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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life Science: Living Things

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Have your class build their vocabulary bank by studying life science terms. Basic terms like organism, cell, unicellular, and vertebrate are included on the definition sheet provided. Demonstrate how to identify different life science...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Does Life Look Like Under a Microscope?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners discover cells make up all living things. In this life science activity, students investigate living organisms and the cells that create them. Finally the learners create a testable question, conduct an investigation, and draw...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Invisible Life

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
By setting up an aquarium in the classroom, learners are able to describe some macroscopic and microscopic organisms that are found inside. This well-designed, and educationally rich instructional activity requires pupils to use...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oceans in Motion

For Teachers K - 3rd
This simple activity introduces children to basic marine life as well as to show them the necessity of protecting aquatic environments. Some famous marine life animals are introduced via vocabulary words, then children cut out pictures...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cell Study

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students (females) are introduced to the cell. They discuss what a cell is, and students define what a cell is. Students comprehend that all living things are made up of cells. They comprehend that life is defined as something that...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cell Structure and Function

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students discuss scientific advances brought about by the Mars Surveyor Space Program which impact on daily life, identify laboratory apparatus like microscopes, slides and coverslips, and use the microscopes to view cells and organisms.
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Activity
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

The Micro and Macro World Around Us

For Teachers K - 12th
Don't let your eyes play tricks on you ... use scale to keep your eyes in check! Young scholars observe images without scale and try to identify the structure. Then, they look at the same image with a scale bar and assess whether their...
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Lesson Plan
Clean Up Australia

Why are Batteries Harmful to the Environment?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Open this lesson plan by reading together about primary and secondary batteries (such as nickel-cadmium cells), problems they can cause in the environment, and how humans can minimize the damage. Afterward, little ones examine a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How to: Build a Plant Cell

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students build a 3-dimensional model of a plant cell with household objects. In this plant biology lesson, students construct replica plant cells in groups of three. After completing their projects, students share their creations with...
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Lesson Plan
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PBS

The Chrysalis or Pupa

For Teachers K - 3rd Standards
What is one of the most exciting parts of a butterfly's life cycle? When it emerges from its pupa and dries its wings! This is a great activity little ones will love. They discuss what happens during the pupal stage of the butterfly life...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life in a Drop of Pond Water

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate living creatures that inhabit a pond and explore how various organisms satisfy their needs within their environments. In this life in a drop of pond water lesson, students examine microorganisms under magnification....
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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. For this life science lesson, 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

Pump It Up!

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students design a pumping device that will effectively pump fluid through a model "cardiovascular system." They explore the effects of too much and too little pressure on a circulatory system.
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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

Life in a Drop of Water

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students observe the wealth of living organisms in a drop of water from our freshwater ecosystems. They classify the types of organisms observed as single-celled or multi-cellular and use a key or chart to identify and name the organisms...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cells in the Making

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students examine and research the parts of a cell, their functions, and life processes. They simulate how cells receive nutrients using coffee filters, water, and coffee, and construct cells using pudding, cookie dough, and candy.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Quiz Questions - Cells

For Students 3rd - 5th
In this cells worksheet, students read and choose the multiple choice answers to 20 questions involving cells, microscopes, and the life process of Growth.
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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 lesson, students take a Discovery Voyage of the Bay ecosystem through the Marine Science Institute. Also available are inland voyages, ocean labs, and tidepool...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Jellyfish Challenge

For Students 3rd - 5th
In this jellyfish activity worksheet, students respond to 10 multiple choice questions that require them to exhibit the knowledge they have regarding jellyfish.    
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar Arrays for the Space Station

For Teachers K - 4th
Students explore the challenges that are faced when transporting materials into space. They review the various forms of energy, including solar arrays, that are used on the International Space Station and how generating this energy calls...
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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 activity, students understand the effects of freezing on cells.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pond 2: Life in a Drop of Pond Water

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students observe organisms found in pond water with a microscope. In groups, they discuss how single-celled organisms satisfy their needs for food, water and air. They compare and contrast the needs of macroscopic and microscopic...
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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, students compare and contrast robots and living things. Given an object, they decide whether it's is living or not and defend their...