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Northwest Hawaiian Islands
Students compare and contrast places around the world. Students analyze the effects of human activity on the physical environment and devise plans to address the consequences. Students also focus on geographical topics such as formation...
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Gifts from the Sea
Students discover the oceanic food chain. In this healthy eating lesson, student investigate the fish we eat and the food the fish eat. Students discover what ocean animals eat seaweed and what everyday foods we eat that also...
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What makes up YOUR Environment!
Students create their own land or water environment. They make their environment livable for all the different animals they collect to put in it. Students research the types of animals that they can have in their environment, and how...
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Jack and the Beanstalk
Third graders read a story and grow a beanstalk. In this literature and life science lesson, the class reads "Jack and the Beanstalk," then lists fairy tale elements and write a puppet show. The students plant pinto beans and observes...
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Ecology - Reproduction and heredity
Students correlate signs of spring with reproductive strategies of varioius organisms. They describe how organisms inherit traits from generation to generation.
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Creepy, Crawly Critters
Students study characteristics of insects by creating models from an assortment of materials. They create rubrics showing what an insect must have and create an insect, using a bag of materials. They cut out the puzzle insects included...
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What's in a Garden?
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning instructional activity, students plan a garden. Students write a paragraph in their journals giving their recommendation on how their garden should be laid out.
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Global Change- Earth as Home
Students create their own environment. In this environmental protection instructional activity, students pretend they are the owners of a tropical island. They create jobs for the citizens and develop the island as a model environment.
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Bioinvasion
Young scholars examine the role of organisms when they eliminate the native species of an area. They review cooperative and competitive relationships within an ecosystem.
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Lentic Ecosystem or Lotic Ecosystem
Students explore the differences between lentic and lotic ecosystems. In this ecology lesson students study the water systems in Pennsylvania.
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Population Growth
Learners grow duckweed, observe what happens when an organism population is allowed to grow without predation or competition, view videos about invasive species, and develop a proposal for controlling the growth of an invasive species in...
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Cathedral in the Sea
Middle schoolers construct a model giant kelp and kelp forest inhabitants based on field-guide photographs. Students also place animal cutouts in appropriate positions on or near the plant.
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The Dirt on Worms!
Fourth graders make predictions, observe, collect and record data. They investigate several soil and worm websites. Finally, 4th graders write a letter to The President which defends earthworms by explaining their value to the United...
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Rocks and Soil
Middle schoolers explore the physical properties of rocks. They explore the three different types of rocks and are able to compare and contrast their different properties. Students simulate the creation of sedimentary rock, they also...
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A Line Graph of the Ocean Floor
Learners develop a spreadsheet and import the information into a line graph. In this spreadsheet and line graph instructional activity, students develop a spreadsheet of ocean depths. They import the information into a word processed...
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Body Voyager
Students explore the significance of a resting and an active heart rate. In this heart instructional activity students chart data on their pulse and draw a diagram of the heart.
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Forest Ecosystem
Learners take a field trip and explore a temperate rainforest. In this rainforest lesson plan, students discuss many items they see on their journey and experiment with different tree leaves.
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Seeds of Wetland Life
Students participate in several activities on seed exploration. In this biology lesson plan, students classify seeds according to their dispersal method. They explain the different adaptations plant have to disperse their seeds.
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What's Your Genus? Scientific Classification and the VT
Students understand the definition of binomial nomenclature. For this binomial nomenclature lesson, students classify ordinary animals by seeking their scientific names. Students participate in a knowledge hunt using binomial nomenclature.
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Preparing the Soil
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students read Seedfolks and discuss the characters in the story and consider their actions that led to a community garden. Students journal about their...
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Wonderful World of Bats
Students create a book about bats. They write a letter to a scientist containing questions about bats. They compare the socialization of bats to humans; compare the needs of bats to humans and other animals.
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Field Trip Preparation
Students prepare for a field trip. They navigate through a Underground Network site. This "field trip" can be conducted in a patch of healthy grass or soil anywhere you can find it: right outside your building, in a backyard or at a...
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4th Grade Life Science Unit: Animals
Fourth graders classify animals. For this animal kingdom lesson, 4th graders research animal habitats and behaviors. Students connect to a zoologist via SKYPE and learn about animal classification. Students blog about preserving animal...