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The Evolution of Canis pedatus
Students examine the given characteristics of a previously unknown dog-like creature, Canis pedatus, to decide if the creatures would survive when relocated to a new environment. They work in small groups to decide whether or not the...
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Change by Chance?
Sixth graders are able to see the role of chance in evolution. The activity is similar to the party game "gossip" or "telephone." Students start off with a drawing of an animal which changes as they pass their copies of the animal to...
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Biology: Natural Selection
Students explore evolutionary processes and theories using the spotted fish applet. They observe what happens to fish in a closed environment with both food and predators. Students run the model several times and answer questions about...
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People Interacting with the Environment
Learners explore an arctic, temperate, and tropical environment and then decide what people need in each environment to help them live comfortably and what their lives would be like.
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This Place is Going to the Dogs
Students study different breeds of dogs. They watch a video, "Extraordinary Dogs", about special dogs and how they are categorized according to their adaptations. Then they create a digital video that demonstrates the qualities of dogs...
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Build a Bug
Students design an ideally adapted macroinvertebrate to live in a water habitat. They illustrate their animal, name it and specify the adaptations it has that enable it to survive.
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Search for the Humpback Whale
Students work in teams to research and explore whale adaptations, behavior, migration, habitat, communication, and interactions with humans and present their findings.
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Adaptable Animals
Pupils examine the types of adaptations that animals use to survive. They research the animals and report their findings to the class.
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Blocks And Screws (or "screwy Contrivances")
Students, given a block of wood and a screw or nail, are asked to put that screw or nail into a block. They examine how many contrivances and other imperfections found in living things are best explained by the process of evolution.
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Coloration
Students conduct an experiment picking out colored vs. camoflauged toothpicks out of the grass. They list and describe different types of coloration and explain how coloration assists the great horned owl and the striped skunk survive.
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Something Fishy
Students identify and discuss the adaptive characteristics and behaviors of fish. They view slides of fish, and design and create a model of a fish of the future, listing the ways their fish adapt to survive.
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Making Models
Students make a model of their thumbs to reinforce understanding of an adaptation. This instructional activity is one part of a multi-segmented unit on animals and survival.
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Keeping Warm
Learners create a collage investigating different strategies animals use for keeping warm. This lesson is part of a multi-segmented unit on animal survival.
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Got the Whole World in My Hands
Students review factors that threaten survival of different species. this lesson is part of a multi-segmented unit on animal survival.
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Animals Abound Pre/Post Assessment
Students prepare for or evaluate their experiences in learning about animal persistence. This is part of a multi-segmented unit on animal living, adaptation, and survival.
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Diversity of Life
Students explore the diversity of life forms and the role that interdependency plays in our world through a mult-segmented unit. This segment introduces the unit.
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Goals of the Diversity of Life Unit
Students are introduced to the unit on the importance of diversity of life and the role that interdependence plays in our worlds. this is part of a multi-lesson unit on the diversity of life.
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What is Diversity of Life?
Students are introduced to the variety of organisms in our world. this activity is a part of a multi-segmented unit on specie diversity. this segment explores distribution of life on land and sea.
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Kingdom Animalia
Students are introduced to the basic characteristics of the animal kingdom. this activity is part of a multi-segmented unit on the diversity of life. In this segment, students explore the the members of a few phyla of the animal kingdom.
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Tackling Taxonomy
Students study physical characteristics of separate phyla and place them into similar groups. This lesson is part of a multi-segmented unit on the diversity of life. students develop a classification system by grouping animals into...
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Creative Classification
Students create an animal by using physical characteristics to classify that animal in the Linnaean Classification System. This lesson is part of a multi-segmented unit on the diversity of life.
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Missing Links
Learners change one animal group into another animal group by changing only a few body characteristics. This lesson is part of a multi-segmented unit on the diversity of life. In this session, students the basis of classification.
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Diversity Debate
Students investigate the importance of dependency and diversity in a rain forest ecosystem. This lesson is part of a multi-segmented unit on the diversity of life.
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Living in Water
Fourth graders perform a lab activity in which they examine the external structure of a preserved fish and find out why fish can survive and live in water. They perform a lab which is guided by a worksheet imbedded in this plan.