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Guidebook
Students create a book about plants they observe after identifying and researching them.
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Air: Air Quality Picture Project
Students recognize which activities contribute to poor air quality and which contribute to good air quality. They discover how air quality is measured, and come up with ways that humans can have a positive affect on air quality.
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Illinois Biodiversity
Students examine the amount of biodiversity in the state of Illinois. They practice using new vocabulary and listening to stories about animals. After given time to reflect, they write their own haiku. They work together to create a...
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Marshland Wonders
Students review the characteristics of wetlands and list their benefits. After viewing short videos, they identify the organims that make their home in wetlands and how they have adapted. They compare and contrast the characteristics...
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Air Pollution Word Search Activity
Pupils examine the issues surrounding air pollution. They discover how it affects peoples health and the government's regulations. They complete a word search activity to practice the vocabulary.
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Children's Health
Students learn the basic parts of an insect, where they like to hide indoors, and how to safely get rid of them. They assemble the cockroach body and cut it out of a brown bag. They attach pipe cleaners as legs and attennae. They then...
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Nature Oriented Kindness Projects
Students complete various nature activities where they work together to create a butterfly garden, plant flowers, learn about nature survival, and more. In this nature lesson plan, students work together in groups and display kindness...
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Weather and Seasons: Mt. Seymour Winter Fieldtrip
Students explore winter adaptations and glare. In this winter weather lesson, students discuss the season of winter and how animals and plants adapt to the changing weather. Students discuss the glare off snow and make goggles for their...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Seasons of a Plant
The third in a series of six lessons is an engaging three-part activity defines that discusses phenology, focusing on the cyclic seasons of plants. Pupils then observe phenology outside before determining how climate change can...
Wild BC
Bearly Any Ice
After reviewing food chains, your class members participate in an arctic predator-prey game that exemplifies the impact of climate change of food availability. If you are in a hurry, skip this instructional activity, but if you have the...
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Temperature Variations and Habitability
Students, in groups, evaluate conditions outside the building and inside the classroom using thermometers, barometers, anemometers, etc. They compare interior and exterior conditions. They consider and discuss factors that contribute...
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"Approaching Walden: From Emerson to Thoreau"
Young scholars examine selected local leaves in greater detail in the classroom by using more analytical drawing techniques. They use Thoreau's drawing of a Scarlett Oak as their model. Students choose a leave from a box of leaves...
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Survivor
Seventh graders investigate changes in the ecosystem within the school year. They see that ecosystems, communities, populations, and organisms are dynamic and change over time. They, in groups, collect data in quadrants in the fall,...
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A Perfect Pond Study Lesson Plan
Students take a field trip to a wetland ecosystem. An informal pond study is performed by students. They examine their favorite animal, write a description of how it moves and illustrate it. In groups, students draw pictures of organisms...
Wild BC
The Greenhouse Effect: The Role of CO2
Though this is meant to be second in a two-part activity, the two are not dependent on each other. Pupils play the roles of visible light rays, light or dark surfaces, and carbon dioxide molecules. They interact and react according to...
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What is a National Forest
Students select and research a National Forest near their local community. They read and discuss the pamphlet "A Guide To Your National Forests," view photos of national forests, conduct Internet research, and complete the student...
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TE Lesson: I've Gotta Get Some Air
Students investigate types and sources of indoor air pollutions both at home and in school. They decide on how to prevent poor indoor air quality. They debate smoking in order to determine how language usage can be an influence in...
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ExplorA-Pond:4th Grade Perimeter Estimation
Fourth graders visit a real pond. They mark the pond's curvilinear perimeter using string. They measure the string to find the actual perimeter of the pond.
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Garbage Pizza
Students examine amount of garbage disposed of by average household weekly, classify different categories of garbage and describe composition of landfills, investigate what happens to waste after it is collected by garbage trucks, and...
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Designing the Experiment and Answering the Question
Students investigate scientific methods by analyzing an article from the Natural Inquirer. In this data analysis instructional activity, students read an article from the magazine and discuss at least 2 scientific methods that could be...
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Quadrate Lab
Pupils investigate tree stems and conduct an experiment on how non living factors affect living factors. In this tree stems lesson plan, students observe and record physical characteristics, and make predictions on what factors will...
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"Oh Deer!"
Students play a game where half of them are deer and the others are components of habitat: food, water, shelter and space. They signify their needs by hand gestures and take what they need to their side of the game. They discuss real...
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Many Uses of the Forest
First graders examine pictures of forest wildlife and identify different animals that live in the forest. They discuss resources the forest provides for human use and explore the concept that the forest is used by many at the same time.