Lesson Plan
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Finding Caterpillars

For Teachers 4th - 6th
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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Stop the Bleeding

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students explore various parts of the heart and blood vessels . They begin with an overview of the components of the cardiovascular system. They see a cross section of an artery and watch how a blood clot develops.
Lesson Plan
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Aerobic and Anaerobic Conditioning

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students view the A.D.A.M. computer simulation of aerobic and anaerobic exercise. They break into groups and members brainstorm and list as many aerobic and anaerobic exercises as possible in five minutes.
Lesson Plan
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Know your Heart Parts and Functions

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students put together a 3-D interactive "heart" puzzle and learn the names of heart parts.
Lesson Plan
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Dichotomous Keys

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders practice using dichotomous keys. They discover why scientists use them and why it is important to classify animals. They use candy to practice classifying objects and move on to classifying animals.
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Birds

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Pupils study birds and examine the idea that they evolved from reptiles or dinosaurs.  In this birds lesson students divide into groups and research one side of the debate, then at the end have the pupils debate each-other. 
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The More Things Change

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders discuss change in cities over time. They view pictures of a city as it has changed over time and then compare city pictures of the past to those of a modern city today. In preparing for a guest speaker who will come and...
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Estimating Prices

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Learners practice making reasonable estimates. In this consumer math, students round purchase prices of items to estimate the total cost. Learners practice using metal computations to arrive at estimates.
Lesson Plan
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Species Distribution Project

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students explore how to classify new species.
Worksheet
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Grouping Fish

For Students 5th - 12th
For this fish worksheet, students group fish according to their similarities. Students explain their reasoning for sorting the fish the way they did. This worksheet has 12 fill in the blank questions and 1 short essay.
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Website Scavenger Hunt

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners use the internet to complete a species scavenger hunt. In groups, they answer questions given to them about sea lions, rockfish and killer whales. As a class, they identify any questions they have and discuss the role...
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Dissect with Respect

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students, through exercises and discussions, examine ethics involved in the process of choosing and using laboratory animals, respect for the animal they dissect and how to behave in an ethical manner as they dissect various lab specimens.
Lesson Plan
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All in the (Insect) Family

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students participate in a series of activities in order to explore the diversity of insects. They explore how insects are grouped and categorized.
Lesson Plan
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Biodiversity in Illinois-Pond Habitats

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders construct a pond habitat in the classroom using a small swimming pool partially filled with water, real cattails, a tree log adjoining, and plastic animal life appropriate to a pond setting. They examine the frog in detail...
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Inside Out: An Up-Close Look At Foods We Eat

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders identify the origins of meats and vegetables consumed by humans on a daily basis. They classify foods (meats, dairy products, grains...) and create a food pyramid.
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Centipede or Millipede?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Pupils discuss millipedes and centipedes in terms of their classification as arthropod. Using a diagram, students categorize and compare and contrast the characteristics of millipedes and centipedes based on their discussion of...
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Adaptations To the Environment

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars design and construct an imaginary animal that is perfectly adapted to a particular type of biome. They give the animal a scientific name, place it in a phylum and write descriptions about its behavior, reproduction,...
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Creating a Bibliography

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders review the basic structure of a bilbliography and its importance in writing. They create a bibliography of materials used to complete a written report, and power point slide show and use the computer lab to create a final...
Worksheet
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Zoology Word Search Puzzle

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this science worksheet, middle schoolers look for the words that are related to the concept of zoology that is reviewed in the sheet. They also acquire new vocabulary.
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What do Bison Eat?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students identify the three major categories of food eaten by bison. In groups, they collect examples of grass and forbs and press them. They complete a chart of the percentages of each type of food the bison eat in a day. They...
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"For the Birds" [part I]

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students identify birds that appear in Chinese and Japanese art, learning about their physical characteristics, classifying them according to scientific principles, and exploring their habitats and migration patterns. This is part one...
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The Rat Experiment

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders observe two albino rats and write their observations in a science journal for two weeks. In rotation groups, they complete the necessary tasks to keep the rats fed and clean. They discuss the importance of eating healthy...
Lesson Plan
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DNA the Easy Way (and "Gram Stain" Without the Mess)

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Pupils visualize DNA from cells and explain the basis and importance of the Gram-stain reaction and to perform the KOH test equivalent.
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Earthworms

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders research the earthworm and write a one paragraph report on its anatomy and habitat. They learn about worms and how to dissect them through Video Streaming and virtual dissections, along with actually dissect a worm as...