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Lesson Plan
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PBS

Stories of Painkiller Addiction: Contemplating Nature vs. Nurture

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Does having an addict in your family make it more likely to become one yourself? Explore the genetic risk factors, as well as the prominent environmental influences, for substance addiction in a lesson that encourages awareness and open...
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Lesson Plan
Pulitzer Center

Food Insecurity

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Food insecurity, whether as a result of food scarcity or a lack of nutritious food, is a growing and serious problem in the world today. After discussing the concept of food insecurity, learners listen to an NPR radio broadcast on the...
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Lesson Plan
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Teach Engineering

Photosynthesis—Life's Primary Energy Source

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Wouldn't it be great if you could produce your own food? Scholars learn about the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in plants. They consider how to use photosynthesis as a model of an efficient system and how to apply...
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Lesson Plan
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Teach Engineering

Clean it Up!

For Teachers 5th - 7th Standards
Harness the power of bacteria. Scholars see how using organisms that exist in nature can help solve human problems in the process known as bioremediation. They research and discuss several successful examples, such as using oil-eating...
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Printables
Curated OER

Smogasbord

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
When your environmental or earth science class is studying air pollution, you will want to take the time to go over this resource. Pupils peruse the history of air pollution regulations and examine outstanding diagrams of what...
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Lesson Plan
Federal Reserve Bank

U.S. Income Inequality: It's Not So Bad

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What is the difference between a flat tax, progressive tax, tax deduction and transfer payments? Pupils examine the ability-to-pay principle of taxation through discussion, problem solving, and a variety of worksheets on topics from US...
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Unit Plan
Kenan Fellows

Unit 1: Introduction to Biotechnology

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Biotechnology is big! Introduce the uses of biotechnology to science scholars with a fascinating, fact-filled unit. The first installment in a series of four biotechnology units covers the role biotechnology plays in human and...
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Lesson Plan
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National Wildlife Federation

Green Green Revolution

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
School budgets don't have a lot of extra money, so when students propose saving the district money, everyone jumps on board. The first lesson in the series of 21 introduces the concept of an energy audit. Scholars form an eco-action team...
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Lesson Plan
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School Improvement in Maryland

Regulatory Agency

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Five governmental regulatory agencies are tasked to respond to market failure. Groups investigate the roles of each of these agencies as well as the social, economic, and political impact of their actions.
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Lesson Plan
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Understanding the Epidemiologic Triangle through Infectious Disease

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Introduce infectious diseases and the epidemiologic triangle. A helpful resource describes the agent, host, and environment from the three vertices as well as the time factor, which is in the middle. Scholars complete a simple...
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Lesson Plan
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Teach Engineering

Introduction to Water Chemistry

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
What are the issues surrounding water quality? Viewers of this short presentation gain information about the importance of clean water, the lack of fresh water, water contamination, and ways that engineers treat water. 
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Lesson Plan
Global Oneness Project

Deconstructing Consumerism

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
To increase awareness and launch a discussion of consumerism, class members view What Would It Look Like, a 25 minute film of images that capture the global effects of the consumption of goods. Viewers make a list of the images that they...
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Lesson Plan
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NASA

Cleaning Water

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Give young scientists a new appreciation of fresh, clean drinking water. After learning about the ways astronauts recycle their air and water, your class will work in small groups creating and testing their very own water filtration...
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Unit Plan
National Library of Medicine

Your Environment, Your Health: Air Quality

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Some scientists argue that air pollution now causes more deaths than smoking. The second unit in a six-part series focuses on air quality. Scholars learn what's in the air, how clean the air around their school is, and what they can do...
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Unit Plan
National Library of Medicine

Your Environment, Your Health: Runoff, Impervious Surfaces, and Smart Development

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Can a sidewalk increase the amount of pollution in local streams? Scholars learn the answer to this question though research and experimentation in the fifth unit in the six-part series. Pupils study runoff, impervious surfaces, and the...
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Unit Plan
National Library of Medicine

Your Environment, Your Health: Food Safety

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Did youknow that chicken causes the greatest risk of food-borne illness. The fourth unit in a six-part series addresses food safety. Scholars research common scenarios of food causing illness through the National Institute for Health....
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Lesson Plan
Personal Genetics Education Project

Genetics and Reproduction

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Disease prevention or designer babies? Use a set of slides to introduce the growing practice of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD. Teens read related articles and then break into groups to address different scenarios. Afterward,...
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Lesson Plan
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Constitutional Rights Foundation

Special Order 40

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The city of Los Angeles' 1979 Special Order 40 states: "LAPD officers shall not initiate police action with the objective of discovering the alien status of a person." After reading a fact sheet that details the history of Special Order...
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Lesson Plan
Science 4 Inquiry

Enzymes in Action

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Enzymes play a role in almost every function in the human body. Scholars explore three variables related to the use of enzymes. They observe a catalase reaction, experiment with substrates, and examine reactions rates. 
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PPT
Curated OER

GM Crops: Friends or Foes?

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Genetically modified crops—How do you feel about them? Here, explore the benefits and risks of GM crops to inform your opinion. 
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Lesson Plan
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Teach Engineering

An Introduction to Air Quality Research

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Viewers are a PowerPoint are exposed to the idea that pollutants are in more than just the air we breathe. the presentation provides information about the layers of the earth's atmosphere and takes a look at the pollutants in the...
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Lesson Plan
Wilderness Classroom

Pollution

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Educate scholars on pollution—air, water, and land—with a series of lessons that begin with a thorough explanation of each type. Learners then take part in three activities to reinforce the importance of reducing pollution. They...
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Lesson Plan
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California Academy of Science

Sustainable Water Solutions: Weighing the Pros and Cons

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
Switching indoor water fixtures to low flow reduces water usage by more than 45 percent. This and other solutions to reduce water usage have both pros and cons. Scholars view videos of different solutions, discuss them in small groups,...
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Lesson Plan
4
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California Academy of Science

Sustainable Food Solutions: Weighing the Pros and Cons

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
A growing demand for sustainable food systems comes from schools and even some cities. So what are some solutions? Scholars consider four different ways to approach sustainable food solutions and list the pros and cons of each. The fifth...