Teaching & Learning Resources
Resources for teaching and learning by our educator team
Expand each topic to see links and information.
The On The Farm STEM program brings together teams of educators with experts in science education and agricultural science to envision a model for science learning that will inspire today's students, our next generation of scientists and citizens, to take action and feel empowered to use agriculture to improve society.
National Agriculture in the Classroom: Teacher Center
This resource page includes ag-related curricula (classroom and eLearning), K-5 learning themes, 6-12 course topics, state program and national conference information, and more.
Middle School - Ecosystem Dynamics & Interactions (Curriculum)
This middle school unit covering ecosystems, animal behavior and symbiosis was developed through the Storyline approach. Using this approach, students engage in science concepts to help ensure the survival of the prairie chicken.
Asombro Institute for Science Education: Free Curriculum and Resources
Scroll down to "Sustainable Southwest Beef." Asombro leads K-12 education efforts for this collaborative research project focused on novel strategies for sustainable beef production in the southwest.
Cross Timbers Fire Ecology (Curriculum)
These curricula resources focus on the fire ecology of the Cross Timbers ecoregion, the largest contiguous tract of old-growth forest remaining in the lower 48 states in the USA. While some of the lessons in this curriculum are more specific to this ecoregion, others are appropriate for many other regions.
Living With Fire: Wildfire Science Curriculum
This curriculum is designed to help Nevada youth understand the role of wildfire in Nevada ecosystems and learn how to reduce their household's wildfire risk. Throughout these lessons, students will gain exposure to current scientific research, career opportunities and engaging hands-on activities that help them be better prepared to live with fire.
A long-term study site that provides students with an opportunity to learn about the beneficial role fire plays in Oklahoma's ecosystems.
ESA's EcoEd Digital Library (EcoEdDL) is a forum for scientists and educators to locate and contribute peer reviewed resources for 21st century undergraduate ecology education.
Oak Woodland Learning Activities
Two activities based on the oak woodland ecosystem offer opportunities for thoughtful and revealing discussions. Downloadable materials for both activities feature a beautiful mural by artist Ane Carla Rovetta in 15 panels, 30 information cards for use by students, and directions and discussion suggestions for instructors.
National Ecological Observatory Network
The National Ecological Observatory Network, or NEON, offers expert ecological data from sites across the continent to power the most important science being done today.
Ecological Resilience (Curriculum)
The Plant and Soil Sciences eLibrary is a collection of Open Educational Resources (OER) developed by team members whose mission is to disseminate foundational science and cutting-edge research related to plants, soils, and the environments where plants grow. These ecological resilience lessons are listed in recommended reading order.
Science Explained YouTube Playlist
These animated short videos explain ecological data, concepts, and techniques.
Loopy: a tool for thinking in systems
Loopy allows users to make their own simulations, such as food webs to demonstrate energy flow in an ecosystem. Its "programming by drawing" feature makes it intellectually accessible to grade school students.
Prairie Protector - Video Game
Invasive species not only threaten the habitat of native wildlife but also threaten the livelihood of ranchers who depend on the vast grasslands to feed their livestock. In Prairie Protector, test your skills at defending the High Plains from this threat.
Fast, powerful, and free, the Rangeland Analysis Platform is an innovative online tool that quickly visualizes and analyzes vegetation data for the United States. Launch the app to examine trends at pasture, ranch, watershed, or broader scales.
Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission: Education
The IRRC in cooperation with the University of Idaho, Idaho teachers, and other curriculum specialists created several lessons, hands-on activities, and resources for your classroom.
Investigating Rangeland Systems and Practices
South Dakota State University Extension provides a 5-module middle school curriculum about rangeland plants, animals, soil, and foraging.
Society for Range Management: K-12 Rangeland Resources
Numerous agencies, organizations, and other groups have developed a full curriculum around range science. The following links provide lesson plans, along with resources including project ideas, powerpoint, and more.
Rangeland topics are presented in five main categories: Resources and uses, plants, animals, ecosystems around the globe, and ecology & management.
This search allows users to discover thousands of journal articles, websites, images, databases, videos, maps, reports, and decisions making tools. These resources are useful for research, teaching, and practical applications for rangeland management.
This Rangelands Atlas has been developed to raise awareness on the importance of rangelands and highlight the changes taking place which are having significant impacts on rangelands, demanding their protection and restoration.
Reducing Woody Encroachment in Grasslands: A Guide for Understanding Risk and Vulnerability
The information within this document will enable managers to better identify the right practices, in the right place and at the right time. Getting there requires addressing common misconceptions within the range management community and leveraging new technologies using this following four-step framework.
Welder Wildlife Foundation: Rangelands Curriculum and other resources
These lessons include supplemental materials and videos to help students along, whether they are working from home or in the classroom.
UltimateUngulate.com provides reliable information and pictures of the world's ungulates to the global online community.
Curriculum Development Template
This model is a faculty-led, data-informed process aimed to assist programs in creating a more learner-centered curriculum. During the process, faculty conceptualize, design, and implement curriculum at both the program and course levels.
A host of simple teaching strategies referred to as "equitable teaching strategies" and rooted in research on learning can support biology instructors in striving for classroom equity and in teaching all their students, not just those who are already engaged, already participating, and perhaps already know the biology being taught.
Decoding Science: How does science know what it knows?
This page includes a 90-second explainer video on how science works, clear answers to challenging questions, stories from real-life scientists, and a quiz to test students' learning.
We report here the results of an assessment that addressed C.R.E.A.T.E. students' attitudes about the nature of science, beliefs about learning, and confidence in their ability to read, analyze, and explain research articles.
The C.R.E.A.T.E. approach demystifies the process of reading a scientific article and at the same time humanizes scientists. The positive response of students to this method suggests that it could make a significant contribution to retaining undergraduates as science majors.
Data Nuggets are free classroom activities, co-designed by scientists and teachers, designed to bring contemporary research and authentic data into the classroom. Data Nuggets feature a scientist role model and the story of what inspired their research.
4DEE: Four-Dimensional Ecology Education Framework
The Four-Dimensional Ecology Education (4DEE) Framework Initiative has its roots in 30 years of debate among ecologists and ESA leaders calling for a framework for eco-literacy that would provide basic comprehension of necessary ecological terminology and concepts to improve informed public policy and other ecological problem-solving decisions.