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Activity
National Park Service

The Young Naturalist

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Beginning with a brief history of our 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt, then followed by a discussion of his interest in nature, young scientists take to the outdoors to locate and observe local plants and insects. Scholars return to...
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Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Coral Reefs in Hot Water

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Global warming is leaving coral reefs in hot water. What does that mean for their survival? Find out as scholars use authentic satellite data to explore the issue. Learners look for global trends in the data and research the effects the...
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Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

The Making of a Theory—Fact or Fiction

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Two scientists, two independent studies, two similar theories! A video lesson presents the work of Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace that led to their theories on evolution. Scholars then evaluate statements and provide evidence to...
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Activity
2
2
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Creating Chains and Webs to Model Ecological Relationships

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The sustainability of an ecosystem depends on many factors and changes constantly. Young scholars consider these factors as they use a set of cards to create food webs. They review key scientific vocabulary such as predator, prey,...
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Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Help or Hype: The Ethics of Bio-Nanotechnology

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed Standards
Ethical concerns are not always black and white. A well-designed lesson presents learners with scenarios for which ethics may come into question. Scholars learn to consider the different sides of a situation and make an unbiased conclusion.
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Activity
2
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Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Ocean Acidification

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Human impacts on the environment can sometimes be difficult to measure, especially under water! An activity centered on ocean acidification gives science scholars the opportunity to examine the effects of carbon dioxide on marine life....
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Lesson Plan
Science 4 Inquiry

Snakes in the Everglades

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
The Burmese python is on the loose ... and he's hungry! Illustrate the differences between causative and correlative relationships through an inquiry lesson. Pupils examine several sources of information to determine if there is a...
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Interactive
CK-12 Foundation

Symbiosis: Mutualism, Commensalism, and Parasitism

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Hyenas normally hunt alone, however scientists discovered that in Israel, hyenas hunt with wolf packs. When relationships develop between different species, we call it symbiosis. The videos teach about the three types of symbiosis and an...
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Lesson Plan
University of Southern California

Mastering Microbes

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Small but mighty! Learners explore the role of microbes in a healthy ecosystem. An engaging lesson asks pupils to design an aquaponics system that demonstrates that healthy microbes are necessary to maintain the ecosystem.
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Lesson Plan
Nature Works Everywhere

Sharks and Shorelines

For Students 6th - 10th Standards
Examine predator-prey marine relationships through an interactive lesson design. Learners begin by studying a specific shark species and then analyze real-time shark-tracking data. They also study threats to shark populations and...
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

Animals of the Fire Ice

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
When the sun's rays can't reach the producers in a food web, where does all the energy come from? Extreme environments call for extreme food sources. Young scientists investigate creatures that appear to get their energy from methane...
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Assessment
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Unit 3 Pre-Test, Grades 7–9

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
Earth's systems respond to changes in environments in all types of ways including migration, extinction, adaptation, immigration, and emigration to name a few. Part one in a series of seven is a pre-test consisting of 14 questions. Some...
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Lesson Plan
MENSA Education & Research Foundation

Ecosystems

For Teachers 5th Standards
Explore the Earth's different ecosystems through four lessons, an assessment, and extension activities. Lessons include informative text and step-by-step instructions to apply knowledge in interactive, and thought provoking ways; such as...
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Lesson Plan
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National Science Teacher Association

Middle School Sampler: Science

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Focus on inquiry-based learning in your science class with a series of activities designed for middle schoolers. A helpful packet samples four different texts, which include activities about predator-prey relationships, Earth's axis and...
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Handout
2
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Kentucky School for the Deaf

Levels of Organization within an Ecosystem

For Students 5th - 10th Standards
From tiny organisms to entire biomes, young scientists examine the interdependent relationships tying all living and non-living things together with this collection of ecology resources.
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Worksheet
Sea World

Arctic Animals

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Discover the coldest animals in the world with a lesson about the Arctic habitat. Kids use a glossary and information sheet about animals found in the Arctic Circle to complete several activities, including tracking the lemming...
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PPT
2
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California State Parks

Energy Flow Through an Ecosystem

For Teachers 7th - 10th Standards
One of the key concepts in life science and biology is the cycling of energy throughout an ecosystem. Learners can take notes on the topic using the vocabulary included within the presentation. From producers making their own food...
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Lesson Plan
Michigan State University

Bug Lyphe!

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Introduce ecology classes to biodiversity and interdependence in ecosystems with a PowerPoint presentation. Then, they get up-close and personal with the invertebrate world by collecting insects, classifying them, and graphing their...
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Lesson Plan
University of Kentucky

Beneficial Bug Scavenger Hunt

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Many people think of bugs as annoying pests to be squashed, but most insects and spiders are beneficial, eating the actual pests or pollinating plants. After reviewing some of the common bugs in your area (they may differ from those...
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Lesson Plan
Global Change

Impact of a Changing Climate on the Pacific Walrus

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
How many of us can say they've seen a Pacific walrus? Not many and one of the reasons is the impact of climate change on their aquatic environment. Children get to think about the food web of the Bering Sea by creating an actual web with...
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Lesson Plan
Global Change

The Carbon Cycle and its Role in Climate Change

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
So how does the carbon cycle work? Kids participate in a hands-on activity that allows them to understand the chemistry behind climate change and global warming. They act out the process of photosynthesis by labeling themselves as...
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Lesson Plan
Global Change

Impact of Climate Change on the Desert Pupfish

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
A fish that lives in the desert? You and your class can meet the desert pupfish as they examine its habitat, the role humans play in diminishing water supplies, and how climate change might impact this fishy friend. There are four short...
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Worksheet
Random House

Recipe for an Ecosystem

For Students 1st - 6th Standards
Creating an ecosystem is as simple as baking a cake. Well, maybe not, but using a recipe analogy helps learners realize that ecosystems consist of different components that come together in unique ways. Offer this worksheet as an...
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Lesson Plan
Michigan Sea Grant

Invasive Species

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Learners identify invasive species to the Great Lakes and analyze their impact on the ecosystem. Using photo cards with pictures and facts, young scientists work in small groups to match invasive species with their corresponding...