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Mitchell Road Investigation
Seventh graders discover the impact of man on the environment by analyzing plant and animal data. In this ecology lesson, 7th graders investigate a nearby road which many cars pass on and examine the impact of the road on the...
Biology Junction
Energy Flow in an Ecosystem
Every living thing requires a food source, thus the interconnections in ecosystems become complex. Scholars learn about these interconnections in a presentation on energy flow. It starts with the sun and moves through many different...
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Scavenger Hunt: A Group Collection
Students be complete a collection of living organisms and systems from the school campus.
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Land Use Issues
Young scholars examine living and non-living things in their environment. They identify trees, plants, and grasses in their neighborhood and those that originate in Illinois in this unit of lessons.
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Organisms – Their Needs
Students compare and contrast different organisms characteristics. In this life science lesson, students design an experiment about plants and animals needs. They collect data and write their conclusion about the experiment.
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Global Warming--Points of view
Students are introduced to global warming through analysis of political/editorial cartoons dealing with the subject. They discuss the cartoon and what the feel it means and then discuss the mechanics of and the concerns about global...
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Making Predictions
Students collect and classify items. For this making predictions lesson, students go outside and collect specimens of plants, insects and minerals. They classify each item and place them in a Venn Diagram. Students compare and contrast...
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The Chain Gang
Students perform a food chain simulation to determine what happens when a food chain is broken.
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Exploring Life in the Coral Reef
Young scholars study life forms in coral reefs. In this ocean life instructional activity, students study life in coral reefs as they create a coral reef sculpture.
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Fish and Flowers
Learners read and discuss a research article that explains the unlikely link between increased fish populations and increased plant pollination. They answer reading guide questions to discover this ecological relationship.
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Insect Biology and Ecology: A Primer
Students explore insects and closely related organisms. They examine the growth and development of a lady beetle. Students classify insects and organize them. They investigate pest management.
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Strands Walk An Ecological Observation
Students examine an ecosystem and analyze the role of two abiotic factors in the ecosystem. For this ecosystem lesson students complete an activity on their ecosystem.
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Creating an Experimental Design
Students research the damage to the environment by certain plant species. They create an experimental design which they test how these species take over certain habitats. They share their information with the class.
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Rainforest Vocabulary Words: Week 1
In these rainforest vocabulary worksheets, read the definitions and the matching terms for the following rainforest vocabulary terms: decomposers, deforestation, epiphytes, extinct, environment, pollute, vegetation, ecology, climate,...
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Flowering Phenology: How Do Plants Know When to Flower?
Students study the process of plant reproduction and the biotic and abiotic factors that affect flowering phenology. In this plant reproduction lesson, students describe the interaction of environmental factors as it relates to...
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Edible Soil
Learners model the soils layers using Oreo's. In this lesson students use their favorite food items to create a model of soil layers. A discovery lesson from a youth camp is adapted for classroom modeling and discussion of soil...
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Pollution Vocabulary
In this pollution vocabulary worksheet, students define the terms ecology, conservation, recycling, chemicals, endangered species, and valuable. Students then use the words to complete the sentences about pollution.
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Saving the Bay
Students investigate water pollution prevention. In this ecology wastewater lesson, students activate prior knowledge about sewage, then view a video explaining the waste water sewage system used in the San Francisco Bay area. Students...
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Plants
Student identify the characteristics of plants. Through hands-on demonstration, they create a model of plant parts. Students differentiate between the major divisions of the plant kingdom with a particular emphasis on the vascular and...
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My Giving Tree
Students identify native and invasive trees. In this ecology instructional activity, students survey trees in their schoolyard and identify the species. Students adopt a native tree sprout and record the growth in a journal.
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Hands on Biome--Building
Students create a model biome. In this ecology lesson, students use materials to create a model biome. There is an extension activity that allows students to write about plants and animals and their specific biome.
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Studying Wetland Plants
Students identify some common wetland plants. they use the scientific method of surveying the plant community to record accurate data that they observe. they cut a sample of each plant and save in plastic bags to identify and preserve...
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Nature and Fintess Trail
Students investigate how humans impact the environment and compile an organism database into an e-book field guide. They name muscle groups and develop specific exercises to strengthen these groups. Students utilize technology for data...
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National Worm Survey
Students participate in the National Worm Survey. For this National Worm Survey lesson, students generate data on earthworms. Students submit their data to the online database Worm Watch.