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Insect Safari
Third graders name and identify three body parts of an insect, identify the characteristics that insects have six legs and one pair of antennae and categorize insects as to whether they are helpful or harmful.
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Case Study: Should the Results of the Human Genome Project be Sold for Profit?
Students investigate a case study and discuss whether scientists working on the Human Genome Project should be allowed to patent their work. They consider ethical and legal issues, and determine who owns genetic information.
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Weather Wonderland
Second graders explore the types of tools that scientists use t o study weater,
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Socioeconomic Implications of Fetal Transplantation An Exercise in Bioethics
Students explore ethical problems. In groups, students examine and study a given ethical problem. They practice techniques for making ethical decisions and interact with each other in the resolution. Students support their decision...
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Sink or Swim
Students define density and explain how to determine the density of an object. Students participate in a demonstration that shows the differences in the densities of different liquids and how they affect the liquid's physical properties.
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Owl Pellet Lesson Plan
Learners construct and identify a skeleton from the bones dissected from an owl pellet. They glue the bones on construction paper, label the page, and identify the animal.
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Mars: Off the Charts--Until You Put It There
Pupils explore the night sky and make illustrations which are shared in class the next day. Distinctions are made between the stars and the planets and views of the constellations for the season are made available. The work of early...
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Marine & Aquatic Habitats -- Journey of a Drop of Water Through a Watershed
Learners discuss pollution and the steps in the hydrologic cycle. They follow a drop of water through a watershed simulation. They discover the components of a water cleaning system as well.
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Collecting Field Trip
Students identify and describe each marine habitat. They name organisms that can be found in each habitat and discover ways in which to protect them. They participate in an activity to complete the instructional activity.
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Understanding Estuaries
Middle schoolers work together to develop their own estuarine ecosystem in an aquarium. They observe the aquarium daily and record them in a notebook. They discuss the different interactions they see with the class.
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Measuring "pHacts" about Acid Rain
Sixth graders gather and graph information regarding the pH of rain. Working cooperatively with an internet partner, 6th graders gather and record information about the pH of the rain in their local area. They graph this information...
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Coefficient of Restitution
Learners investigate variables that influence the bouncing of balls. In this exploratory lesson students observe how the manipulated and control variable are correlated by graphing the data.
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Genetics and Molecular Biology
Students create DNA models using colored construction papers. In this biology instructional activity, students identify enzyme restriction sites. They model how DNA plasmids replicate when taken up by a bacterial cell.
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Five Senses
Students listen to the book "My Five Senses." They work together to classify fifteen objects by the sense that they affect. They discuss the sense organs and complete a chart. Finally, they sort mystery items from a bag which the teacher...
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Bats and Sound
Students create a PowerPoint presentation about animals and the sound they make. Using traditional and internet research methods, students gather information about a specific animal and the sounds that animal makes. Student information...
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Ingenious Inventions
Fifth graders complete a variety of activities as they study the various tools and machines that have been invented throughout history that have made life easier and tasks less difficult for modern man.
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Animal Adaptation
Third graders read in their textbooks about how water affects habitats and discuss vocabulary and pictures from the lesson. Then in groups of two, they observe the teacher's example of a headline. They are then assigned to their own...
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Eggstra Safe Eggs
Students study about the bacteria that grow in eggs. They examine what farmers do to keep eggs safe such as providing clean environments in the chicken house.
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Environment: Understanding Change
Students predict changes that will occur in the environemt after trees are cut down around a house. They focus on changes in the hydrosphere, geosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere. By examining the rings in a tree's trunk, they...
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"Attack A Cell, Any Cell" Disease Unit
Seventh graders use the Internet to gather information about a disease. They also discuss in groups how diseases are a worldwide problem and brainstorm ideas they can help. They create an informational packet on the disease they researched.
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Observing Fruits and Seeds
Third graders discuss what they think the word "observation" means and discover different ways that we observe. They observe as the teacher demonstrates how to use a hand lens as a tool for observing tiny details. They then use hand...
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Qualitative Vs. Quantitative
Fourth graders examine the difference between qualitative and quantitative observations by doing a simple lab activity. This lesson can be used at any grade level. It involves the basic observation process skill.
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Preventing Water Pollution
Fourth graders write at least two ways to clean the water and two ways to prevent pollution with appropriate guesses, striving not to create any more pollution in the water. They understand how pollution affects water as well as the rest...
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Observing the Elements of Water
Fifth graders conduct a closed circuit experiment to observe the elements of water. They discuss the elements of Hydrogen and Oxygen, and in small groups construct a closed circuit connected to two pencils placed in water. Students...