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What Makes a Habitable Planet?
Students list conditions necessary for humans to survive. They then mix yeast with a nutrient broth consisting of warm water and table sugar in a plastic bottle, capping it with a party balloon and compare the factors within the bottle...
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Brine Shrimp Hatching Experiment
Students hatch brine shrimp in a classroom experiment. For this hatching brine shrimp lesson, students participate in two-week lab in which they study how brine shrimp hatch under different conditions. They record data about the control...
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Keeping Warm When it is Cold: How does a polar bear keep warm?
Students make a model of a polar bear and discuss why fur/skin color is important. They also perform a simple experiment using black and white socks to determine how color affects temperature.
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Biodiversity Study -- A Unit Study
Students sample a site with low human impact, one with moderate human impact, and a third with high human impact. Students chart the data for each site and then compare the sites and discuss.
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You Can Die Here
Students examine Death Valley including the amount of precipitation and winds that it gets. In this climate based lesson students explain the reasons for the amount of precipitation and windward patterns in Death Valley.
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The Desert Alphabet Book
Students explore world geography by researching a science book with their classmates. In this desert identification instructional activity, students utilize a U.S. map to locate the geographical locations of deserts. Students create an...
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Design-A-Weed
Students create a "super weed" that prospers in teh harsh conditions on plant Weediv. They comprehend how weed adaptations give the plants an advantage over native plants. Students define the term adaptation. They give three examples...
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pH
Learners use a Colorimetric test to measure pH and gain the importance to life in an aquatic ecosystem pH is. They explore the dramatic effect pH level can have on a water body. Learners test the pH level of many water samples.
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Ecosystems and Climate
Students examine climatic effects on ecosystems. They plant tomatoes and observe the differences in plant growth with differences in light. They create picture collages of plants, animals, and insects found in each climate of the U.S.
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What Does My Bacteria Look Like?
Students identify Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria using staining techniques. Students research importance of identification of bacterial types in diagnosing bacterial diseases.
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Factors Affecting Microbial Growth
High schoolers listen to a lecture on four factors that influence microbial growth and they discuss how to test the optimal growth requirements of a designated bacterium. They design and carry out laboratory investigations to test...
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Character Building from Inside Out
Students determine how a stop animation movie is created. They compare the similarities of a stop animation movie to a flip book and construct a flip book showing fluid motion. They examine the different theories about why when a series...
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The Desert Alphabet Book
Students use a book to discover an interesting fact from the desert using each letter of the alphabet. Using a United States map, they identify the meanings of symbols and locate deserts within the U.S. In groups, they participate in...
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Connecting to the Poles through TEA E-Mail
Students explore the integral role of the remote polar regions within the global system. They answer the question: How will change in the ice sheets impact global sea level and climate? Students comprehend that the poles offer unique...
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Picnic Possibilities
Fourth graders plan a picnic using weather data. Using accumulated weather data from various sources, they create a graph of the weather conditions in their region for a given period of time. Students interpret this data to predict the...
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Drifting Downward
High schoolers study the effects of different salients and temperatures on vertical movement of an organism. In this experimental lesson students design different shapes of foil to simulate drifting planktonic organisms.
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How Old is that Cookie?
Students 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. Students discuss how the age of trees is...
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Floods
Students investigate how hurricanes impact a stream flow. For this floods lesson students predict the impact of storms on animals and interpret data.
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Seed Diversity
Learners explore agriculture by researching different seeds. In this seed identification lesson plan, students collaborate in small groups to analyze a package of different seeds. Learners utilize a magnifying glass to examine each seed...
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Breaking News: School Bans Hugging and High Fives
Students explore current events by analyzing a news article in class. In this school ban lesson, students read a story about a high school in London that has banned physical contact between all students. Students answer study questions...
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One Tough Worm
Students explain the process of chemosynthesis. They are able to explain the relevance of chemosynthesis to biological communities in the vicinity of cold seeps.
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Aquatic Insects: Water Quality Index & Diversity Index
Students search stream beds to study the life cycle and adaptations of stream insects. They explore creeks and streams to see the diversity index of creeks or streams and to find the water qualit index.
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Life in Streams and Ponds
Students collect microorganisms, demonstrate correct laboratory/Gram stain procedure, and design and construct tables to organize data.
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Ecosystems
Third graders create an ecosystem for red wiggler worms to observe as they work on a complete unit.