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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Wonderful World of Slugs

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Examine a slug? Of course, what else would a 2nd grader do with it? Pupils use clues and go on a slug hunt, read a slug story, or make a cooperative group mural of a slug's habitat. While older learners catalog slugs, go on a slug hunt,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is Life?

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students investigate the characteristics of living things. In this life science instructional activity, students examine several living and non-living specimens. Students determine which things are living and non-living.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cells Are Us

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students explore cells. In this science lesson plan, students investigate how the cell is the basic unit of life, that cells divide slowly to become mass of cells, and that there is a gradual loss of cells throughout life.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Field Trip - Marine Science Institute

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students discover the ocean life of the San Francisco Bay. In this ocean instructional activity, students take a Discovery Voyage of the Bay ecosystem through the Marine Science Institute. Also available are inland voyages, ocean labs,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ice Cream

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students create ice cream in a bag and snow ice cream to study the effects of freezing on foods.  In this ice cream lesson, students understand the effects of freezing on cells.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It's Alive! Or is it?

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students differentiate the characteristics of living and nonliving things. In this life science lesson plan, students compare and contrast robots and living things. Given an object, they decide whether it's is living or not and defend...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pond Life

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students explore pond ecosystems. In this living environment lesson, students observe the local pond and identify the living things they find by drawing pictures. Students observe organisms that were found in the pond by using a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Onion Skins

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students explore the structure of a plant cell. They carefully peel a single layer of onion skin from a slice of onion and stain it with methylene blue to observe the structures inside. They use a Digiscope connected to a computer to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Effects of the Sun on Our Planet (Grades 2-4)

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students observe how the sun's rays can cause evaporation and discuss its role in the weather cycle. They discover what the sun's energy brings to plants. They examine how different types of technology can enhance the amount of solar...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Way a Tree Works

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Learners explore nature by conducting botany experiments. In this plant life lesson, students define the necessary resources for a plant to thrive on our planet while defining scientific vocabulary terms. Learners utilize different plant...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Algae Part One: An Introduction

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students have the opportunity to view two types of algae under 400x magnification with a compound microscope. They make observations and record their observations through drawings and words. In addition, they identify different qualities...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Inside the Egg, Hatching Chickens

For Teachers Pre-K - 5th
Young scholars explore how an egg becomes fertilized. In this biology lesson, students "candle" a variety of eggs in order to determine which ones have been fertilized and which ones haven't. Student use paper plates to create a graphic...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Why Plants Are Green

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Young scholars discover the properties of chlorophyll in plants. In this plant biology lesson, students conduct an experiment to find where the chlorophyll in the plant is located. Young scholars are split into small groups and study...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students become familiar with coal as an energy source and how it is mined.  For this coal lesson, students research the effects of coal mining on the environment. Students discuss the various problems associated with coal mining....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Parts of the Flower and Pollination

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students review the parts of the plant and recognize the parts that are important for pollination.  In this pollination lesson, students illustrate and label the parts of a flower.  Students compare different types of flowers.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

H2O in Us

For Teachers K - 2nd
Young scholars discover through this activity that all organisms are composed of water. They find that 70 percent of their bodies are made up of water that is in thier cells and blood, and not free-flowing throughout their body.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

De-composers - Terrarium

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students explore the environment by building a mock ecosystem. In this rainforest analysis lesson plan, students define many environmental and rainforest related vocabulary terms and discuss the current status of our planet's...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Does a Green Plant Grow?

For Teachers K - 12th
Students of all ages can explore the question "how do seeds grow?", design an experiment to answer the question, predict the outcome of the experiment then conduct the experiment.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Does a Green Plant Grow?

For Teachers K - 8th
Students examine how a seed grows, and design an experiment to explore this concept. They make predictions, conduct the experiment, record the results, and interpret the results.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Com-Post With Us? Learn About Recycling While Having Fun

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students examine the importance of recycling to help the environment. In groups, they make a compost bin on the school grounds recording how the material changes from week to week. They collect other materials for recycling like cell...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Egg Toss

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
This cross curricular lesson involves eggs. Students read about eggs. A counting game involving an egg carton and ping pong balls (eggs) is played as students toss balls into numbered egg carton cups and adding their score. Students...