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Under the Spell of Spiders

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Young scholars examine spiders. In these spider lessons, students will view spider images and live spiders to determine physical characteristics, habits, and habitats. Young scholars will examine fantasy and folklore about spiders to...
Lesson Plan
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How Size Shapes Animals

For Teachers Pre-K - 3rd
Learners investigate how size affects large and small animals differently. In this animal lesson plan, students determine how size affects different animals by constructing their own animal out of marshmallows. Once learners create...
Lesson Plan
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Teaching Fundamental Movement

For Teachers K - 6th
Students perform fundamental movement activities for flexibility and motor skills. In this movement lesson plan, students perform physical activity for all grade levels.
Lesson Plan
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Floodplain Modeling

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars simulate the impact of fluctuating river volumes on structures and landforms. They experiment with table top-sized riverbed models and water. Students consider how human design can help mitigate the effects of a flood.
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The Mighty Mississippi River

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students acquire in-depth knowledge of the geographic significance of the Mississippi River. They identify and expand their knowledge of the role of the river in the development of cities. Finally, students gain insight into the ways...
Lesson Plan
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From Foraging to Farming

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students experience the difficulty that goes along with foraging for food. In this lesson plan on the importance of modern agriculture, students simulate how there simply is not enough food and water for everyone when agricultural means...
Lesson Plan
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How Does Climate Affect Your Environment?

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Pupils access the Global Sun Temperature Project website and research the relationship between the location and climate of a participating school to its building structure. They consider how climate affects the type of structures humans...
Lesson Plan
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Pair the Plants: An Introduction to Scientific Names

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Learners examine why plants have both common and scientific names, then complete the activity by matching each common plant name with its scientific name. They finish by working in cooperative groups to create an ABC of Plants class book.
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Rice Farming in Texas

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore how rice farming came to Texas. In this rice farming lesson, 3rd graders discover the history of how farmers began to grow rice in the United States. Students color code maps and create a timeline for rice farming...
Lesson Plan
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Shipping on the Hudson

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students track movements of ships, tugboats, and barges on the Hudson River estuary in order to practice addition and subtraction skills. They solve word problems by reading and interpreting data from a table. They calculate distances...
Lesson Plan
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Fred the Fish

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students read and retell the story of Fred the Fish. In groups, they create their own story of a similar nature and identify a situation in their community like the one in the story. They create possible solutions to the problem and...
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Lights On ! Lights Off! Exploring Human Settlement Patterns

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders write informational paragraphs based on the settlement patterns of the United States. In this settlement lesson plan, 3rd graders read about population and how it affects where people settle next.
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Kid Maps: Reading and Creating Maps with Human Characteristics

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Young scholars look at maps. In this map lesson, students listen to the book My Map Book by Sara Fanelli and they see the difference between human characteristics (buildings, etc.) and natural characteristics (rivers, etc.)....
Lesson Plan
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Mountain Magic: Identifying the Basic Physical Characteristics of Mountains

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students read about and identify on maps the physical characteristics of mountains. For this mountains lesson plan, students also write about the characteristics using personification.
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India: Where Remarkable Differences Are Ordinary

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students research India and Indian culture. In this Indian research lesson plan, students research and report on the lives of Indian children. The report will be in the form of a mock interview between a journalist and an Indian child....
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Vital Signs

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students research health-related topics such as good nutrition, exercise, and the human body. They analyze their data and distribute it through the use of the Internet.
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Which Way is Up? The Tree of Life in Africa

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students read a book titled This is the Tree about a baobab tree and draw a picture and label the tree. In this tree lesson plan, students also write a paragraph explaining why they drew that tree. 
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Plants and Animals: Partners in Pollination

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students identify the plant parts and bee structures that are involved in pollination. They simulate pollination in a group activity and process the information.
Lesson Plan
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The Great Kapok Tree - Economic Impact of Deforestation

For Teachers K - 7th
Learners read "The Great Kapok Tree" by Lynne Cherry. They, in groups, research the economic impacts of deforestation in areas with rain forest and identify resources that humans use from the rain forest.
Lesson Plan
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The Great Kapok Tree

For Teachers K - 7th
Students read The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry. After reading the story, they center on the controversy of destroying the rain forest or conserving it. Students have to make an informed decision about rain forest destruction.
Lesson Plan
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Lift and Drag: Principles of Flight and the Soaring Imagination

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Learners construct models of early gas balloons and gliders. In this balloon and glider instructional activity, students create models of early gas balloons and gliders, discover how the forces of lift and drag effect aircraft in...
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The Twelve Months: A Slavic Cinderella Variant

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students locate Slavic countries and identify a few characteristics of those countries. They read and/or listen to the Slavic tale, "The Twelve Months," and compare this version with another Cinderella story.
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Tracking Olympic Gold!

For Teachers Pre-K - 12th
Students use print or online resources to track the results of the Olympic Games, record daily results on graphs, use graphs to collect information.
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Minerals, Crystals, and Gems

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students discover the relationships between minerals, crystals and gems. They bring in rocks that they find at home, in the schoolyard, etc. and examine them and attempt to identify them. They set up a classroom exhibit that includes all...