Lesson Plan
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Climate Weather Seasons Review

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students review the concepts of weather, climate, and seasons. They read and discuss a book about weather. Students collaborate on a class definition for climate and weather. They match weather to the specific season. Students...
Lesson Plan
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Using Vegetation, Precipitation, and Surface Temperature to Study Climate Zones

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers begin their examination of the climate zones found around the world. Using a software program, they identify the relationship between the vegetation, climate and temperatures of the different zones. They also plot...
Lesson Plan
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Mining Riches

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars research and map how various mining ventures have changed local geographies and populations. First they read the article provided--Examining the Environmental and Social Impact of the Mining Industry.
Lesson Plan
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U.S. And Global Deforestation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers analyze graph showing global deforestation, view photograph of deforestation in Brazil's interior rain forest and examine three maps showing deforestation within the United States, describe political, economic, and social...
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DNA-B-C's

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students review what they already know about DNA. After reading an article, they discover a new technique to map the course of evolution. In groups, they create ways to present this material to younger children and research DNA's uses.
Lesson Plan
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Where are the Dinosaurs?

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students construct their own diorama based on the life of a dinosaur. In this dinosaur lesson, students create models of dinosaurs and dinosaurs' eggs to explore the life cycle of this extinct species.
Lesson Plan
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The Weather

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore earth science by reading articles in class. In this weather identification lesson, students analyze weather science articles on the Internet and view their own local weather patterns as well. Students define a list of...
Lesson Plan
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Traveling Through Time, Wetland Style

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students create a timeline on the development of the Pajaro Valley Area. In this social science lesson, students discuss the changes that took place in the area over the past 300 years. They draw a pictures of how the area has changed...
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Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students explore erosion. Through multi-media and hands-on activities, students identify the effects of wave erosion and hurricanes on a barrier island. Students watch a video and create a cause and effect chart of their observations. ...
Lesson Plan
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Stories of Hope: Dragonfly and Mosquito

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students identify and interpret the value of the dragonfly as a predator of the mosquito. They create their own folktales using the dragonfly or a creature of their choice to solve the malaria problem or another issue. Students also...
Lesson Plan
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The Galapagos Spreading Center

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the basic concept of seafloor spreading. They describe the processes involved in creating new seafloor at a mid-ocean ridge. They investigate the Galapagos Spreading Center system.
Lesson Plan
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Reaching Across Borders In Southern Africa

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students gain a greater understanding of how political borders impact human and environmental development. Then, either individually or as a class, establish a correspondence with a Peace Corps volunteer working in Africa.
Lesson Plan
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Genetic Mind Reader Review Game

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students review some important concepts and terms relevant to the Human Genome Project and genetic research. The game is played like a mind reading session between two teams.
Lesson Plan
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The Circle of Life: Food Chain

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students develop a flow chart using computer software to show a food chain combination.  In this food chain lesson, students are first read The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry, then they create a story map of the story.  Next,...
Lesson Plan
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Marine Archaeology

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students examine marine archaeology. For this archaeological data lesson, students see how archaeologists use data to make inferences about shipwrecks. Students read data and make their own inferences, write about marine life and...
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Name That Tune

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students complete a fingerprint oil lab in order to simulate how geologists use the oil and natural gas in rocks to hear sound waves that signify there are oil in those rocks. In this rocks lesson plan, students learn that the rock...
Lesson Plan
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What Does Bird Flu Mean to Students?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students consider the far-reaching effects of the avian flu. In this personal health lesson, students visit selected websites to discover information about the flu, viral infections, and intensive farming. Students...
Lesson Plan
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Activity on United States Moon Landing: Apollo 11

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use the World Wide Web to access additional information needed to complete a set of questions. They demonstrate an understanding of latitude and longitude by interpreting a lunar map.
Lesson Plan
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Inference By Analogy

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students infer the use or meaning of items recovered from a North Carolina Native American site based on 17th-century European settlers' accounts and illustration.
Lesson Plan
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Gel Electrophoresis: Sort and See the DNA

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students construct DNA fingerprints. In this genetics instructional activity, students watch an on-line gel electrophoresis animation, then they work in groups to use a restriction map to create a restriction enzyme and use that to...
Lesson Plan
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Reach for the Stars

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students investigate the Underground Railroad. In this slavery instructional activity, students read books about slavery, the Undeground Railroad, and how slaves escaped the south. Students develop knowledge about coded songs and...
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Kalahari Explorations

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore world geography by completing graphic organizers and researching the Internet. In this Kalahari desert instructional activity, students identify the geographic location, weather and creation of the Kalahari desert....
Lesson Plan
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Hi, Deer!

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students collect, organize by table, and examine census data in a simulation, estimate the size of the population in the simulation and make predictions based on the collection of census simulation data.
Lesson Plan
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Cracking the Genetic Code

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine an article, "Genome 'Treasure Trove'" and participate in a class discussion prior to researching further information in order to write their own feature article on the Human Genome Project.