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Survival of the Fittest
Sixth graders create their own "never before seen" marine creatures and examine how not all creatures in the sea swim, not all have sharp teeth
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Plants and Air Purity
Students explore how green plants help improve air quality. They read an article and discuss the importance of air quality and its effects on the human body. They investigate by connecting hose to the top of a Bell jar and to a funnel....
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Using Yeast as an Ultraviolet Light Measurement Tool
High schoolers accurately measure the relationship between radiation dose and either survival or some genetic event such as mutation or recombination. They investigate the damage that was done to the DNA molecule as a result of exposure...
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Dishing the Dirt Part 2
Students explore the differences between specific soil characteristics. They participate in an experiment in which they discover soil texture. They write their observations in a journal.
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"Making a Good Impression"
Students are shown how fossils are formed and to learn how extinct organisms lived based on their remains and surroundings. They are shown TAKS review problems on the overhead related to evolution and fossil evidence. Students discuss...
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Transformation With A Firefly Gene
Students understand the process of bacterial transformation through experimentation. They describe the function of two important genes of the pBestLuc plasmid. They explain how to induce competence in E. coli cells.
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Student Investigation on the Immune System and Hemeagglutination
Students study laboratory protocol for hemagglutination experiments.
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Germinating Seeds on Gelatin
Students germinate seeds in unflavored gelatin to which liquid house plant food has been added. Students observe and record plant growth in this medium with a variety of variables in a number of experiments.
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Mussel Your Way Through Photosynthesis
Learners, using zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha), elodea and an indicator dye, observe and record the role of light in photosynthesis. They consider plant production of carbon dioxide and the use of live materials in biological...
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Pheed the World: Edible Phyla
Students discuss the contributions of different organisms to our world. In this biology instructional activity, students research countries with limited food supply. They create an improvement plan for a fictitious country assigned to them.
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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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The Importance of Water
Students explore the importance of water. They discuss why water is important and students design an experiment that evaluates the water quality and methods of improving water quality. Students perform testing and report their findings.
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Think Green
Students experience and practice compositing and recycling through hands-on-activities. They distinguish between which items from their trash can be recycled, composted and reused. The process for making recycled paper is also covered in...
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Making Your Own Sampling Tools
Young scholars begin a class recycling project. They create data sampling equipment using their own designs and test them in the field.
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Living in the Oak Woodlands: Early People of the Jewett Mine Area
Students examine the archeology and native peoples of the Jewett Mine area of Texas. Using a map, they explain the economic patterns of the native groups and how the geography of the area affected activities. They compare and contrast...
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The Great Spider Debate
Students study about the survival and hunting strategies of several different kinds of spiders. They also be introduced to scientific classification of spiders and write a brief report about one of the spider families they observe.
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Rusting: A Form of Oxidation
High schoolers observe and record the corrosive nature of oxidation-reduction reactions, and determine the electro-chemical series of selected metals.
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The Portable Niche
Third graders, in groups, research animals, plants, and conditions found in ecosystems.
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Land Use Issues
Students discover seeds are a source of life. They also label the parts of a seed and examine the conditions which are needed for the seed to start growing. They follow the life cycle of seeds.
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Earthworms
Fifth graders research the earthworm and write a one paragraph report on its anatomy and habitat. They learn about worms and how to dissect them through Video Streaming and virtual dissections, along with actually dissect a worm as...
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Density
Students work with a partner to record observations on various materials. Working together, they calculate the mass and volume of each material and then combine them and shake them for a period of time. In their journals, they record...
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Farming Fantastic Friends
Seventh graders demonstrate scientific inquiry to design and perform an experiment involving Grow Creatures. They participate in a class discussion, and in small groups design an experiment that determines how to change the materials to...
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Ecology of the Dump
Middle schoolers recreate landfills in petri dishes, observe relative biodegradability in a year-long project, and isolate a cellulose degrading bacteria while discovering the need for recycling and the serious problem waste management...
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Animal Kingdom: Phylum Chordata
Students use a dichotomous key to classify various vertebrate jar speciments into classes. They examine the speciments for general characteristics of each class and fill in a corresponding chart and then complete a few final assessment...