Lesson Plan
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Plants and Animals of Great Bay Animals and Plants of the Estuary

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students participate in a webquest about the plants and animals that inhabit an estuary. They role play as environmentalists researching this habitat and present the results of their research in a creative way.
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Outdoor Survival

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students are introduced to basic outdoor survival concepts. They identify the seven basic needs for survival. Students describe the symptoms and treatment for frostbite and hypothermia. They compare and contrast the value of different...
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Ecosystem Food Web Mural

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners create a food web mural about an ecosystem of the freshwater marsh. For this food web lesson plan, students write about the organisms and how each one depends on another.
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Welcome to the Rain Forest

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders become aware of the worlds rain forest and study the plants of the rain forest and the adaptations they have made to survive in the environment.
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Early Explorers, Early Settlements and the Beginning of Democracy

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders research and discuss the early explorers, why countries sent out explorers, where they explored, and what their cultural contributions are to our US culture today.
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Genetics: Mice Rule! (Or Not)

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Pupils explore genetics and evolution by examining a hypothetical mouse population. Using coin tosses, they determine mouse traits of parents and offspring. Finally, they consider the outcomes of changing environmental conditions on...
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Prairies

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students identify the basic characteristics of the prairie ecosystem, and several commonly known prairie species. They create a classroom mural of a prairie ecosystem; and create reports about what they have found out.
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Eco-Poetry

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the Earth's various biomes and ecosystems using Internet research. They create a multimedia poem using the photos, sounds, and vocabulary from their research.
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Are You Getting Thirsty?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars study droughts and how they affect communities and coastal ecosystems.  In this ecosystems lesson students use data to examine drought conditions in certain areas. 
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Aquatic Life

For Teachers K - Higher Ed
Students explore aquatic life. In this science instructional activity, students visit an aquatic ecosystem and collect animals found there. Students create a food chain for the aquatic ecosystem.
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Eyes on the Estuaries

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study estuaries and compare several ones in the U.S. In this estuary instructional activity students interpret data and compare the distribution of different species. 
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Terrestrial Communities

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students watch a video about different terrestrial communities. They conduct an experiment with sponges conserving water. They research desert characteristics comparing them with other biomes.
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the Wonder of Wetlands

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students explore the importance of the wetland ecosystem, its properties and functions, as well as, the many birds, animals, and plant life found there.
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Where Do Weeds Grow Best?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Student design an experiment in order to determine where weeds grow the best. Through data collection and observations, they discover optimum conditions for weed growth, conditions that make it difficult for weeds to grow, and create...
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Erosion Exploration

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders investigate the factors that increase soil erosion. They identify how the environment is affected by erosion. In small groups, 9th graders research erosion problems in various locations. Groups brainstorm ideas to help...
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Leaf Slides

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Students, in groups, examine leaf slides in order to explore the detail in leaves.
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Costa Rican Ecosystems

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students read about the Cloud Forests in Costa Rica and then answer critical thinking questions about how to prevent loss in this forest and how to slow down global warming.
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Birds of Wisconsin

For Teachers 1st
First graders explore the job done by ornithologists. They role play identifying the characteristics that make a bird a bird. They discuss what makes each bird species unique. Students are introduced to Wisconsin's most common and rare...
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Gale's Curriculum

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders develop an understanding of Southeastern Asian culture. They increase knowledge of world geography in relation to Southeast Asian countries. Students research a variety of Southeast Asian animals and habitats to be used...
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Growing a Garden

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students research aspects of gardening including nutrition, costs, and soil preparation. They then write a report detailing the planning of the garden and compare costs to buying the items.
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Understanding Our Planet's Food Web

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders, in groups, examine how humans have a tenuous position as part of an ecosystem.
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Land Use

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students examine ecosystems that covered Illinois 200 years ago, investigate some living and non-living components of ecosystems, identify components of prairie system, create food webs, and observe human effects on environment. Lessons...
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Listening to the Prairie

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students, in groups, visit an exhibit and for a prairie scavenger hunt to locate sunflowers and name products made from them. After sketching a prairie dog, they find nature cues farmers use when growing plants and raising animals. The...
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Your Blooming Pond

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars model a pond system that becomes enriched with nutrients (fertilizer). They manipulate variables, make observations over time, and draw conclusions that may lead to further inquiry. They, in groups, simulate a pond...