Lesson Plan

Grand Canyon Natural History

Planting a seedling of Grand Canyon’s rarest plant, sentry milk-vetch (Astragalus cremnophylax var. cremnophylax)
NPS photo

Overall Rating

Grade Level:: Kindergarten-Eighth Grade
Subject:: Art, Biodiversity, Biology: Animals, Biology: Plants, Botany, Conservation, Ecology, Environment, Mathematics, Science and Technology, Wildlife Biology
National/State Standards:: Varies
Keywords:: Grand Canyon, Colorado Plateau, Colorado River, Conservation, biology, animals, plants, ecosystem, desert, wildlife, boreal, ponderosa, adaptation, dichotomous key

Overview

Introduce your students to general ecology, as well as the plants, animals, and ecosystems specific to Grand Canyon.

Background

Designed to enhance student learning about Grand Canyon ecology, these lesson plans cover basic ecological principles such as ecosystems, populations, and food webs. Activities can be performed before or after your ecology field trip (Eco Explorers; Life on the Edge). If you are not attending a field trip to the park, most activities can be used independently in your classroom.

Lesson plans include:

Create a Journal Cover
Do You See What I See?
Oh, Deer!
Dichotomous Key
Who Am I?
Ecosystem Match-up
Web of Life

Click here to access Grand Canyon Natural History lesson plans.

Additional Materials:

"Who Am I?" cards
"Web of Life" cards

Learn about ranger-led field trips at Grand Canyon National Park.

Vocabulary

Abiotic; Biotic; Adaptation; Biodiversity; Biology; Botany; Carnivore; Colorado Plateau; Colorado River; Community; Population; Decomposer; Herbivore; Omnivore; Ecology; Ecosystem; Habitat; Life Zones; Niche; Nocturnal; Producer; Consumer; Wildlife; Symbiosis