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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecological Impact of River Dams

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students investigate their environment by completing an in-class experiment.  In this ecological lesson, students define the roles of dams and how electricity is created by them.  Students utilize plastic jugs, sand and tap water to...
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Lesson Plan
Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Section Two: Why is Biodiversity Important?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Explore soil, genetic traits, natural resources, and pollution in a series of lessons that focus on biodiversity. Kids complete experiments to learn more about the importance of varied genes and organisms in an ecosystem.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Natural Inquirer Ecosystem Article Lesson

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students discover new ways to preserve the ecosystem by completing graphic organizers.  In this environmental activity, students read an article from the Natural Inquirer in small groups and fill out a graphic organizer based on the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Forest Succession

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students research environmental change and why forests cannot stay the same for long.  In this environmental growth lesson, students discuss the life cycle of a tree and examine tree cookies to discover the age of these specimens....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Renewable Energy Sentences

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students construct sentences using nouns and verbs from a "renewable energy" word bank. In this cross curriculum ecology and sentence structure grammar and mechanics lesson, students listen to the book Our Earth: Clean Energy by Peggy...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Forest Ecosystem Field Trip

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students investigate the environment by participating in a class field trip. In this botany lesson, students attend a field trip through their local park or forest while listening to a nature guide. Students practice using their 5 senses...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Garden of Verses: Poems About Class Gardens

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars explore botany by participating in a language arts activity. In this garden poetry lesson, students read the classic poem "Mary, Mary Quite Contrary" and discuss the imagery and rhyming methods used. Young scholars examine...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Are the Layers of the Rain Forest?

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Young scholars investigate the different levels of the rain forest by comparing it to an apartment.  In this ecology lesson, students practice using forest related vocabulary words and complete a vocabulary data sheet.  Young scholars...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biomes of the World (and Canada)

For Teachers 2nd - 7th
Students explore environments by analyzing food chains. In this biome identification lesson, students define a list of environmental vocabulary terms such as tundra, rain-forest and desert. Students create a fictional self sustainable...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Great Pollinators

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Young scholars discover the reproductive parts of a plant.  In this biology lesson, students identify and categorize several different plants they dissect in class.  Young scholars record their information using a data chart.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Vocabulary: Kansas Prairies

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the ecosystem by reviewing scientific vocabulary terms. In this environmental awareness lesson, students identify the differences between abiotic and biotic factors and their relationship to the Earth. Students define...