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Taking Count of Biodiversity
Here is a well-designed lesson on biodiversity that should intrigue your charges. In it, pupils compare a natural desert area to a school field to see how habitat destruction affects species diversity. Groups set up transects and collect...
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Pharaoh Mountain Hike: Investigating Adirondack Life Zones
Learners hike a local mountain and examine its life zones. They measure various components at each zone and collect leaf litter at the sites. At the mountain top, students make descriptive observations and complete a handout about the...
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Looking at Food Chains
In this Looking at Food Chains worksheet, students read about a food chain under the sea and underline important information. Next, students fill in a graphic organizer about food chains based on the information they just read.
Cal Recycle
Conserving Natural Resources
Trying to plan an engaging elementary science unit on natural resources? Conserve your energy! This five-part series of lessons and hands-on activities has exactly what you need to teach young scholars about the importance of conservation.
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What Makes a Seed Breathe Faster?
Here's a five-star lesson plan in which inquisitors conduct sophisticated experimentation with cellular respiration in plant seeds. Placing seeds in a closed system they measure the amount carbon dioxide produced and relate it to...
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Fungi
Why did the mushroom go to the party? Because he was a fun guy! Biology learners study fungi while completing this worksheet. Structure is compared to that of other life forms. The life cycle is displayed with colorful diagrams for...
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Global Greenup
Students utilize satellite images to track the life cycle of vegetational growth over a large area. Animal migratory patterns are compared to this cycle.
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Creature Features
Students examine why certain animals live in only specific places throughout the world. Using animals, they classify them based on their characteristics and identify their basic needs. They also observe and compare the life cycles of...
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Invertebrates
High schoolers identify the characteristics common to all animals. In groups, they compare the characteristics between the animals and how they are divided. To end the lesson, they compare the eight phyla of invertebrates and review...
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Exploring Regions of Our World
Examine how climate and landforms affect plants and animals that live in particular areas. Discover that these same factors affect peoples' homes, jobs, and recreational activities. Pupils research ecosystems and biomes, and then write...
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Case of the Missing Pumpkin
Scientists define and discuss decomposition, and watch pumpkins decompose and return to soil in classroom experiment. They record the date the experiment began, chart changes in pumpkins on a calendar, count how many days it takes...
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Bird Brilliance!
First graders explore natural resources and search outdoors to find materials to create a bird's nest. In this bird's natural resources lesson, 1st graders listen to a book about birds and reflect on the various things birds use to...
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All About Teeth
Chomp chomp! Learn which teeth perform which tasks with a thorough worksheet on molars, incisors, and canines. Based on descriptions of each kind of tooth, fifth graders label a diagram that points to particular teeth. They then color in...
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From Curiosity Cabinet to Museum Collection
Students study binomial nomenclature and museum-based research. They create a curiosity box, label the objects in their curiosity box , develop a classification scheme for the objects, and create a database of all objects collected by...
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When Ants Fly
Here is a great lesson on constructing line graphs. Learners identify common characteristics of birds, ants common needs of all living things. They also write a story from the perspective of an ant or a bird that has lost its home and...
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Filling Out a Retrieval Chart
Fourth graders generate a spreadsheet that includes research about coastal plants, wetland plants and animals and Hawaiian stream animals.
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Weather Lesson 1
Learners describe and compare the layers of the atmosphere. They explain how to measure the temperature of the atmosphere. They also explain what causes the atmosphere to heat up in some places more than in others.
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How 'bout them bones!
After a lesson on the human skeleton, hand out a worksheet that requires learners to identify the pelvis, rib cage, skill, spine, and thigh bones. They draw a line from the name of the bone to its location on the skeleton. Tip: Instead...
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I Wonder What a Pest Is...
Pupils observe what animals are considered to be pests and why. They conduct a mock trial of a honeybee arguing if it is a pest or not. They determine pros and cons of honeybees to prepare for the trial.
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Land Use Issues
Students examine soil types and determine the ability of each to absorb water. Working in groups, they time how long it takes for water to seep out the bottom of the cups. They examine soil components, conservation, erosion, and tree...
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"Julie of the Wolves"
Fifth graders research life in Alaska and compare life there to their lives in this lesson. They read "Julie of the Wolves." They research through the novel and other reference books facts about the Alaskan climate and geography. They...
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Seasons
Young scholars name the 4 seasons, discussing the weather, plant life, animal life and and activities of each. Students read the book titled, "Hello Arctic," and and discuss changes in seasons that accompany the story. Young scholars...
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It's A Jungle Out There -Tempera
Sixth graders explore master paintings by Rousseau. They explain how the artist creates depth by overlapping images. They design and create an "imaginary" tropical landscape for a tempera painting.
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The Wonderful Pigs of Jillian Jiggs
First graders compare fictional and real pigs. In this pig comparison lesson plan, 1st graders read a fiction text then a non-fiction text on pigs. Students complete a K-W-L chart and fill out a Venn Diagram.