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Flower Power
Students investigate and explain the basic needs and life processes of plants. Key concepts include: living things change as they grow and need food, water, and air to survive. The reverse of the Kansas quarter serves as inspiration.
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Helping plants grow well
Students explore the effect of water, temperature and light on plant growth. Students are asked if they remember the LAW for plants. This is Light, Air(temperature) and Water, which all plants need for growth. Students are divided...
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"Garden Springs Gardeners"
First graders ponder the question of how plants help their lives. They observe and compare properties of several different plants. Differentiate between living organisms and nonliving objects.
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Readers Who Struggle Can Learn From Wonderful Teacher/Student Created On-Level Reading Projects
Students create their own books. In this book making lesson, students pick a subject and take photographs of it. They use these photographs to write their own story using their sight words.
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Ecology Vocabulary Exercise: Wetlands
In this ecology vocabulary exercise: wetlands instructional activity, learners read the definitions of 8 words, then categorize a species found in a wetland in their region. This page has numerous links to helpful web resources.
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The Stories They Tell -- Graveyard Data Collection Worksheet
In this folk culture research worksheet, students use the form to record data about a graveyard that they visit to show that graveyards reflect how cultures change and differ from each other.
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South American Cultures
Students examine South American festivals. In this cultural diversity lesson plan, students research Spanish cultural festivals and determine their purpose. Students write and conduct a survey about cultural festivals.
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Crickets on the Hearth
Learners investigate how crickets behave in cold temperatures. In this life science lesson, students explain the beneficial and harmful effect of pests. They research ways to properly manage them.
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The Compost Bucket
Students recognize that plants and soils have a close relationship. They view a photo essay on the common practice and natural process of composting. Afterwards, they observe the process of plant decay over the course of several days.
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Compost Columns
In this unit of lessons, students examine the role of compost columns and recycling. They create a KWL chart about garbage in Chicago. They also examine life cycles and packaging of everyday products.
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Cell (Biology)
Students conduct a series of activities to explore the nature of cells. In this biology lesson, students observe plant and animal cells under the microscope and compare them. They differentiate osmosis and diffusion.
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Zoo Poo
Students use Internet research to determine the amount of carbon dioxide produced per unit energy for biomass and coal. In this alternative energy instructional activity, students research to find out how much energy and carbon dioxide...
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Insects
Third graders research an insect and creates a brochure on that selected insect. Each student develops a Venn Diagram comparing similarities and differences between moths and butterflies.
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Now You See It, Now You Don't
Students explore organic and inorganic objects. In this environmental instructional activity students perform a composting experiment using flowers in different soils. Students record their observations.
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Sun Seeking Plants
Students investigate the story "The Tiny Seed" by Eric Carle. This story is used to introduce the children to the concept that seeds change and grow into plants when conditions in the environment including temperature, light, water and...
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How Many Trees Can You Grow?
Students solve a story problem about how many trees can be planted in a given area. Using a map, they gather information about the size of the area and the dimensions of an acre. They use a specific equation to determine the area of...
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Beaver Ecology
Learners explore the lives of bgeahvers. They identify the physical and behavioral adaptations that help beavers survive in their environment. Students compare and contrast how beavers influence the ecology of both forest and aquatic...
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People-Growing and Changing
Second graders study how people grow and change. In this health lesson, 2nd graders describe how they have changed over the years and guess who each student is after looking at everyone's baby pictures.
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Nonvascular Plants
In this nonvascular plant worksheet, learners compare the characteristics of bryophyta, hepatophyta, and anthocerophyta. This worksheet has 8 fill in the blank and 3 multiple choice questions.
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Little Red Hen
First graders explore biology by identifying plant anatomy in class. In this botany lesson, 1st graders read the book The Little Red Hen and identify the methods used in order to grow successful plants. Students discuss other ways people...
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Food Web Follies
Seventh graders cut and paste animal pictures to create a food web and trace the path of energy. They write a paragraph explaining the importance of photosynthesis in all food webs.
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Pond Safari
Students investigate organisms and animals by examining a nearby pond. In this ecosystem lesson, students participate in a field trip to a local pond where they utilize a net to gather animals, plants and pollution items, Students...
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Halloween Literature Unit: Pumpkin Patch Unit Project
Students simulate an agriculture project. For this sequencing lesson, students observe their classroom pumpkin patch, make journal entries, and predict how the pumpkins will grow. They discuss as a class how to keep their pumpkins safe...
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Nutrition and Energy Flow
In this energy flow worksheet, students will complete 10 short answer questions based on a food web diagram. Then students will review different cycles in nature including the water cycle, carbon cycle, and energy cycle. This worksheet...