Natural Resources Lesson Plans

Note: The Lesson Plans and Activities were developed from Indiana natural resource 4-H project manuals are intended for classroom use. Other educators can contact their County Extension Youth Educator for manuals and assistance or visit Purdue's The Education Store(Enter project name in search box.) The resource pages are given after the grade level and manual order number. (2008)

Natural Resource Lesson Plans and Activities

Brief description of the goals of the following lessons ( Word document)

Entomology (bugs)

• Grades 3 -5, Level 1. Creepy Crawlies (4-H manual: BU6853, pp 6&7, pp 18&19 )
  • Bugs R Us (in Spanish)
  • FACETnating (in Spanish)
• Grades 6-8, Level 2, What's Bugging You (4-H manual BU6854 pp 26&27, pp 32&33)
  • Peek A Bug (in Spanish)
  • Read the Label, Mabel (in Spanish)

Forestry

• Grades 3-5, Level 1, Follow the Path (4-H manual BU8038, pp 12&13, pp 18&19)
  • Home, Tree, Home (in Spanish)
  • In the Tree's House (in Spanish)
• Grades 6-8, Level 2, Reach for the Canopy (4-H manual BU8039 pp 34&35, pp 30&31)
  • City Trees (in Spanish)
  • Growing Every Day (in Spanish)

Geology

• Grade 3, Level 1 (manual: 4-H 985, bookmark)
  • You Rock! (in Spanish)
• Grades 4, Level 1 (manual: 4-H 985, pp 6&7, pg 10&11)
  • How Rocks Change (in Spanish)
  • Cross Word Puzzle (in Spanish)

Soil & Water Conservation

• Grades 4 &5, Level A (manual: 4-H 795, pp 2&3)
  • Designer Soils (in Spanish)

Weather

• Grades 3 & 4, Level 1, Weather Watchers (manual: 4-H 346, pp 2&3, pp 4&5, pp 6&7, pp 8&9, pg 15)
  • What Makes Weather? (in Spanish)
  • Experiments with Weather (in Spanish)
    • Weather Information (in Spanish)
    • Assembling a Weather station (in Spanish)
• Grades 5 & 6, Level 2, Storm Spotters (manual: 4-H 379, pg 3, pp 4&5, pp 6&7, pp 8&9, pp 10&11, pp 12&13, pg 14)
  • Build a Better Rain Gauge (in Spanish)
  • Recording Weather Data (in Spanish)
  • Wind observation Equipment (in Spanish)

Wildlife

• Grades 3 & 4, Level A (manual: 4-H 903, pp 2&3, pp 8&9, pp 14&15, pp 16&17, pp 18&19, pp 20&21, pp 24&25, pp 26&27, pg 28)
  • Bird Feeder Ob's (in Spanish)
  • Birdbath Observations (in Spanish)
  • Observation Skills (in Spanish)
  • Habitats: Where You'll Find Us (in Spanish)
  • Habitats: What Am I? (in Spanish)
  • Food Chains (in Spanish)
  • Animals and their offspring: How We Grow (in Spanish)
• Grades 5 & 6, Level B (manual: 4-H 904, pp 2&3, pp 14&15)
  • Habitats (in Spanish)
  • Population Growth (in Spanish)

Classroom Activities (These need work to make into lesson plans - they are under development. Suggestions are welcome.)

• Trees/Forestry
  • Why Leaves Change Color
• Soil and Water Conservation
  • Indiana's Water Riches
• Environmental
  • Watershed Connections youth activities, county publications, teacher key (for middle & high school students).
    • Drinking Water
    • Floods
    • Pollution Sources
    • Water Words
    • Teacher Keys (for these activities).
  • Great Lakes Adventure CD-ROM
  • Invasive Species (activity from 4-H 917, Biological Control of Purple Loosestrife)