Lesson Plan
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A Journey with a Scientist

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students work in groups as they read chapters of Charles Darwin's, Voyage of the Beagle. They take notes on the chapter and in their group make a timeline of the chapter. They tape the timelines together in order to depict the entire...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dinosaurs 1: Where Are the Dinosaurs?

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore dinosaurs and their extinction. In this dinosaur lesson, students view dinosaur websites and videos to gain an understanding of the world long ago. Discussion questions follow. Students create a paper mache dinosaur egg.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where Are the Dinosaurs?

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students examine the concept of extinction by studying dinosaurs. In this living environment lesson, students view dinosaur video clips and define the word "extinction." Students visit the "Zoom Dinosaur" website to investigate various...
Lesson Plan
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The Lost World (4 parts)

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders view this science fiction adventure, though not scientifically accurate, creates opportunities to explore the extinction of dinosaurs and to explore evolution.
Lesson Plan
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Exploring Ecosystems

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders investigate ecosystems. In this ecosystem instructional activity, 4th graders explore producers, consumers, and decomposers and study the interdependence of each.
Lesson Plan
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Dinosaurs

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students study the lives of dinosaurs. In this dinosaur lesson, students create dinosaur dioramas that depict how and where the creatures lived. Students also discuss extinction with their teacher.
Worksheet
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Climatic Changes

For Students 6th - 8th
In this weather learning exercise, students read an excerpt describing the climate and extinction. Then they explain what the climate was like during the Age of Dinosaurs. Students also determine some factors that affected the climate...
Lesson Plan
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Biodiversity - Does It Really Matter?

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students examine biodiversity, ecosystems, and extinction. They are divided into groups to discuss why they think biodiversity is important.
Lesson Plan
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Where Are The Dinosaurs?

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students study what happened to the dinosaurs and possible causes of extinction.  For this investigative lesson students create dinosaur eggs. 
Lesson Plan
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Cougar or Human: Which Needs Protection?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers 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. High schoolers write about...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where Are The Dinosaurs?

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students study the existence of dinosaurs as a precursor to learning about extinction. In this dinosaurs lesson, students watch dinosaur video at assigned web sites. They discuss what they observed in the videos including how the...
Lesson Plan
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Rock of Ages

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers 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.
Lesson Plan
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The Voyage of the Beagle and Darwin's Observations

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students become familiar with the main events of Darwin's voyage. They comprehend the importance of geographic distribution and geographic isolation on the formation of a new species. Students analyze how living things can change over a...
Lesson Plan
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Sounds of the Wetlands

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students identify the sounds of different bird calls. In this biology lesson, students create a sound map. They explain how this method is important in tracking wildlife.
Lesson Plan
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Man's Struggle for Environmental Preservation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine the way all living things are connected to one another. In groups, they participate in experiments in which they analyze the chemical processes through the biosphere and explain the role of energy. They also...
Lesson Plan
Ocean Explorer

Easy as Pi

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Seamounts are large, extinct volcanoes that rise up from the bottom of the ocean floor. They are a relatively new landform in the scientific community, and this lesson invites students to learn about the amazing diversity of life found...
Lesson Plan
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Threatened, Endangered & Extinct Lesson Plan

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Learners examine the basic needs of living organisms. In this science lesson, students study ecosystems and discover that organisms have basic needs that must be met.
Lesson Plan
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Endangered Organism Project

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine how different organisms meet the characteristics of life. They study specific endangered species and what caused their endangerment. They vcomplete a power point research project.
Lesson Plan
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Who Gets Eaten? A Study of Natural Selection

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders represent a new predator on a population of colored worms. They mathematically determine the effect of the new predator on the survival and reproductive rates of the worms, simulating natural selection at work.
Lesson Plan
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In From Out of Town

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students explore how the introduction of foreign species negatively affects native Hawaiian bird species. For this science lesson, students discuss how various species were introduced to Hawaii and the effects of these species on native...
Lesson Plan
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Plants of the Past

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore ecosystems by examining plants of the past. They discuss ways in which we interact with plants in our daily lives. Students discuss the role plants play in providing food for animals and the significance they had...
Lesson Plan
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Rainforests of Madagascar: Role Playing and Decision Making

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine reasons for deforestation and become familiar with Madagascar and its culture, while describing biological and abiotic components of a rainforest, and looking at aspects that must be addressed to resolve the issue of...
Lesson Plan
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How Life on Earth Began

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders investigate the concept of evolution and how it was a mechanism for the foundation of life on Earth. They conduct research and attempt to make cognitive connections with the evidence to agree with the presupposition of...
Lesson Plan
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PRIMATE CLASSIFICATION: Evolution, Cladograms,

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students transfer examples (names) of primates from their location in an outline hierarchy of primate groups into a set of nested boxes reflecting that same hierarchy. A cladogram can then be drawn illustrating how these groups are...