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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mark, Recapture, Sampling

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners conduct a simulation to explore how scientists estimate the size of animal populations. They analyze a random sample and then extrapolate those results to a larger population. Additionally, they will apply the principals of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Backyard Bacteria

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students demonstrate safe ways to handle bacteria, prepare agar plates, and grow bacterial cultures. They identify different kinds of bacterial colonies, and devise a controlled experiment.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Recognizing Litter

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
When does trash become litter? Use this litter awareness instructional activity to help them understand the importance of trash disposal. Get learners engaged by reading Nancy Loewen's Lady Lulu Liked to Litter (not included). After...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wildflower Beautification Project

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Learners, in cooperative groups, design and create a wildflower garden for the community. They write letters to property owners requesting use of their land and then write invitations to their parents and to local, state, and federal...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changing Planet: Fading Corals

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Show the six-minute video, "Changing Planet: Fading Corals," and then demonstrate how calcium carbonate forms a precipitate in the presence of carbon dioxide. Separate your scientists into small groups to gather information about coral...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bacterial Transformation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars discuss a bacterial experiment they previously performed and complete a pre-assessment. They participate in a lecture discussion given by the teacher through PowerPoint and then complete a cartoon worksheet and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Photoelectric Effect

For Teachers 9th - 12th
After some online instruction, chemistry aces use their creative abilities to produce a poster describing the photoelectric effect and one type of imaging technology that uses electromagnetic radiation. This simple, straightforward...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Interplanetary Travel Guide

For Teachers 4th - 6th
In groups of six, middle school space scientists create an imaginative travel brochure for attracting visitors to the planet Mars. Information must include surface features and atmospheric conditions. Although time-consuming, this is a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

When Are We Wasting Water

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students study water conservation. In this water conservation lesson, students participate in a water conservation experiment. Students discover how to conserve water while washing their hands.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life Science: My Pyramid

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine how the school food program compares to the food pyramid recommendations. In this food pyramid lesson, students compile data regarding the food choices available in the school through the lunch program and vending...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Indoor Environment: A Magazine Publication Project

For Teachers 1st - 8th
Students demonstrate knowledge of Indoor Air Quality by creating a class magazine. A link to order a free Action Kit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is provided so teachers can build background knowledge. Performance...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Wonderful World of Waves (Wave Basics)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students define amplitude, wavelength, frequency, and period, calculate period given frequency, and calculate frequency given period, define crest and trough and locate both on diagram of wave, differentiate between latitudinal and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bacteria: Friend or Foe?

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students examine a variety of environmental and industrial roles of bacteria. explore where bacteria can be found and distinguish bacteria from other organisms.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hydro-Technology

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students create a design for water collection, sanitation, or supply. In this hydro-technology lesson, students learn about the global water crisis. Groups of students read water technology articles, draw or design a device or process,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Science of Weather

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars read an article. In this seasons instructional activity, students discuss the seasons and seasonal affective disorder. Young scholars find an article that illustrates other ways that the environment negatively effects humans.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Communications

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students incorporate different disciplines into this lesson. In this science lesson, students investigate the use of communicating without words, and how it is different than communicating with words. They discuss the pros and cons of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Filtration

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students investigate our water system and how it is filtered. In this science instructional activity, students perform a laboratory activity to investigate the process that goes into filtering water. They relate this activity to other...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Machines Help Us Stay Healthy

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students visit different departments at a local hospital to see how machines help peoples such as the CAT scan machine. They build a model of such a machine that shows how patients are moved in and out of the machine.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biology: New Trials & Findings

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use background knowledge to summarize articles about skin cancer research and present them to the class and place their studies along a clinical study timeline. They are introduced to clincal trails and to various aspects of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Natural Inquirer Ecosystem Article Lesson

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students discover new ways to preserve the ecosystem by completing graphic organizers.  In this environmental lesson plan, students read an article from the Natural Inquirer in small groups and fill out a graphic organizer based on the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cell Size Changes

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine the behavior of living cells treated with different types of stimuli. They watch an online movie, examine wet mount slides under a microscope, take an online quiz, and analyze data.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Designing Babies

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze current and emerging techniques used to select specific characteristics in offspring. They examine specific case studies and make ethical decisions based upon the Ethical Decision-Making Model.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Way We Were: Embryological Development and Disease

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars use microscopes to study live fish embryos and animated diagrams of cell division on the Internet. They see that scientists rely on technology to enhance the gathering and manipulation of data. They create web pages on...
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Activity
NASA

Ripening of Fruits and Vegetables

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
How long do fresh foods last in space at the International Space Station? Which foods perish quicker than others? How can astronauts preserve their foods to make them last longer in space? Young scientists test the rates at which some...