Kingdoms of Life Curriculum Module

Explore the many kingdoms of life— in the classroom or field

Hands-on activities inspire students to learn by investigating life classification; how organisms create a food web; microbes—bacteria, fungi, and protists; plants and the plant life cycle; and animal behavior. They also design their own experiment on environmental preference.

In the module’s comprehensive culminating activity, students conduct six field surveys—site, forest, grassland, stream/river, microlife and soil—using collection, identification, and observation skills.

Kingdoms of Life includes:

• Investigation literature and student guide, comprehensive Curriculum Guide, and a Curriculum Resources CD-ROM with a virtual lab
• Three units of study (labs), each with 2–8 activities (17 activities total)
• Posters on classification, viruses and bacteria, protists, plants, and the ecology of vernal pools
• Storage cabinet with materials for 40 students in clearly labeled drawers

The Kingdoms of Life Curriculum Module includes the following units of study:

• Unit 1: Classifying Life
• Unit 2: Life’s Kingdoms
• Unit 3: Comprehensive Inquiry Investigation