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Desert Adaptations: Water
Students experiment with methods of water conservation. In this water conservation instructional activity, students explore the importance of water for plants and animals in a desert biome.
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Animal Adaptations
Tenth graders participate in an arthropod scavenger hunt. In groups of two, they identify and collect two specimens of arthropods in the school area, and create a table of all the specimens and what class they belong to.
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Building a Clay Neuron
Students investigate and then build neurons in this lesson. They are examined as key parts of the brain and nervous system and seen as different from normal cells.
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What is Energy?
Students define energy and identify the different types that exist. They identify places they see, hear or feel energy. They understand the role of engineering in finding and testing sources of energy for the production of electricity.
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Hygiene Potato Graphs
Fifth graders discuss the importance of proper hygiene. After watching their teacher peel potatoes, they discuss why she was wearing rubber gloves. They demonstrate how to wash their hands properly and why one should never touch...
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Where are the Dinosaurs?
Young scholars find the similarities of dinosaurs and the animals of today. In this dinosaurs lesson plan, students understand why dinosaurs have become extinct. Young scholars research and create dinosaur dioramas and finger puppets.
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Acid Rain Research
Students collect samples of rainfall, cloud condensation, and water that trickles through the soil. These samples are tested for pH, conductivity, and the presence of sulfates, nitrates, calcium, and magnesium.
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Water Quest
Learners visit the Hydrology Study Site, conduct a visual survey to discover info about local land use and water quality, and document their findings by mapping the water body. They use this investigation to raise questions for further...
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Water Walk
Learners follow the appropriate sampling protocol and take two measurements of a local water source. These measurements are Transparency and Temperature. This info about local land use and/or water chemistry issues may require further...
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Do Salt Water Fish Drink?
Students conduct an experiment with potato cores and a sucrose solution to investigate how salt water fish process water. They develop a lab report of their experiment.
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Tessellation
Students create an art piece incorporating tessellating shapes, translational symmetry, reflectional symmetry,and or rotational symmetry. They are asked if they know the definition of tessellation. If so, students are asked what shapes...
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Quadrat Sampling 101
Young scholars explore the population of grass plants in a given area. They plan and conduct a sampling activity to estimate the population of dandelions or the number of grass blades on the school grounds.
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Bats: Fact and Fiction
Students describe the characteristics and behaviors of bats. After viewing a video, they explain how bats use echolocation to navigate and how they find their young within a group. They list four misconceptions about the animal and...
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How Does a Seed Grow Into a Plant?
Second graders explore how seeds grow into plants. They discuss types of seeds and place seeds in wet paper towels to germinate. They draw a picture in their journal to record their observations for four days. They take pictures of their...
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Demonstrating Erosion in Action
Young scholars easure and record volume of water, then measure and record mass of soil. They explain the effects of the following in controlling erosion: Contouring, cover crop, strip cropping, reforestation, inter-seeding.
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This Lesson Is a Breeze, So Don't Blow It!
Young scholars conduct an experiment to show that air is all around us and that wind is the movement of air. They construct a weather vane to determine which direction the wind is blowing.
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Living or Nonliving
Third graders brainstorm a list of the characteristics of living and nonliving organisms. Individually, they find four nonliving and living items and the characteristics that make them fit into one of the categories. To end the lesson,...
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Wacky Water Critters
Learners visit a local creek or stream. They collect water samples from the creek and observe and sort the "water critters" they find in the sample, observing smaller organisms under a microscope if necessary. They identify each organism...
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Discovering Owls
Pupils are introduced to different types of owls and owl pellets. They list several adaptations that benefit the owls. Students identify the various species of owl that live in Wisconsin. Pupils discuss owl pellets and identify the...
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Aquatic Field Data
Students use laptops and sensors to measure water quality and graph their results. In this aquatics lesson students post their results to a website or email.
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What is Wrong with My Pond?
Students examine various pond water samples to identify water quality. In this water quality lesson, students will identify levels of nitrates, ammonia, pH, hardness,and alkalinity in pond water. They will explain importance of water...
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Litter Patrol
Students collect litter. In this recycling lesson, students review the term litter and give examples. Students collect litter at their school. They separate the litter into different categories and discuss if these materials could be...
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Sense Of Place
Students study ecology, listen to speakers and research conservation topics. In this investigative lesson plan students discuss wilderness resources, learn about Native Americans and participate in activities that help them to...
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Sound All Around Us
Students make predictions about how sound is formed. They view and discuss a video that explores sound formation and attempt to identify the origin of different sounds.