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Discovering the Forgotten Kingdom Protista
Protists, like algae and mold,  are sometimes overlooked for classroom study, but they are astonishing in their diversity and importance.
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Exploring Limu Diversity
Students explore limu diversity. In this ocean ecosystem lesson, students classify limu according to its physical properties. Students work in small groups to generate scientific observations and sort limu by characteristics.
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Natural Selection And Evolution
Students investigate the concept of evolution and how natural selection is used as an indicator that evolution has happened. They recognize the three effects it has on diversity and how adaptations can develop. Diversity is explained as...
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The World of Insects and Spiders
Learners identify numerous insects and their body parts.  In this insect life lesson, students practice using scientific vocabulary while comparing the different parts of spiders and insects.  Learners view several videos...
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Dichotomous Chips
Students create a dichotomous key to different varieties of potato chips. In small groups, they observe and record characteristics of the potato chips to use in the key. They switch keys with another group to see if they can identify an...
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Living and Non Living Things
First graders identify the characteristics of living and non living things. In this living and non living things lesson plan, 1st graders look through bags and categorize items that they see.
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Life in a Mini World
Sixth graders observe, describe, and classify microorganisms found in water sources. In small groups, they make their own slide, observe the Protozoa under a microscope, and record and classify the microorganisms.
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The Parts of a Trilobite
Students explore the parts of a trilobite. In this fossils lesson, students investigate a real trilobite fossil and identify the body parts, Students label a diagram of a trilobite.
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Bluebirds Ecology Vocabulary Exercise
In this bluebirds worksheet, students categorize bluebird species found in their state and define vocabulary related to it. Students complete 6 vocabulary words.
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Ecology Vocabulary
In this ecology worksheet, students read the vocabulary words and then categorize a species found in a field, meadow, or fencerow in their state or region. Students complete 6 problems.
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Panther Scavenger Hunt
Students examine the Florida Panthers through a Web-quest. In this web-based lesson, students find clues that will help them to identify the habitat of the Florida Panther and the history of human activity which threatens these wild cats.
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Periodic Table
Eighth graders examine the metallic and nonmetallic elements on the Periodic Table. They identify the characteristics of these elements.
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Finding Caterpillars
Learners examine how animals protect themselves from predators and camouflage themselves.  They participate in a simulation in which they locate red and green yarn "caterpillars," organize their data, and generate a bar graph using...
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Aerobic and Anaerobic Microbe Analysis in a Subarctic Setting
Students investigate the relationships between protozoa, algae and monera in freshwater, shoreline soil, and reindeer rumen. They publish reports of their findings.
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Weathering Rates
Students calculate weathering rates from tombstone weathering data.  Atmospheric (and precipitation) chemistry determines the rate of weathering for marble tombstones.  They are shown data from a rural and an unrban cemetery, and are...
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Stratospheric Ozone
Students explore about the structure of Earth's atmosphere and about the stratospheric ozone.  They discuss how it is produced and destroyed, where it is located, why it is important, and how it is changing.  Students investigate about...
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Sun Path: Interactive On-line Mac or PC
Students use SunPath in the yearly mode to investigate seasonal changes in sunrise, sunset, length of day and sun altitude at their own latitude. Sun Path JAVA applet uses equations for a spherical Earth to calculate the sunrise and...
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Draw a Scientist
Learners think to themselves about what a scientist might look like when they're working and then draw a picture of a scientist at work and discuss their drawings. They notice the number of men compared to women and other such...
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Exploring Hawaii's Beaches
Fourth graders  search the shore and find objects on the beaches of Hawaii.  In this exploring Hawaii's beaches lesson, 4th graders play "I Spy" with objected collected at the beach.  Students compare biotic and abiotic...
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Discovering the Deep
Students explore the world's oceans. They research questions about the oceans and write a research report about an ocean animal. Students identify at least four different writing genres they experienced while reading about the ocean.
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Wildlife Habitat
Students explain what a habitat is and describe its four elements. They see how an area's habitat suitability varies with different species of wildlife. They name factors that affect habitat suitability.
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Bioluminescent Bewilderment!
Ninth graders investigate the concept of bioluminescent. They break down the word phonetically for correct pronunciation. This is done as a warm up for learning. Then  students create a list of the creatures from prior knowledge and...
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Ancient Camel History "Cloze" Page
In this ancient camel history worksheet, students complete a cloze activity in which 7 words from a word bank are inserted into a factual text. This is to be used with an information handout that is not included here.
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SHOW 303: The Channel Island Fox
Learners explore how archaeologists and other scientists use different clues to piece together a picture of the past.  Students perform activities that allow them to conduct three types of scientific research.  They discuss their...