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Aerology- The Study of Mars

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners investigate various aspects of the planet Mars. They examine a core sample that is simulated to make observations. Then compare the known sample with one that is unknown and differentiate between the two. Students hypothesize...
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Mammals of Wisconsin

For Teachers K - 4th
Students explore the exciting world of mammals as they learn the identities of some Wisconsin native residents. They examine their adaptations and learn how they survive in a state with a wide array of temperatures and ecosystems.
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Biological Control of Purple Loosestrife

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the role of Purple Loosestrife in Illinois and Indiana rivers. In groups, they collect a wide variety of plants in a wetland and raise beetles in a controlled environment. They introduce the loosestrife into the...
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The Story of Hot Springs, 1500-1900 AD

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students study the geology and hydrology of Arkansas hot springs and how they contributed to the development of the city of Hot Springs. They create advertisements for the city of Hot Springs and the therapeutic effects of the waters.
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Land Use and Lawmaking in California

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Students read writings by Ralph Waldo Emerson to analyze transcendentalism and analyze photographic essays depicting environmental issues. In this art and history lesson, students read excerpts of Nature by Emerson to identify...
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Building Straw Towers

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students apply their knowledge of technology to help them build. In this science and technology lesson, students build straw towers and investigate the strength and form of the structure. They analyze the best design the make the...
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Celebrate Black History

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students research African-American mathematicians.  In this middle school mathematics lesson, students celebrate Black History by conducting Internet research on an African-American, mathematicians or scientist.  Students...
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Pedigrees

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine various inheritance patterns using pedigrees. In groups, they predict what might happen to the offspring of a woman with normal vision and carries the recessive allele gene. They determine the genotypes of the...
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Products, the Environment and Consumer Choices

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers review the factors of production and how they are used to make the products they buy. In groups, they participate in different scenerios in which they discover the amount of power they have to affect change buy purchasing...
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Living in a Watershed

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders examine watersheds. In this ecosystem lesson, 4th graders discover what a watershed is and identify the local watershed they live in. Students investigate the attributes of a watershed as well.
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The Gulf Coast Region: Georgraphy, Demographics and the Effects of Hurricane Katrina

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research Hurricane Katrina and create a Cause and Effect graphic organizer or a Chain of Events graphic organizer.
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Evolution

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research the theory of evolution and the controversy.  In this evolution lesson students view a film on Charles Darwin then they write an essay about whether or not intelligent design should be taught in science class. 
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Turn of the Century

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the transformation of America's economy in response to the Industrial Revolution in terms of patterns of agricultural and industrial development relating to climate, natural resource use, markets and trade.
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Water Pressure Experiments

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars perform experiments measuring water pressure. They record their observations after poking holes in plastic bottles filled with water with the lids on and then off. They discover the role gravity plays in the water flow.
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Numbers in Art

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students choose a number from one to twelve and tell a number story about it. They listen to the teacher read "Numbers in Art" by Lucy Micklethwait. Students choose three numbers from one to twelve and view works of art while looking for...
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A Basin Filled With Time

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use fossil leaves and a mathematical formula to study climate change. In this climate change and fossil lesson plan, students determine the differences in temperatures during two different times during the Cenozoic era using...
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Conceptualizing an Experiment

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students work together to design an experiment. They discover the origin of a family artifact. They analyze the data and discuss the results. They determine if the experiment is the best way to find out this type of information.
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Introduction to Friction

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Students study the properties of the frictional force between two surfaces in contact. They inspect various phenomena in nature where friction plays an important role and demonstrate
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Fitting Trash into Yesterday: A Fifth Grade Activity

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore the concept of waste management. In this recycling activity, 5th graders discover the history of waste management and discuss how the U.S. should respond to the issue of ever-increasing waste.
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How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun

For Teachers K - 4th
Students explore U.S. history by reading a Native American tale in class. In this cultural storytelling lesson, students read the story How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun and discuss the characters and themes of the Native American...
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It Comes In Waves

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners investigate the behavior and different origins of tsunami waves, and they then research and chart the path of certain tsunamis from recent history using the Internet, maps and firsthand accounts.
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Urban Ecosystems 3: Cities as Population Centers

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers discover that throughout history cities have been centers of population but that human exploitation of fossil fuels was key to the growth of large cities worldwide. They research urban growth through a number of websites.
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Paper Making

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students work together to make recycled paper. They identify examples of recycled materials and discover what can and cannot be recycled. They explore the history of paper making as well.
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Discover a Pond Food Web

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students study the biodiversity of animal life in a pond. They investigate the interdependence between pond organisms by completing a pond dipping activity and completing a checklist.