Lesson Plan
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Dream Stream

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Investigate the parts of a healthy stream to build content-specific vocabulary and ecological awareness. The class builds vocabulary and determines why clean water is important for trout. They design a shoe box to show what a clean...
Lesson Plan
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Marine & Aquatic Habitats Activities - Terrestrial Forests vs. Kelp Forests

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discuss concept and specificity of habitats, both marine and terrestrial, list similarities and differences in the habitats of a kelp forest and a terrestrial forest, compare types of organisms that occupy corresponding types of...
Lesson Plan
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Creating a Pond Habitat

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students create a pond habitat inside and outside their classroom. In this pond lesson plan, students create a habitat with animals, water, and plants in order to create a proper pond habitat.
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environment: Fresh and Saltwater Habitats

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Students compare and contrast fresh and salt water coastal environments. After describing how sea animals adapt to their habitats, they design a variety of sea creatures and explain how the adaptations aid in the animals' survival. ...
Lesson Plan
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Water Quality Monitoring

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners comprehend the four parameters of water quality. They perform tests for salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH and clarity or turbidity. Students comprehend why scientists and environmental managers monitor water uality and aquatic...
Lesson Plan
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Can We Keep the Lake Clean?

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students are introduced to the water cycle. They help draw a picture of a lake ecosystem, adding human impacts that affect water quality. Students help fill in the components of a drawing of a water system. At the end of the lesson...
Lesson Plan
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Estuaries, Estuarine Habitats, and Adaptations

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students conduct research on estuaries. They design and construct an estuary, describe the physical characteristics of an estuary, and create a diagram illustrating an estuarine food web.
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Ecosystems, Habitats and Survival

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students analyze the habitats of animals and people, how they are developed and maintained, and what factors affect shelter selection. They create a classified ad that describes a specific animal's habitat.
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Droplets and Downpours

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students explore how storm water flows through different habitats by sketching the slope of their yard, compare runoff for erosion, and create a sand castle. In this storm water lesson plan, students measure where their yard started...
Lesson Plan
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Beautiful Butterflies - Activity Centers

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students describe habitats within ecosystems, describe how organisms modify environment to meet their needs, and identify characteristics for butterfly survival. In this butterfly lesson plan, students explore all aspects of the...
Lesson Plan
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Design a Reef!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars explore coral reef ecosystems.  In this ecosystems science instructional activity, students research coral reef ecosystems to determine the major functions the participating organisms must perform.  Young...
Lesson Plan
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Praire Biome Models

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders, in groups, list the physical characteristics of a biome and think of ways in which animals might have to adapt to live there and make a biome mobile ball that show the different types of habitats that shape the praire biome.
Lesson Plan
Indian Land Tenure Foundation

Relationships to Places

For Teachers K - 2nd
Young historians take a look at how the Indian tribes of California promoted a mindful relationship between people and the land. They begin to understand how the Indians were champions of conservation, and at preserving the natural...
Lesson Plan
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Wetland Metaphors

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars describe the characteristics of wetlands and identify their ecological functions. They inspect items and use them to create metaphors about wetlands.
Lesson Plan
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Habitat Mural

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students build a collage of an ecosystem. The goal is for them to understand interactions in a community, plant and animal adaptations, and how all life depends on plants. This activity is based on Wump World and students describe what...
Lesson Plan
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How do living and non-living structures affect coral reef habitats?

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students create model coral reefs showing surface area and including examples of communities.  In this coral reef lesson, students research and explore the functions or benefits from a coral reef.  Students design a benthic...
Lesson Plan
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Environmental Science/Water Pollution

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Pupils study natural habitats, aquatic life, renewable and non-renewable resources. They discuss conservation efforts for sea otters and desert toad in this units.
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Plant Explorers

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Young scholars investigate how plants take in water, nutrients, and light. They create artwork showing how plants survive in different environments.
Lesson Plan
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Forest In A Jar

For Teachers K - 6th
Students conduct an experiment using soil, water, seeds, a plant, and a jar; and then draw a poster to represent their observations and findings. They make a poster showing what happened to their aquatic environment.
Lesson Plan
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Ecosystems and Habitats

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders go on a virtual field trip to five ecosystems. They investigate and videotape a temperate forest in the school's backyard.
Lesson Plan
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Building an Underwater Habitat

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students investigate underwater habitats. In this underwater habitat lesson, students study Aquarius and design their own underwater habitat that can sustain life. Students work in groups and present their habitats to the class. Students...
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Boom and Bust

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students investigate commercial fishery. In this fishery lesson, students describe stages in commercial fishery, interpret data and predict when a fisher stock is showing signs of overexploitation.
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Garden of Eden

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students view a video clip about animals and their habitats. They work together to discuss how different animals adapt to their environments. They create a new habitat for a specific animal and draw new adaptations for them.
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I'm Not Home Alone

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students view species of plants and animals in their native habitats. They design a classroom habitat and create a plan for raising the necessary funds to accomplish their project.