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Elementary Lesson Plans & Activities

APSnet K-12 Plant Path-Ways to Science - Lesson plans and laboratory experiments, programs and workshops for teachers, and glossary -- covers plants and general science.

BugEyes Glasses - A fun resource used by the IPM Program to show kids what it's like to look through the eyes of an insect. Made by Buzzerks Eyewear and can be purchased from "Insect Lore" catalog at 1-800-LIVE-BUG.

Build-a-Bug - Contest at Penn State's Great Insect Fair. Entries due by early September.

Cycling Back to Nature: Food Production and Pesticides - Review of the 4H curriculum, available for purchase. Ordering information

EnchantedLearning.com Insect Printouts - Good handouts and worksheets for kids with insect anatomy and life cycle information on many different insects, also "label me" printouts.

ESCAPE - Exotic Species Compendium of Activities to Protect the Ecosystem - A collection of 36 hands-on multi-disciplinary activities introducing students to issues of exotic (non-native) aquatics.

Exploring Urban IPM: Activities and Resources for Teaching K-6 - Background information, hands-on activities, worksheets and resources to help teachers engage their students in real-world learning, from Michigan State University.

Green Flags Schools - Program for students, teachers, and parents to work together to make the school environment healthier by implementing IPM, from Center for Health, Environment, and Justice.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools for Schools Curriculum - Designed for K-3, this free curriculum teaches students about indoor air pollutants and supplements the EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools Kit. Offered by EPA Region 1.

Insect Olympics Activities for Kids - Fun activities to use in the classroom, from Penn State Entomology Dept.

Insectclopedia - Their HUGE list of insect lesson plans from many different organizations.

Insects: The Good, The Bad and The Unusual (PDF) - Neat 26-page activity book all about insects, from the National Agricultural Library.

*Insect Models (PDF) - Fly, butterfly, dragonfly, and cockroach for kids to cut, color, and fold, from PA IPM

*Invasive Species Lesson Plans - A list of online lesson plans on invasive species, developed by PA IPM

Katerpillars & Mystery Bugs - University of Kentucky Department of Entomology site with activities for kids, teaching references and lots of info about insects.

The Learning Web - Great site for teachers and students including lesson plans for teachers, project ideas for students, interactive games and more, from USGS.

Lesson Plans for Teaching IPM Priciples - Links to lesson plans divided by grade made available by the Iowa State University School IPM Pilot Program.

Neato Mosquito - Curriculum guide to teach 4th grade students about mosquito biology and west nile virus, from Centers for Disease Control.

Pesticide Safety Bingo - From EPA Region 6, cards and instructions for playing. Adaptable for grades K-6.

Plant Seeds of Learning! - Elementary-level lesson plans to encourage learning about plants in an engaging, hands-on way.

Poison Ivy Myths (for Pennsylvania) - Taken from "Science, Environment, and Ecology Flash" email by Bill Einsig. This information can be used to fulfill certain PA Academic Standards.

ScienceMaster LifeScience - Great site for ideas, links, and curriculum guides for teaching life science.

Skeeter Reader - Fun tips for kids to help their parents prevent mosquito's around the home. Fun puzzles (word search, mosquito paper plane) for the kids.

State College Area School District IPM Lessons - See how one school has incorporated Integrated Pest Management into their curriculum to fulfill the new Environment & Ecology standards at the primary and intermediate levels.

Primary Plants Core Activity for IPM (in PDF format)
Primary Animals Core Activity for IPM (in PDF format)
Intermediate Plants and Animals Revision: Incorporating IPM
       Introduction - (1.0 MB PDF file)
        Core 1 Activities - Insect pests, pest control and pesticides. (2.4 MB PDF file)
        Core 2 Activities - Plant and animal growth (mealworms). (5.1 MB PDF file)
        Core 3 Activities - Weed control and invasives (dandelions). (4.7 MB PDF file)
Kit of Resources & Materials - List of resources included in kits mentioned
in both Primary and Intermediate lessons. These kits are unavailable for purchasing
but can be compiled by using this list of contents.

Sustainable Forestry Teacher Resource Center - Find lesson plans on water, wildlife and sustainable forestry to fulfill Pennsylvania's academic standards, from Penn State. Lessons are categorized by grade and region.

Teaching About Fungi: Grades K-12 - An online manual for teachers and naturalists with a basic lesson on fungi and more in depth lessons, from the North America Mycological Association.

Understanding Invasive Aquatic Weeds Homework and Classroom Activities for 5th Grade - Can be downloaded from the site or ordered (free), from the Aquatic Plant Management Society.

Using Live Insects in Elementary Classrooms - Lesson plans using live insects to cover many subject areas, developed by University of Arizona.