Lesson Plan
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Fall Slumbers

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars observe changes in a selected tree leaf near their homes during the fall. Twice each week students record changes in the leaf using words, pictures, and numbers.
Lesson Plan
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Mammals, Mammals--Everywhere!

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore the habitats of mammals and their physical characteristics. They research examples of mammals that must deal with daily changes in their habitat and how they cope with them. In small groups, students create a table...
Lesson Plan
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How Does Climate Affect Our Shelter Needs?

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders investigate how weather influences shelter choices. They explore the concept of insulation and discuss some traditional Native American shelters. They discuss the shelters used by the Okanogan people during the various...
Lesson Plan
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Celebrate The Four Seasons

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students investigate cause and effect and compare and contrast how recurring cycles are evident in multiple aspects of their education. They answer questions in the chosen field. Students model each aspect by interpreting, perceiving and...
Lesson Plan
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Modeling Shadows

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students demonstrate understanding of shadows by creating a physical model of concepts taught.
Lesson Plan
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Tree Cookies

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students identify heartwood, sapwood, and a tree's annual rings, infer from a tree's rings what damage or stress might have occurred in its life, and make a time-line of human history that coincides with a tree's rings.
Worksheet
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Orbits Worksheet #1

For Students 4th - 8th
A diagram of Earth's path around the sun, including the position of the moon, is displayed at the top of the worksheet. Five multiple questions get astronomers to analyze the diagram considering what is going on in the solar system. Use...
Lesson Plan
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Dating a Volcanic Eruption

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students discover the various ways in which tree rings can give information. After a brief disucssion of concentric tree rings, they use cross section cut outs of tree rings to identify the time and type of various naturally occuring...
Lesson Plan
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Great Lakes Food Web

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students identify species and components of a Great Lakes food web. Using note cards, they place themselves in the correct order of the food chain based on the species present. They discuss what they believe happens to various species...
Lesson Plan
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Soil Investigations

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the basics about soil.  In this soil lesson students describe the physical properties of soil and explain what soil profile is. 
Lesson Plan
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Redesign the Rover: Mars Research Year-Round

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discuss the solar system, the planets, periods of orbit and revolution.  For this space lesson students discuss the importance of the study of Mars and brainstorm ideas on how NASA might solve its Rover design problem. 
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Cloudy vs. Clear

For Teachers K - 2nd
Learners analyze line plots. In this weather lesson plan using real NASA data, students discuss how weather affects the way the Earth is heated by comparing different line plots.
Lesson Plan
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How Is A Frog Able To Swim In The Trees?

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore the interdependence of frogs and trees. They discuss the various things they need everyday to survive. Students select an animal from their local bioregion and research things that animal is dependent upon for...
Worksheet
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Weather Crossword

For Students 3rd - 6th
In this weather crossword puzzle worksheet, students use the 16 clues and the word bank to fill in the blanks in this crossword puzzle.
Lesson Plan
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How Does the Earth's Energy Budget Relate to Polar Ice?

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students use satellite data to see how radiation budget relates to the ice that is present in the North.  In this energy instructional activity students correlate data to see a relationship. 
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Metamorphosis Magic

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Students make different motions for each stage in the butterfly life cycle and plant a garden. In this butterfly life cycle lesson plan, students can take the mini gardens home and discuss how butterflies help gardens.
Lesson Plan
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The Water Dance

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students act like the changes in the four seasons by moving like water in each season.
Lesson Plan
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Staying Healthy Year Round

For Teachers K
Students are read a variety of books and observe the weather in the different seasons. In groups, they compare and contrast the type of activities people are doing. They also discuss how they adapt to the changes in seasons by the...
Lesson Plan
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Exploring the Sun's Role in Living Systems

For Teachers K - 8th
Students create graphic organizer webs that illustrate their thinking about seasonal physical and biological changes caused by changes in sunlight. They identify the central role of sunlight in living systems.
Lesson Plan
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Are You Sure it is not the Distance?

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students examine how the changing distance between the Earth and the sun causes the seasons. They watch a Science Court video, and answer discussion questions using Science Court Seasons software.
Lesson Plan
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Autumn Learning Fun

For Teachers Pre-K - K
Students discuss autumn. In this language arts lesson, students discuss words that are associated with the season of autumn. Students read books about autumn.
Lesson Plan
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Hickory Dickory Dock: The Biological Clock

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students investigate the effect of day length on animal migrations. They view a Powerpoint presentation, identify their own personal migrations and cues, answer discussion questions, and test a hypothesis about seasons.
Lesson Plan
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The Weather

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students, by incorporating art and science, make the connection between weather and how it affects our everyday lives.
Lesson Plan
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Hurricanes

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars listen to a transcript of an interview about an upswing in hurricanes with Stanley Goldenberg, a researcher with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. students participate in a series of discussion...