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Rainforest Deforestation and the Water Cycle
Students create terrariums (mini rainforests). They observe and discuss the life processes that occur in their terrariums and how changes in these processes affect the plants and organisms inside. They collect and graph data and present...
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Slow Rot or Not?
Fifth graders examine how environmental factors affect decomposition. In this decomposition lesson, 5th graders experiment with the decomposition of grapes in five different environmental settings. They look at images of items that have...
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Microclimates of Our School
Students read the story "Weslandia" by Paul Fleischman, define the term microclimate, gather and record data in various places on school grounds to establish the presence of difference microclimates, analyze and compare microclimates,...
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Three R's to Environmental Stewardship: Earth Day
Students explore the ways to conserve our natural resources. In this recycling, reusing, and reducing lesson students read Dinosaurs to the Rescue and apply their findings to learning ways to conserve resources. Students complete a...
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Down, Dung and Dirty
Students observe the changes seen in succession and the biodiversity of a community through its species richness and evenness. They create a dung culture in a clear plastic cup from horse, goat or cow dung then observe the numbers of...
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People Are Like Peas in a Pod
Young scholars experiment with pea pods to observe/appreciate the diversity of individuals within a population, and to explain of how dominant and recessive traits, genotypes, and phenotypes help produce variation in a population.
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Hawaiian Bird Beak Adaptation
Learners explore adaptation by participating in a lab activity. In this bird characteristics lesson, students discuss the different purposes birds have for their beaks and conduct an experiment testing which beaks collect food best....
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The Great Pollinators
Students discover the reproductive parts of a plant. In this biology lesson, students identify and categorize several different plants they dissect in class. Students record their information using a data chart.
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Whose Breakfast isn't for the Birds?
Learners explore coffee production. In this cross-curriculum rainforest ecology instructional activity, students research regions where coffee comes from and investigate how the native birds in the rainforest are effected by coffee...
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One Square Meter
Students explore the concept of a quadrat study. Students select and investigate a site and conduct a quadrat survey. They take measurements, observe the area and analyze their findings.
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Indoor Air: What's the Matter?
Learners investigate the variety and amount of particulate matter in the air. They locate the general sources of pollution for a specific area and develop some suggestions for improving air quality.
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Root, Root, Root for the Nutrients
Students observe the growth of a seed, predict what will happen when seeds are planted without soil, and conduct an experiment using a hydroponics system.
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Marshland Wonders
Students review the characteristics of wetlands and list their benefits. After viewing short videos, they identify the organims that make their home in wetlands and how they have adapted. They compare and contrast the characteristics...
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Wetlands: Pave or Save?
Students discuss the characteristics of wetlands and how to make them more productive. Using a map, they locate the major wetlands in the United States and color them using a key. They read an article and in groups answer discussion...
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Rain Reasons
Young scholars explore how climatic factors influence the growth of plants. They create an experiment to find how variations in water, light, and temperature affect plant growth and describe how precipitation and geography can affect the...
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Ecosystems
Students create plots of land in three different ecosystems and use AppleWorks to collect data for research. This lesson includes a downloadable worksheet and can be accomplished in four days.
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How Old is that Cookie?
Young scholars investigate adaptation. In this cookie age lesson, students examine changes and variations in chocolate chips in cookies in preparation for determining the age of trees using lines. Young scholars discuss how the age of...
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From Above
Students use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire and report information from a spacial perspective.
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Forests for People
Students devise and conduct a survey at their school to discover what the students like to do in forests. They then plot the results in a line-graph. Students research the various things threatening forest life.
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Trash Count
Students identify pollution around their local community. They discuss the sources of polution and categorize objects based on their properties. They discover ways to make changes to the environment and how to inform the public.
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Habitats: Rainforest
Students use the internet to find reasons the rainforest is endangered and ways that affects the rest of the world. They read for information, perform experiments, locate rainforests on maps, and write about this ecosystem.
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Mapping the Village
Learners measure, weigh, and document the amount of trash and garbage generated by the school for one day. They brainstorm solutions for trash in the area and assist with the school-wide recycle program.
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Propulsion Pop!
Students demonstrate an understanding of the text by completing a propulsion activity, charting the results, and answering questions that demonstrate an understanding of rocket propulsion.
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Wat-er We Good For?
Fifth graders investigate the use of water as a resource that needs to be conserved. They practice the skill of water conservation by taking a home survey of water usage and modify the use in order to decrease the wasting of water.