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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 lesson, students read an article from the magazine and discuss at least 2 scientific methods that could be used to...
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Pollution Prevention
Students examine pollution and what causes it. They discover ways to reduce pollution and how to prevent it in the future.
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Cleaning Air with Balloons
Students examine how a pollutant recovery method functions in cleaning industrial air pollution. They listen to a teacher-led discussion, conduct an experiment with balloons, static electricity, and pepper, and observe and record the...
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Dripping Wet or Dry as a Bone?
Students use a sponge and water model to explore the concept of relative humidity and create a percent scale. They define humidity and saturation, build a simple humidity/saturation model, collect, predict and interpret data, and create...
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Rockets on a Shoestring Budget
Students, operating under simulated budget constraints, build pop-rockets and launch them. Working in pairs, they complete budget worksheets and use their "Blast Off Bucks" to pay for the construction. They then redesign their rockets...
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Quality of Rice
Sixth graders research how farmers irrigate, harvest, and keep high standards of rice. In this farming lesson, 6th graders discover how rice, wheat and soy beans are farmed. Students make a chart showing the similiarities and differences.
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What is an Aquifer?
Students examine how an aquifer operates. They discuss the implications of the groundwater becoming contaminated. They work together to create an aquifer model to observe the connection between surface water and groundwater.
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Compost
Students expand their understanding of solid waste management. They examine the effects of packaging decisions. They study engineering advancements in packaging materials and solid waste management.
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Solid Waste Takes Over
Students explore solid waste and its effects on the environment. They explain some of the major problems caused by waste disposal and the use of landfills. They suggest ways to reduce the amount of solid waste going into a landfill.
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Is That Natural?
Students examine how they use and waste natural resources. They participate in a class discussion about natural resources, in small groups complete a worksheet identifying ways students misuse natural resources, and create an...
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The Dirty Water Project
Students investigate different methods (aeration and filtering) for removing pollutants from water. They design and build their own water filters. Students identify the pollutants in a water sample using sight and smell, explore what...
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Learning About Animal Shelters for Earth Day
Students explore habitats. in this ecology and animal habitat lesson, students listen to the book A House is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman. Students discuss the basic needs of animals and go on a nature walk to observe animal...
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Guetemala's Changing Forest
Eighth graders compare their local ecological zone to the tropical rainforest. In this natural ecology lesson, 8th graders complete an activity about the differences in ecological zones. They compare their biome to the Guatemalan...
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The World's Forests
Students examine the world's forests. In this forest lesson, students gain knowledge about the sustainability of forests. Students break into groups and brainstorm why forests are so important to our world. Students discuss...
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America's Energy Future
Students write a proposal to save energy resources. In this energy lesson, students research nuclear energy, coal power, petroleum, natural gas, hydroelectric power, and renewable energy. Students then debate energy issues and share...
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Human Effects and World Problems
High schoolers engage in a instructional activity that is concerned with the concept of world problems and some of the human effects upon the causes. They pick a problem and conduct research using a variety of resources. Students use the...
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The Other Water Cycle
Learners examine human impacts on the water cycle. They compare/contrast the permeability of various materials for the purpose of engineering landscape drainage systems, and answer discussion questions.
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It's all In the Package
Students examine the concept of reducing solid waste and how it relates to product packaging. They read about and evaluate the packaging decisions of two major U.S. corporations, develop a t-chart comparing the pros and cons of various...
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TE Activity: Trash Talkin'
Students collect and categorize solid waste produced in the classroom. They weigh the waste that has been collected over one week's time, and separate it into recyclable and non-recyclable waste. They talk about the role of engineers in...
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TE Activity: Yeast Cells Respire, Too (But Not Like Me and You)
Student observe and quantify the respiration that occurs in yeast-molasses cultures. They complete an effective experiment in order to examine how to think critically about the results.
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Windmill of Your Mind - Distributed Energy Goes to School
Students research the possibility and feasibility of installing a wind-turbine distributed energy system for their school. They conduct research, watch an online video, analyze the cost of the project and examine the benefits, and write...
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Why Muscle Biology?
Students research and define a muscle biology research question and organize an experiment to address the question utilizing either NADH staining or acid buffering. They analyze data as well as draw conclusions about their research....
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Change Happens
Fifth graders engage in a lesson to find information about the natural history of Puerto Rico. They practice using a variety of resources for research purposes. The same process of research is used for state of Wisconsin. Then students...
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Leaf ID and Leaf Bingo
Third graders explore the parts of a leaf and use a dichotomy key to identify leaves. In this biology lesson, learners study characteristics of various leaves and play a game of bingo to identify leaves by their traits. Students find and...