Lesson Plan
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Plants and Animals, Partners in Pollination

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students participate in multiple hands-on activities to explore reproduction and pollination. In groups, using a cotton swab and powder, students simulate being pollinators and plants. They name the parts of the flowers and the function...
Lesson Plan
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Moh's Scale of Hardness

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate how to use Moh's Hardness Scale. In this geology lesson, students examine several minerals and develop a hypothesis about which mineral is the hardest. Students use the Moh's Scale Identification Chart to determine...
Worksheet
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Ecology

For Students 4th - 6th
In this ecology worksheet, students read information about ecology and the nine ecology subdivisions and answer comprehension questions. Students answer ten questions in this matching and fill in the blank worksheet.
Lesson Plan
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Crystal Growing

For Teachers K - 12th
Students explore the different phases of a crystal.  In this mineral lesson students grow their own sugar crystals using a sugar recipe. 
Lesson Plan
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Stream Table

For Teachers 3rd - Higher Ed
Students explore channelization, riparian habitats and soil erosion to find out about  the aquatic habitats in Iowa. In this aquatic habitats lesson, students define important terms and read an article about pollution. ...
Lesson Plan
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Meet One Picky Bird

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners complete a research project  In this endangered species lesson, students use the "Think, Puzzle, Explore" method to learn about endangered species. Learners research and write a report on the red-cockaded woodpecker.
Lesson Plan
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Who Has Seen the Wind?

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Students investigate the characteristics of wind. In this weather lesson plan, students use poetry and van Gogh's paintings to discuss the movement of wind. Students are introduced to the Beaufort Scale and use the tool to measure the...
Lesson Plan
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Animal Classification

For Teachers K - 5th
Learners are introduced to the concept of classification as it relates to objects, information, and characteristics.  In this classification lesson, students research a variety of animals. Learners study the Linnaeus's system of...
Lesson Plan
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The Greatest Show on Earth: The World's Smallest Animals

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students create instruments to capture different types of insects. In this The Greatest Show on Earth: The World's Smallest Animals lesson, students compare the attributes of certain insects and record the data on a chart. After catching...
Lesson Plan
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'O'opu Life Cycle

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students investigate the life cycle of the 'o'opu also known as Hawaiian gobies.  In this amphidromous living lesson plan, students discuss the reproductive cycle, create props and an obstacle course to demonstrate the importance of...
Lesson Plan
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Make a Model of a Wright Flyer

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students recreate a model of the 1903 Wright Flyer out of Styrofoam. Students practice following instructions, and discover information about the Wright brothers' engine-powered glider.
Lesson Plan
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Traveler's Trunk

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students analyze and interpret artifacts from the 1920s and explore the Great Migration. In this 1920s history lesson, students review background information about the Great Migration and use artifacts to study history of Chicago....
Lesson Plan
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Show Me a Flowerpot

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students compare and contrast handmade and machine-made products in a study about the evolution of production processes in American history. For this production history lesson, students explore a flowerpot in depth. Students make their...
Lesson Plan
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1,000 Cranes Lesson Plan

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students improve their motor skills through cafeful folding, a discipline necessary in the practice of origami. They develop multicultural awareness by exploring Japanese history. Students improve their ability to follow directions...
Lesson Plan
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Letters from the Japanese American Internment

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students examine letters of Japanese-American children during internment in World War II. They discover what it was like in the camps and how they were treated once they were released. They also view photographs of the camps.
Lesson Plan
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Observation Hike

For Teachers K - 12th
Students participate in an observational hike to study the natural surroundings.  In this observational hike lesson, students hike through a state park and observe the plant and animal life.  Students learn about appropriate...
Lesson Plan
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Introducing Biodiversity

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars are introduced to the life around them. As a class, they discuss their prior knowledge about the habitats in their local area. Using the internet, they identify the basic components needed for biodiversity and the major...
Lesson Plan
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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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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...
Lesson Plan
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Lift and Drag: Principles of Flight and the Soaring Imagination

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students construct models of early gas balloons and gliders. In this balloon and glider lesson, students create models of early gas balloons and gliders, discover how the forces of lift and drag effect aircraft in flight, and put on...
Lesson Plan
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Famous People: Albert Einstein

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students research Albert Einstein and the two parts of the Relativity Theory.
Lesson Plan
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Wetlands: Pave or Save?

For Teachers K - 6th
Students discuss the characteristics of wetlands and how to make them more productive. Using a map, they locate the major wetlands in the United States and color them using a key. They read an article and in groups answer discussion...
Lesson Plan
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Water, Water Everywhere: The Johnstown Flood

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Learners analyze the events that lead up to the failure of the South Fork Dam and the impact the flood had on the region. For this historical lesson students develop presentations on the Johnstown Flood.
Lesson Plan
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Radical Raptors

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Students study the lifestyles and habitats of raptors that live in Minnesota. They play games associated with their study.