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T3 Lesson Plan: Number 3
Sixth graders investigate local water. In this water cycle lesson, 6th graders take samples from surrounding water sources. Students record data from the samples, compare and graph the results.
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Species and Specimens: Exploring Local Biodiversity
Students practice skills essential to all scientific investigation: carefully observing and collecting data. They become field biologists in a series of hands-on activities to collect and identify specimens, and survey and calculate the...
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Trash Talkin
Young scholars investigate recycling at several scales, including local, state, national and global. They become aware of recycling, re-use, reduce efforts and policies. Students read the article Where Does Your Garbage Go. They look up...
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Pavement or Dirt?
What are the pros and cons to having either permeable or impermeable materials for building? How do they affect the environment? Use this role-play and the extension activities to get your environmental scientists thinking about the...
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Women in Science: Dr. Grace Bush
Learn about the study of paleoecology with a resource about Dr. Grace Bush and her contributions to the field. After reading a one-page passage, learners answer comprehension questions and explore their personal interests in different...
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Bird Nests
Students build bird nests. In this Science lesson plan, students consider climate, location, and structure when building their bird nest. Students try to locate each other's nests within the activity site.
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Gaming in the Outdoors
Students explore their environment through a scavenger hunt. In this outdoor exlporation lesson, students use hunt cards and search for animal food, natural shapes, or both. Students share their finds. Students create ink prints or...
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Great Streamboat Race
Learners analyze currents. In this Science lesson, students race small boats in a creek or stream. Learners time the currents and collect organisms from the creek or stream.
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Interactions of Living Things
Is it a producer, carnivore, omnivore, scavenger, or decomposer? Different relationships among organisms are explored here. It is a simple, multiple choice assignment. Use it as a quick warm-up or quiz.
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Moisture Makers
Students use cobalt chloride paper to find moisture in leaves. For this moisture content investigation, students compare and contrast the amount of water given off by various leaves.
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Mystery Marauders
Students investigate plants with pest damage. In this plant life lesson, students study plants that have been damaged by insects. Students try to discover which insects are causing the damage.
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Salt Water Revival
Students produce a high tide. In this Marine Biology lesson, students visit a tide pool to investigate the creatures response to changes in the tide. Students discuss the results of their experimentation.
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The Old White Sheet Trick
Students attract night animals. In this Science lesson plan, students use a large white surface and a light at night. Students observe and record what they see.
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Leaf Living
Students participate in a game to simulate life on a leaf. For this habitat lesson, students climb under a pile of leaves, some acting as predators and some as prey. Students answer questions related to the game under the leaves.
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Trail Impact Study
Students create maps through trails that keep the environment safe. in this trail plotting lesson, students mark off a trail to show hazards, erosion threshold, and slope. Students record information about their trail on a data board...
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Water Breathers
Students explore the effects of animal breathing and movement on water currents. In this aquatic animal lesson, students use food coloring to experiment and learn about water currents created by aquatic animals.
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Nutrients Nutrients We Need
Second graders examine the six nutrients humans need to maintain good heath. For this ecosystem lesson, 2nd graders learn about how plants grow and compare how humans need nutrients from plants to how plants need nutrients from the soil....
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Hopper Circus
Students explore biology by participating in an insect identification activity. For this grasshopper lesson, students discuss the types of insects who jump high and identify their anatomical parts. Students collect a group of "hopper"...
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Monterey Bay
Young scholars read background information about Monterey Bay, California, and conduct related experiments. In this ocean in motion lesson, students read information about the location, wildlife, and characteristics of Monterey Bay. They...
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Endangered Marine Turtles
Students work in groups and experience what it is like to be a hatchling marine turtle by playing a board game. For this endangered marine turtles lesson, students research the threats to marine turtle hatchlings. Students then create a...
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Finding Ocean Depth
How to oceanographers measure the sea's depth? Your scientists will step into their shoes in this application learning exercise, first reading about how the speed of sound and a simple formula give scientists a depth estimation. Students...
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Endangered Ecosystems
Reading comprehension and note-taking skills are practiced as young ecologists embark on this journey. Explorers visit a website where they will read about three ecosystems that are in danger. They use interactive programs to build a...
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Environment: Endangered Mammal Project
Young scholars research different mammals and create illustrations and narratives about them. Working individually or in small groups, students compose their rough drafts prior to creating their posters or dioramas. Young scholars...
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Wildlife Variety Show: Biodiversity In Illinois
Eighth graders write a short report in first person about any plant or animal found on a list of Illinois species. They become the character of the plant or animal and give a short report describing the plant or animal.