Institute for Systems Biology
Introduction to Saline Environments & Microbial Halophiles
If you do not mind wading through unrelated headings (This is not for a physics or STEM course, as it states.) and content (The instructional activity opens with an article about neurology, not halophiles.), then you will find a valuable...
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Animals
Students become familiar with the need for categorizing scientific information, in this case, animals. They categorize the 5 groups of animals in a collage and answer questions about each.
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Poetry and Nature
Students observe an object in nature and record them. In groups, they create a group poem about the same object. They create their own poem based on another object using other their senses to help them. They share their poems with the...
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Properties and Perfectly Polymeric Sodas
Students examine physical and chemical properties of plastics, interfaces of plastics, and forms of plastics. In three lab activities, students discover the two characteristic responses of plastics to heating, thermoplastic or...
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Rock of Ages
Students are given a classification table and samples from their location. They locate their samples on the classification table using the characteristics used in rock identification.
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Planting a Xeriscape Garden
Fourth graders use a plant database to discover new vocabulary associated with plants and ecosystems. Using a pile of dirt behind their school, they design a garden to make it a more enjoyable place. They print out the types of plants...
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Prairie Plants Lab
Students recognize and identify 3 grasses and 9 common forbs of the fermilab prairie and which were common in IL, identify using resources and write 3 critical attributes of each plant.
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Heat Transfer
Students examine heat transfer using energy efficient houses. In this heat transfer lesson students calculate the heat that is transferred between a system and its surroundings.
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Wastewater
High schoolers discuss what happens to their wastewater. They read about the wastewater treatment process. Students are asked what types of things get flushed down toilets or goes down drains in sinks and showers. They are taught what...
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Science Meets Artistry: the Work of Cai Guo-Qiang
Students discuss and examine the work of artist Cai Guo-Qiang. In this art lesson, students analyze how cultural and historical factors impact the visual arts.
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How Can We Locate Specific Places On Earth?
Second graders discover how to use longitude and latitude to locate specific sites on Earth. They compare old and new ways of locating specific places, and discover how latitude and longitude coordinates are used to locate places on Earth.
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Birds of A Feather
Students observe and record the many types of birds they see in a month. They discover the many patterns birds follow and compare their results with other classrooms. They complete a field assessment as the final activity for this lesson.
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Investigating Erosion in an Outdoor Classroom
First graders observe the effects of erosion. They work in groups to simulate erosion in a streambed, participate in class discussion, read books about fossils and rocks and then go on a fossil hunt.
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Art Nouveau
Students study the design elements of Art Nouveau, its sources and development. They create art projects in ceramics and glass that exemplify the focus of Art Nouveau as a decorative style.
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"The Vision" Contest
Students study a current technology and predict what that technology will be like 30 years from now. They research the technology's origins, how it presently works, and what it might entail in the future. They develop higher order...
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Aerodynamics of Cycling
Pupils study aerodynamic forces - lift and drag - and see how those forces affect cycling performance. They see how those forces are calculated and how
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Species Diversity in Ecosystems with Different Techniques of Land Management
Students visit numerous places to help in their understanding of Ecology. In this biology lesson plan, students will learn about characteristics and how to identify numerous plants and animals. This lesson allows for many field trip...
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Magnetic Energy
In this magnetic energy worksheet, students are given the formula to calculate the magnetic energy of an object. They use the formula to solve for the magnetic energy of the Earth, a geotail, the Sun, and a solar prominence given their...
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What Happens When Invasive Species Are Introduced
Helping students understand the dangers of nonnative species is an important part of ecology and environmental science lessons.
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Bugsicles (A Frozen Insect Larva You can Find!)
Students explore how animals survive in the winder. After attending a gall-collecting field trip, students place them in a freezer. Once frozen, the students open the gall flay larva and observe it as the larva revives. Students...
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Scientific Approach to Forest Management
Learners use wireless laptop computers to collect, store, communicate, and organize data from the 1999 Jasper Fire area. They collect data in the field and compare it to student-collected data from prior years to develop conclusions...
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Contaminated Water
Young scholars review and use the steps in the scientific method to complete the experiment. In groups, they research the importance of water to plants and animals in their local area. They examine how water can become contaminated and...
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Riparian Zones Grades 4-8
Students examine and analyze the Riparian Zones found on the edges of streams and lakes. They assess why those are such valuable ecosystems and then conduct actual field research on riparian zones and conclude by drawing conclusions from...
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Discovering the Oasis
Fourth graders investigate riverbanks and oxbox ecosystem at the Truckee River. They observe the plants, animals, insects and water organisms located there. Students document water samples, flow and then categorize them in class. This...