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Desert Plant Detectives
Students examine and categorize plants in their own schoolyard desert garden and then observe other plant areas of their schoolyard.
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Ecology
Students explore, experience and experiment identifying the human impact on the environment of vegetative differences within the same biome. They assess what causes deserts, rain forests, savannahs, tundras and saguaros and how these...
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Deserts: How Do You Define One?
Second graders identify what constitutes as a desert by reading a habitat checklist. In this environment lesson, 2nd graders read a nature website to discover facts about the desert and where they are located. Students utilize art...
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Desert Xeriscaping
Students recognize native species of desert vegetation while examining the need for water conservation. They design and create a xeriscape landscape using a variety of materials.
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Plant Diversity and Distribution
Students construct a defined plot on school grounds and observed patterns in plant life. They count trees, shrubs, cacti and record on a data sheet. They compare data and generate a plant diversity overlook for their school.
National Park Service
Living & Non-Living Interactions
What better way to learn about ecosystems than by getting outside and observing them first hand? Accompanying a field trip to a local park or outdoor space, this series of collaborative activities engages children in learning about the...
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Yummy Plant Parts
Students examine plant parts. In this botany lesson, students examine various edible plants and how their adaptations help them to grow. They observe stems, leaves, roots and flowers of plants and discuss the relationship between the...
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California Biodiversity
High schoolers examine several maps of California exhibiting features such as precipitation, topography, and vegetation. They look for patterns that might be the source of or influence biodiversity in different regions. They pay...
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Mongolia Geography
Students examine the geography and culture of Mongolia. Individually, they cut out cut-outs of animals to place on their maps and label the grasslands and desert areas. They locate major cities and rivers along with vegetation.
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Lets Think About...Plants
Students bring in various vegetables and make friendship soup. They plant seeds and discuss the things plants need to grow and thrive.
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His and Her-bariums
Students collect and identify plant species from campus, create a home herbarium, and compare with the plant species from school.
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Building an Ecosystem
Students research a variety of local and world ecosystems. Students will create a collage to represent the biotic and abiotic factors and interactions important to their given ecosystem.Students will understand that an ecosystem is...
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The Greening of Mars: The Changes Necessary to Sustain Life on Mars
Fifth graders discuss the currents conditions on the planet of Mars. In groups, they work together to develop a mechanism that allows for a balanced ecosystem to survive on the planet. After presenting their ideas to the class, they...
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Searching for Meteorites
Students examine meteorites and attempt to recover meteorite fragments. In this space instructional activity students complete a demonstration on the impact of a meteorite using water balloons and make experimental predictions.
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Environment: Erosion Boxes
Fourth graders discover how the processes of erosion and weathering alter the physical characteristics of the environment. In a student log,they record the various types of erosion and list ways to prevent it. Using clear, plastic...
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Biomes
Students explore the worlds biomes and see how organisms adapt to these ecological communities. In this world's biomes lesson students research and write a paper about one of the world's biomes.
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Seed Plants: Angiosperms
Middle schoolers describe flowering plants and see why angiosperms are the most successful plants. In this angiosperms activity students identify angiosperms and explain how they reproduce.
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Unique Plants of the Biomes
Learners examine how the earth is divided into different biomes that are characterized by a distinctive climate. In this earth's surface lesson students identify adaptations of plants in specific biomes.
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Salinity Of Soil
Fourth graders investigate the contents of various types of soil to determine the differences in salinity levels. They conduct an experiment of observing the plants in the different soils. Students then determine survival rates by...