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Ecosystems and Climate
Students examine climatic effects on ecosystems. They plant tomatoes and observe the differences in plant growth with differences in light. They create picture collages of plants, animals, and insects found in each climate of the U.S.
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Science: What Is the Carbon Cycle?
Students examine the carbon cycle while identifying its sources, sinks, and release agents. Using magazines and newspapers, groups of students design collages illustrating the carbon cycle. Finally, they write responses to several...
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Rx Rainforest:
Middle schoolers identify plant diversity in the rainforest and the role that animals and habitats play in scientific research. They differentiate between natural habitat and laboratory research and work collaboratively to produce a...
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A Long Winter's Nap
Young scholars explore the process of estivation, hibernation and torpor and the ways that frogs adapt to seasonal weather changes.
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Two Steppin' To Texas
Seventh graders explore reasons for European immigration to Texas in the 1800s, and their influence on the development of Texas. They research an ethnic group that established a community in Texas during the 1800s.
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Candy Dish Selection
Students explore natural selection. They explore the concepts of adaptations, and the way which random factors affect the survival of individuals and populations.
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Rock of Ages
Students use a video, the Internet and hands-on activities to explore how to determine the age of rocks and fossils based on radioactive decay data.
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Half Life Lab
Seventh graders model radioactive decay using pennies, collect data from their model, apply scientific visualization techniques to their data and create animated models explaining the concept of radioactive half-life.
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Conservation 'Ad'vice for National Parks
Students discuss ways that the public can damage as well as preserve our natural and cultural resources. Small groups are each assigned one of the national parks and must design a poster or TV commercial that celebrates the importance of...
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Weather Watchers
First graders study changes in daily weather conditions. They explore weather pattern consistency.
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Nutrient Enrichment vs. Oxygen Depletion
Students investigate how excess nutrients enter a body of water, and the harmful effects they have on aquatic organisms.
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What a Waste
Students analyze components of garbage. They collect and sort a few days' worth of garbage. They chart the results of an investigation.
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Natural Resources: Getting a Fair Share?
Students explore the impact of human behavior on key components of the environment, examine how theirn own personal decisions have added to the problem, and explore possible solutions to the current ecological crisis.
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The Cantankerous Pathogen
Students 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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Dino Hunt
Students use the Internet to gather information about dinosaurs. They practice navagating through the different websites. They also practice listening to directions and also explore how to fill out a KWL chart.
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Transgenic Salmon
Students research the various aspects of transgenic salmon. In stakeholder groups, they create posters intended to sway voters for or against the creation of transgenic salmon. They also write an individual position paper on the subject.
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The IMF in Action: Who is the IMF?
Students use the internet to examine IMF member countries. They work together in groups to read information about the different IMF representatives. They discuss what they have read.
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Science: Comparing Beer and Bread
Students compare and contrast cellular respiration in yeast and plant and animal cells. After discovering the role of yeast in making beer and bread, they describe the short and long term effects of alcohol on the nervous and digestive...
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The Awful 8: A Play
Learners perform a play that presents the causes and effects on people and the environment of the eight major air pollutants.
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Cougar or Human: Which Needs Protection?
Students research the biology and natural history of the cougar. Students conduct Internet research to determine how cougars have been protected by humans and how it is affected by human decisions. Students write about reconciling...
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Ecology And the Conservation of Natural Resources
Students study Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift and how the continents were connected in one large land mass called Pangaea. They examine plate tectonics and the theory that the earth's surface is composed of large moving...
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Toothpick Fish
Learners experiment with genes and environment for a population of "Toothpick Fish."
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What Proof is There to Support Biological evolution?
Young scholars identify who developed the theory of evolution. The concepts of adaptation and development are discussed. The age of the earth is explored in relationship to the development of various species. The condition of the...
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Biome-Ecology Unit with a "Design a Zoo" Extension
Students participate in a three part unit about biomes. Part one, students research the biomes of North America and part two consists of research on zoos and a field trip to a zoo. While part three ties together the first two when...