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Compost and Composting Experiments
Students investigate the composting process through a variety of experiments. For this ecology lesson, students discuss the benefits of composting. They examine how compost affect plant growth.
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Plants
Sixth graders examine how plants collect water and breathe. In groups, they participate in a variety of activities in which they discover how plants operate in terrariums. To end the lesson, they discuss why plants are important to the...
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Move it! With Simple Machines
Students know the six simple machines and explain what they do and how they have changed the lives of humans.
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Fire Fighting
Students consider the effects of a wildfire on prairie life. They explore the ways that plants regenerate after a fire and create fictional plants that have adapted specifically to the prairie environment. They share models of their plants.
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Interpreting Data from Birdfeeders
What kinds of birds live in your area? Read a book about birds to your learners and explore their feeding patterns. Charts and graphs are provided in this three page packet, but consider assigning the basic questions if using with young...
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Magic Tree House #13: Reading Questions
Reading comprehension questions for the 13th Magic Tree House book, Vacation Under the Volcano, are divided by chapter. Each chapter warrants three to five questions. They cover basic comprehension, vocabulary, and some inference.
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Westward Expansion
Students locate California and New York on a map and explore available means of travel in the 19th century. Students explore the role of trade in pioneer America and simulate various barter transactions.
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How a Seed Grows: And Who Grows It
Second graders explore botany by viewing video clips in class. In this seed growth lesson, 2nd graders identify the types of seeds that grow specific plants and what the optimal conditions are for growing seeds. Students view a video...
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1,000 Cranes Lesson Plan
Students improve their motor skills through cafeful folding, a discipline necessary in the practice of origami. They develop multicultural awareness by exploring Japanese history. Students improve their ability to follow directions...
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The Animal Kingdom of Vertebrates
Seventh graders classify fish according to their characteristics. In this classification lesson plan students learn how to group animals including birds, reptiles and amphibians.
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Basic Genetics
Ninth graders discover where their physical appearance and personality traits come from. In this genetics lesson, 9th graders learn about cells, chromosomes, DNA and genes. Students discover where genes come from as well as dominant and...
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Frog Metamorphosis
Students play 20 Questions with animal characteristics and then view an animation of how a tadpole changes into a frog. They consider the importance of camouflage to frogs and write out the story of a frog from tadpole to adult.
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Flower Power
Students investigate and explain the basic needs and life processes of plants. Key concepts include: living things change as they grow and need food, water, and air to survive. The reverse of the Kansas quarter serves as inspiration.
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Plants
Students review the needs of animals, hypothesize the needs of plants, and set up experiments to test hypotheses.
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Making Community Measurements: Which Plant Part?
Students identify a plant in a given community and make a variety of measurements. They determine how a plant meets its basic needs. In addition to identifying plant parts, they observe seasonal change and compare plants within a community.
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Beyond the Tap
Students explain the basic properties of a watershed including how water flows from higher to lower elevations and how watersheds are interconnected. They comprehend how the placement of buildings, roads, and parking lots can be...
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Building Tolerance for Poverty in Math
Students explore approximate and exact solutions. In this interdisciplinary lesson plan, 6th graders will be placed in 'family groups' to create a budget that is subject to random events as chosen from the 'things happen' box. This...
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Families
First graders complete a unit on families and family structures. They create a family tree for their own family, construct a family mobile, sort and discuss photos of families from around the world, create a banner of ways to say "I...
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Values
Fifth graders participate in a class auction to determine their values. In this health and math lesson, 5th graders list the top ten most important things in their lives, then the teacher introduces the idea of a values auction. Students...
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Understanding Human Rights Through One Woman's Struggle: Aung San Suu Kyi
Young scholars analyze human rights in the international community. In this human rights instructional activity, students explore the United Nations, and the Declaration of Human Rights. Young scholars read about Aung San Suu Kyi and...
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Monarch Migration
Third graders investigate the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly. They experiment with various tools to simulate the mouth parts of insects, conduct research, record their observations of butterflies hatching, write a play, complete...
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Plant and Animal Cells - Are they Different?
Students observe the similarities and differences between plant and animal cells. In this cell activity, students use microscopes to observe self prepared slides of animal and plant cells.
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Everyone Has a Culture -- Everyone is Different
Students are shown various statements and respond to each as a class. They discuss the differences between different groups of people and why they behave differently as well. After completing a worksheet, they discover aspects of their...
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Cells
Students explore the cell and cell processes. They create "cytoplasm", make a model of the cell and its organelles, and simulate the osmosis and the diffusion of materials into and out of the cell.