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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plant Science Activities

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students complete several plant life activities. In this botany instructional activity, students practice painting images that resemble plants they are familiar with as well as planting seeds outside of class. Students participate in a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tree Hunt

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students identify the common trees of Iowa and make observations while creating a key. In this tree hunt lesson plan, students write a letter to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to receive a pamphlet of Common Trees of Iowa....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dichotomous Key for Identifying Pine Trees

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers identify the species of pine trees that are found in their area. They use unlabeled "mystery" samples and a dichotomous key to identify the pine trees to species. After identification, they use a field guide to answer...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Classification

For Teachers K - 12th
Students gather and classify samples of a given item (rocks, fossils, seeds, etc.) They discuss various ways of classifying and that there are many different ways that are acceptable.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Tree of Life Activity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students solve a mystery of the identification of a unknown organism by comparing its morphological characteristics to those in a tree of life classification poster. They compare the observable characteristics of the specimen and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hopi Agriculture

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students discuss the farming practices of the past and present of the Hopi people and discuss the importance of corn. For this Hopi agriculture lesson plan, students also plant their own seeds of corn.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigation - I've Got It

For Teachers Pre-K - K
Students explore patterns by participating in a sorting activity. In this pattern identification lesson, students collaborate in a group and share their footwear in order to categorize each other's shoes based on similar characteristics....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Build a 3-d Plant Model

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders construct a three-dimensional model of a flowering plant. They examine the major plant parts and their basic functions. They demonstrate an understanding of the similarities and differences in the physical...
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

The Human Body

For Teachers Pre-K - K
Explore the human body through hands-on activities. Young learners will trace their bodies and place cut out body organs in the proper place, print patterns using cut fruit, sing songs about good nutrition, and use their five senses...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Measurement and Variation

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Examine the concept of variation through observation and measurement. Middle schoolers will study a peanut and record any distinguishing characteristics visible as well as sketch their peanuts and describe them in writing. Their peanut...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Tree

For Teachers K
Students practice recognizing the letters in the alphabet. They create leaves of coconut trees out of cans and use magnetic letters to retell a story they heard before.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stella the Swan

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students study the similarities and differences between ducks, geese, and swans. They tell the story about how water fowl adapt to life in water using props.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

U.S. History: Antebellum Heroes and Villains

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders research and write reports on key figures of the Antebellum Period. The projects also include pictures, bibliographies, and timelines about their assigned figure. In addition, 8th graders present oral reports to classmates.
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PPT
Curated OER

Parts of the Plant and Their Functions

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Delving into this slideshow will help the students understand the composition of plants and their structures. Each slide identifies certain structures and explores how they support the plant's survival along with assisting our...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stella the Swan

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students analyze the telling of a story with props. They study similarities and differences between ducks, geese and swans, how wildfowl are adapted to life in water, how wildfowl move and feed, and wildfowl family life, how they nest,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pollinators and Wildflowers

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore how plants depend on pollinators to reproduce.  In this pollination lesson students dissect a local flower and collect and identify pollinating insects. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dry-Land Kalo-Growing New Plants from Stems

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students explore Hawaiian plants. For this Hawaii culture and botany lesson, students plant the haha(stem) of a taro plant. Students listen to Hawaiian myths about the taro plant and chorally speak a Hawaiian chant of protection....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Tree

For Teachers K
Students review all of the alphabet letters once they are taught. They are involved in growing their class tree and then take an interactive part in putting their letter on the tree when it is their turn.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Tree

For Teachers All
Students review the letters of the alphabet using the book, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, by Bill Martin, Jr. & John Archambault. They create their own alphabet "tree" in the classroom.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Forests and Photosynthesis

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore the concept of photosynthesis. They investigate the effects of light on seedlings. Students grow plants and record the data. Students view satellite images that show the monthly amount of vegetation present in the...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Plant Life for Kids

For Students 2nd - 3rd
In these plant life worksheets, students complete a worksheet about parts of a plant, plant life, plant life cycle sequence, and then complete a plant life mini book.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sequence Alignment

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars explore the uses of sequence alignment.  In this DNA instructional activity students complete several experiments on sequencing and algorithms. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Most Troublesome Exotic Invasive Plant Species Web Quest

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students participate in a Web Quest activity in which they identify common exotic invasive plant species of the Southern Appalachian Region. After identifying the top 10 exotic invasive species, they choose one to research in depth.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Land Use Issues

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students 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.