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Life in Extreme Environments - Lakes Under Ice
High schoolers collect chemical, physical, and biological data from a local lake throughout the year. In addition, students discuss the design of an experimental structure for water collection at several specific depths as well as assess...
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Invertebrate Research Project
Students keep a scientific research notebook on an invertebrate detailing its behavior and responses.
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Scientists Write!
Students use a journal to record observations. They make notes about what research may be needed to answer questions that have come up in the field and sketch or make connections in the curriculum. They research bioinformatics and...
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Organic Farming / Agriculture
Want an organic farming resource packed with experiments, background information, science fair projects, and topics of interest for further research? Here it is. Young environmental scientists can explore concepts involved in organic...
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Tree of Life
Students study genetics and evolution. They evaluate a group of organisms and estimate their genetic relatedness. Then they use an online program to check the accuracy of their estimations and make a branching phylogenetic tree which...
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BEETLES: The Coming Out
Students design an experiment to test the variables involved in the hatching of the Bruchid beetle.
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Coral Reefs
Students research coral reefs and identify their benefits to humans, threats to the reef, how to reduce and eliminate threats, and more. In this coral reef lesson plan, students research the reefs, and take a field trip to an aquarium.
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Micro-Ecosystems
Students create a sustainable, self-contained ecosystem in a ten-gallon aquarium.
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Photosynthesis in a Jar
Students simulate Joseph Priestley's experiments using a bell jar. They demonstrate that oxygen is necessary for fire and animals but that given time, plants can create oxygen, allowing fires to burn and animals to breathe.
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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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Weights of Objects
Students differentiate between the weights of an object on different planets. In this geometry lesson plan, students investigate different weights and graph their results as it relates to the different planets. They appreciate the design...
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Selecting a Harbor: Oceanography and the Impact of Oil Spills
Young scholars work together to determine a new site for a harbor. Using the Internet, they research the impact of an oil spill on the oceans and wildlife. They present their findings to the class and a solution to the problem.
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Studying a Piece of an Ecosystem
Students carry out an outdoor land study in which they identify organisms living in the soil, and any other animals living within the site. Groups also examine abiotic factors. They respond to a series of questions concerning their data...
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Creating an Experimental Design
Students research the damage to the environment by certain plant species. They create an experimental design which they test how these species take over certain habitats. They share their information with the class.
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Fish Parasite Survey
Students count nematodes, cestodes and crustaceans on approximately one-hundred and fifty fish. They fill out autopsy reports for external and internal parasites then complete and discuss guide questions to make inferences about parasite...
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Fish Parasite Survey
Students survey and dissect as many fish as possible. They count nematodes, cestodes and crustaceans on the fish, fill out autopsy reports, and transfer data to a chalkboard data table. Students graph the results of the entire class...
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Integrated Pest Management
Students investigate the different methods used in integrated pest management. In this biology lesson, students evaluate experiments and case studies on IPM. They discuss the pros and cons of using this method.
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Investigative Case - Living in an Alkaline Environment
Young scholars are shown many ways in which Mono Lake water and distilled water are different. They demonstrate that the survival of common soil bacteria declines as pH increases. Students examine the behaviors, adaptations, energy...
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The Environment and Interactions of Living Organisms
Students study the environment and interactions of living organisms. They identify abiotic and biotic factors and create a foldable and vocabulary cards. They create a poster illustrating soil and watch a video to study symbiosis.
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Introduction to Measuring the Forest
Students investigate how much wood is in a forest. For this forestry lesson, students calculate how much usable wood comes from the forest. They will read, Sizing Things Up from Trees + Me = Forestry, measure firewood piles, and create a...
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Inquiry-based Investigations into Pond Water Microorganisms
Students become familiar with common microorganisms and experience exploring the microbial world.
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Cell Energy-Colorful Respiration
Students examine the acid-base indicator, bromthymol blue (BTB), and what happens to it when you blow air into it or add plants and snails. Through an experiment, they test three different setups of BTB and record the color changes that...
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Eco-Poetry
Young scholars explore the Earth's various biomes and ecosystems using Internet research. They create a multimedia poem using the photos, sounds, and vocabulary from their research.
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A Living Watershed
Students, through this series of lessons, use local resources, speakers, print and video materials, as well as standard text materials to study the ecosystem of the local watershed.