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Mapping a Garden
Second graders recognize the components of a map, particularly the legend, the key, the symbols and the area. They develop their own map of a garden they be planting in their upcoming science lesson.
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Agriculture, Weather, Economy and Indiana
Fourth graders, in groups, investigate the role of weather in Indiana's farming economy. They make a prediction as to weather and its effect on the economy of Indiana. They present their data using a media presentation of data...
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Exploring an Atlas
Learners explore global geography by participating in an atlas activity. In this countries of the world lesson, students collaborate in small groups and analyze an atlas while researching continents, countries and demographics. Learners...
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Indiana Tornado Project
Students become familiar with the use of GIS for research, natural phenomena in Indiana, and analyzing collected information.
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Scaling the Map
Students practice determining map distances using the map scales. They discover how much an area represents on the map in relation to the actual area. They decide on the best place to build their cavern.
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A STEP IN SPECIATION
Students place different subspecies of a CA salamander are placed on grid map of CA according to where samples were collected. Then discuss patterns of their distribution, their likely evolutionary relationships, and probable sequence of...
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Everybody Needs a Little Sunshine
Three activities introduce upper elementary ecologists to photosynthesis and food webs. In the first, an experiment is set up to determine how plants respond to different types of light. In the second, they connect organism cards with...
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Gallery Walk Questions about Energy and Material Cycles
Students state the physical, chemical or biological processes associated with these environments: Pelagic ocean zone, California coat Cave, Indiana Barrier island beach, North Carolina Sand dune, Dunes National Park, Colorado Wetland and...
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The Formation and Value of Temperate Grasslands
Learners study the Temperate Grasslands biome of North America. They explain that it is an endangered ecosystem because the rich soils have been converted to farming in most areas. They view videos imbedded in this plan, then complete...
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What Is That Bubblin¿¿¿ In My Back Yard?
Students create a map plotting local sites the Environmental Protection Agency has on its EPA Regulated Sites list. They discuss the need for citizens to, at a minimum, be aware of potential pollution hazards in their community.
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Volcanoes:How Safe Are They?
Students explore volcanoes, locate them on maps, record general information about volcanoes, and organize information on a fact sheet.
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Communications: To the Rescue!
Students role-play as soldiers rescuing lost mountain climbers. Working in teams, they interpret maps to locate the climbers and use flashlights to send and receive coded messages about the rescue. Their goal is to complete the task in...
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Give Me Some Latitude
In this latitude worksheet, students use an atlas or other reference to respond to 4 multiple choice questions about the equator and the poles.
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Possible Locations
Students create maps with cutout pieces of paper that represent caverns. They develop a scale for their map and decide where the best location is to live. They discover the importance of map reading skills.
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The Case of Vanishing Farmland
High schoolers consider decisions about how to use resources that are in short supply. Students role-play different perspectives in a land-use simulation, and examine land use issues around the world. This interesting instructional...
Agriculture in the Classroom
Design 'Y'er Genes
How do changes in DNA affect an organism? Scholars explore chromosomes, genes, DNA, and mutations by modeling the DNA of a strawberry. They build a DNA model, then manipulate it to show how changing the genes transforms the strawberry...
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Evaluating an Illinois Earthquake
Learners develop awareness of occurrences of earthquakes in Illinois and their past and potential future damage, and examine distribution of earthquakes in central U.S. regions.
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Date a Rock!
Students figure the number of half-lives since the sample solidified, and therefore the "age" of the sample rocks.
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Surveying and Assessing the Environmental Compatibility of a Building Construction Site
Students examine an area of land and assess its suitability for construction purposes. This project requires a vast amount of hands-on experimentation, data analysis, community involvement, and job shadowing/career awareness.
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Penguins Around the World
Students gain an awareness of the diverse habitats of the 17 species of penguins. Standard: 4.4 Interdependence of Life Changes in an organism's habitat are sometimes beneficial to it and sometimes harmful.
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Currently Warm
Seventh graders investigate how ocean currents affect climate. In this earth science lesson plan, 7th graders draw and label the current in their assigned ocean. They discuss how currents from the poles differ from the equator.
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Climate in Our Back Yard
Learners construct a "A Year in Pennsylvania" poster on which they creatively describe at least three examples of how the climate they live in shapes their lives during every season of the year.
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Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain
Students analyze the story Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain geographically, and explain the term climate and discuss its relevance in the story as well as to their own lives.
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The Great Kapok Tree - Economic Impact of Deforestation
Students read "The Great Kapok Tree" by Lynne Cherry. They, in groups, research the economic impacts of deforestation in areas with rain forest and identify resources that humans use from the rain forest.