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Roots: The Ancestry of Modern People
High schoolers investigate the models for the origin of modern humans and the conditions that facilitate speciation and evolution. The classification and nomenclature of hominid species is also examined.
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Earth Day: A Look into the World Around Us...
Eighth graders listen to an interactive lecture about Earth Day and related environmental problems and background. They observe a paper mache volcano made of recyclable material and using guidelines make their own art piece as well as...
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Down in the Dumps
After an introduction to municipal sludge, middle school ecologists consider the pros and cons of dumping in the Hudson River Canyon. The class is split into two groups: one to debate in favor or dumping and one to debate against the...
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Review Parts of a Book
Begin the year with a review of the parts of a book. Exercises in the unit plan ask emergent readers to identify the information on the cover of a book and on the title page, to explain the purpose of a table of contents, and to describe...
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Marine Animals on the Move
Students work with partners to track tagged animals using real-time data from satellites. Students gather and analyze data, compile information and conclusions and then prepare a final presentation of their research.
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Our Universe: Designed or Evolved?
Students brainstorm and write arguments for Evolution and Intelligent Design. They research the history of each of these ideas. They also examine the controversy of teaching one or both ideas in schools.
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The Cantankerous Pathogen
High schoolers explore what factors influence the spread of infectious diseases. They explain how human manipulation of the environment affects the transmission of diseases.
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What Is In The Water?
Students investigate the biotic and abiotic factors that are found in an aquatic ecosystem. The emphasis is upon the investigation of present an projections of future water quality. Then students visit a local body of water to gather...
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The Lost World (4 parts)
Tenth graders view this science fiction adventure, though not scientifically accurate, creates opportunities to explore the extinction of dinosaurs and to explore evolution.
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Toilets and Neurons
Students explore the concept of action potential and its effects on voltage-gated channels. Students compare and contrast a flushing toilet to an action. They examine its effects on the population of voltage-gated channels.
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Is Cancer on the Rise or Decline in America Today?
Learners read an article about cancer in the United States. They research a cancer of their choice along with possible treatments. They identify types of cancer that are on the rise and decline for both men and women. They examine the...
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The Changing Coral Reef
Students record changes in the composition of a coral reef. In this Coral Reef activity, students recognize the needs of Coral Reef species to survive. Students chart changes in population over time. Students write an essay about...
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A Clone of Your Own: The Legal Issues and the Future of Genetic Engineering on Humans
Twelfth graders define cloning in their own words and examine the different types of cloning. After reading an article, they summarize it in their own words and use the internet to research the history of cloning. In groups, they...
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Straining to Understand Viruses
Students examine the differences among the strains of deadly viruses and create research-based visual displays about the origins of different strains, transmission, symptoms, treatments and historic impact of specific viruses.
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Working Like a Dog
Students consider ways animals help human beings with certain chores, then research more specific tasks dogs are trained to do. They create a help wanted ad enumerating the traits a dog should have before applying for a particular position.
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Drama in the Salt Marsh
Students are introduced to the various organisms that live in a salt marsh. They recognize adaptations of organisms that live in the salt marsh. Pupils review concepts of the ecosystem and niche. Students explain the different roles...
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Seed Dispersal
Students determine seed dispersal methods. In this life science instructional activity, students make predictions about how seeds might move, then look at seeds under micrographs or microscopes to analyze the seed coat and how this...
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Life-Cycle Sleuth
Learners analyze an animal's life cycle and behaviors, and examine what animals need to stay alive and reproduce. They develop theories and hypotheses about the reasons for migrations, using the Journey North online project.
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Food Chains & Food Webs
Tenth graders examine how energy is lost through different trophic levels. In this trophism activity students construct a food web and view a video.
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Life Science- Learning About Tadpoles
Students investigate a frog's life cycle. In this tadpole lesson plan, students observe tadpoles in an aquarium and record results. Students fill in a KWL chart as an assessment.
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Molecular Sequences & Primate Evolution: Amino Acids, Hemoglobins in Evolution
Students compare differences in amino acids in the beta hemoglobin from representative primates, complete a matrix of those differences, and from these data, construct and interpret cladograms as they reflect relationships and timing of...
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Acting Potential
Students set up a cell membrane with the material provided by their teacher and then arrange beads properly to show how the sodium and potassium ions are arranged. They then make a model representing the axon of a neuron.
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Population Vs Consumption: Which is a Bigger Problem for the Environment & Who is Getting the Lion's Share of the World's Resources?
Students develop critical thinking and awareness about the complexity of natural resource use, wealth distribution, population densities, poverty, and the environment. They think about people living in different parts of the world and...
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Aquatic Invertebrates
Learners examine the impact that human development has on streams. In this stream sampling lesson students compare macroinvertebrate data and graph it.