students will need to work in small collaborative groups to investigate the honeybee’s decrease in population. They will need to discuss and decipher the information presented to them in order to generate opinions on the causes and solutions. Students will apply what they have learned about the honeybees and effects of them being removed from an ecosystem by sharing those perceptions through a presentation of their completed PBL. 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.            

For this lesson, the students will work in small collaborative groups investigating a polar bear. Students will describe the habitat of a polar bear and determine what characteristics it possesses to live within that ecosystem. They will also determine if the ecosystem the animal lives in becomes compromised or changed, will that animal still have a chance of survival. They will discuss and decipher the information in order to generate opinions. Students will present their ideas to the class to create a boxes and bullets graphic organizer. 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.            

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.            

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 short video, join Brandon and Emily on a nature hike with Falyn from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission as they discover all kinds of plants and animals and learn a thing or two about the amazing nature of North Carolina!

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 and accompanying activity and readings, students learn about the Venus Fly Trap and how it adapts to its environment to survive.

In this short video, students join Emily and Dr. Bronwyn Williams from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences as they head to three different North Carolina locations to explore the world of crayfish!

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, accompanying activity, and readings, students learn about wetlands by exploring the wetlands at Haw River State Park.

In this short video, students learn about seashells and the creatures that use them on the coast of North Carolina.

In this short video and accompanying activity and readings, students learn about a unique blackwater river in North Carolina - the Lumber River. The river has played an important role for the plants, people, and animals that have called it home.

In this short video and accompanying activity and readings, students learn about navigating the Lumber River and the people who navigated it for hundreds of years.

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.

By researching field guides and the work of John James Audubon, students will research an assigned bird. Students will create a story about the bird using the Elements of Story, and create their own bird track print from a collagraph stamp they create. Students will then create a triptych to accompany the research and the story with three panels: 1 - wide view with oil pastel, 2 - close-up view using scratchboard, 3 - track view only using monoprint track students created. Students will assemble the work into a display for exhibit. Essential Question Asked: How can we explore characteristics of animals through research, using storytelling, illustration, and printmaking?

A tale of two beetles! Visit with the Neighborhood Naturalist as we compare the native Green June Beetle (June Bugs) and the non-native Japanese beetle.

You ride past them every day, but how often do you get out to appreciate the Wildflowers growing right along the side of the road? Join Mr. Bob, the Zoo's Neighborhood Naturalist as we take a walk along the shoulder of the road!