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Wetlands: Pave or Save?
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...
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The Ocean Floor
Fifth graders discuss the process of sedimentation and the continental drift theory. They locate major structures on the ocean floor and they identify life forms at each level of the ocean.
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To Spread or Not to Spread
Students explore the difference between the three types of contrails. In this contrails instructional activity, students make observations of contrails and record them. Students identify the three types of contrails and complete an...
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Watershed Model
Young scholars view a presentation of water and land and how we need to protect our water resources. In this water lesson plan, students discuss how we rely on water, and complete activities in all subjects related to water.
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Minerals, Crystals, and Gems
Young scholars 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...
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Lift and Drag: Principles of Flight and the Soaring Imagination
Students construct models of early gas balloons and gliders. In this balloon and glider lesson plan, students create models of early gas balloons and gliders, discover how the forces of lift and drag effect aircraft in flight, and put...
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Planting A Garden On Campus
Students investigate the school campus area in order to plan the best spot for a class garden. They create a map of the school and research the different types of soil that exist in order to find the best spot. The class takes the...
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The Case of the Mysterious Red Light
Students investigate why some sunrises and sunsets are unusually bright red.
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A Lion's Lair
Students evaluate the likelihood that a particular animal lived in a particular habitat. They research and illustrate lion habitats to determine whether lions were likely to have lived in ancient Greece.
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The Sky Show
Pupils use lecture and research to answer the question: Why is the sky blue? students research a variety of other sky phenomena, chart their observations and participate in experiments.
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Volcanic Wrath
Students observe volcanic action using an internet Web site of satellite photographs. Stuents create a portfolio of observable features.
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Day and Night
Students discuss why day and night occur after visualizing a teacher-led demonstration.
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Class Conservation Corps (CCC)
Students investigate how the loss of soil, a valuable natural resource, affects their lives through loss of productive land to grow food, loss of coastal land mass, and poor water quality from runoff. They design a project to keep soil...
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Life on a Fiery Planet
Students study the effects on the evolution of human culture from volcanic events worldwide.
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Calculate Your Contribution
Students assess the environmental impact of their transportation choices. They keep a transportation journal and use a website to calculate vehicle emissions for themselves and their class. They evaluate their transportation choices.
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Creatures from Planet X: Spiders
Young scholars are given a description of some fascinating animals from "Planet X". They follow the descriptions given to illustrate one of these animals paying careful attention to introduced vocabulary such as 'appendages',...
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Oregon Rainshadows
Students brainstorm list of possible highest locations in Oregon, identify and label places from list on map using color code, and discuss and identify causes of a rain shadow.
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Blowing in the Wind
Young scholars identify and interpret maps, graphs, charts, tables and political cartoons. Students identify what a compass rose is and review its meaning in relation to standard directions. Young scholars design their own weathervanes....
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How Things Fly
Students observe photographs of selected twentieth-century aircraft at the National Air and Space Museum and note differences in the design of aircraft wings, fuselages, and engines.
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3-D Posters
Students work in small groups to create 3-D posters to discourage throwing trash away and encourage recycling.
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Home: the Story of Maine "A Love for the Land": Where Are You? Who Are You?
Young scholars investigate their neighborhood both as it is now and as it was 100 years ago. They take a walk around their neighborhood and fill out a worksheet before completing a worksheet.
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Coral Bleaching in the Caribbean
Students use authentic satellite data on the NASA website to determine when the sea surface temperature meets the criteria to induce coral bleaching.
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Spy on a Spider
Students view slides or live specimens to name and describe the distinguishing features of groups of arthropods, especially spiders and insects. They complete worksheets, observe webs and then search for and record where spiders can be...
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Facts, Feats and Folklore: Spiders
Students review and discuss a variety of sayings, folklore and superstitions about spiders. They discuss this information and choose either an interesting fact or appealing foklore tradition to illustrate.