Have students try these activities to expand their knowledge and interest in Ecology.
Have Students Try These Ecology Games and Activities | Kids Discover
Math
In some biomes, the temperature rarely rises above 0°F. In others, the temperature rarely drops below 100°F. Show students that both Fahrenheit and Celsius are marked on most thermometers. Introduce conversion formulas to older students: F = 9/5 (C+32); C=5/9 (F–32). Have students use the thermometer or conversion formulas to do some conversion problems. For example, what is 8°F on the Celsius scale? 30°F? 80°F? 100°F? What is 30°C on the Fahrenheit scale? 10°C? 55°C?
Earth’s population is approximately seven billion people. Have students find out the population in various countries throughout the world. Have students develop word problems using these numbers, including how many more people live in one country than another, or how many times more people live in one country than another.
Language Arts
Have students look at the video of elephants and discuss the caption in Ecologists to the Rescue. Encourage students to write a poem or short piece that expresses their feelings about the video and how it relates to ecology.
Science
Have students look at the illustration of a food chain in The Food Chain and the Food Web. Ask them to describe, in their own words, how a food chain works and draw one of their own. It should have five levels, like the one shown. Display the food chains on a bulletin board and ask students to look for animals or plants that appear in more than one food chain.
Have students research which plants and animals are on the endangered list. Students should write a one-paragraph statement explaining their feelings about plants and animals becoming extinct.
Volcanic eruptions and forest fires are two natural disasters that can have a profound effect on the environment. Have students research one volcanic eruption or fire that took place within the past 50 years. Students should tell when and where it occurred; what happened as an immediate result of the disaster; and how things have changed, if at all, between the time of the disaster and today.
Art
After students look at the illustration series in Six Ways of Looking at Our Planet, have them work in groups and come up with their own illustration of “Six Ways of Looking at Our Planet.” Students should decide which “individual” they would like to feature. (The individual in the diagram in Ecology is a gray cat.) They should put that at the bottom of their drawing and include that individual in each level. Students should be sure that the biome they illustrate is one where their chosen individual might reside.
Ask students to design their own illustrations and captions for the water cycle. Remind students to use their own words to explain each step in the water cycle.
Ecology Games and Activities | Kids Discover
