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Landfills: A Solid Waste Management Plan
Middle schoolers are able to list the types of household waste that they produce daily. They are able to describe some other types of waste that are produced by industry or agriculture to help maintain their lifestyles. Students are...
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Plant an Ozone Monitoring Garden
Students create a garden. In this ozone lesson, students discuss ozone injury, identify plants sensitive to ozone, and then plant their own ozone garden.
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Investigating Planetary Soils
Students study soil characteristics and identify properties of soils from different parts of the solar system. For this soil lesson students divide into groups, read soil descriptions, test and record soil samples.
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Capillary Action and Adhesion
Students perform classroom experiments to observe adhesion. They perform a second experiment using sand, salt, water, and a heat lamp to observe the principle of capillary action. They also experiment with adhesion in plants.
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I See a Coyote
Students role-play coyotes looking for natural resources. For this natural resources lesson, students examine the relationship between animal life and the environment. Students play a game that demonstrates how natural...
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The Formation and Value of Temperate Grasslands
Students study the Temperate Grasslands biome of North America. They explain that it is an endangered ecosystem because the rich soils have been converted to farming in most areas. They view videos imbedded in this plan, then complete...
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The Atmosphere
For this atmosphere worksheet, students complete 20 fill in the blank questions about energy concepts, different types of winds, and air pollution.
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Olympic Solar Energy
Students use cardboard and aluminum foil to construct a solar oven that concentrates enough sunlight to cook a hotdog. They review the history and use of solar energy in relation to the Olympics.
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Water, Water Everywhere, Even Underground
The "Engage" section of a wetlands lesson plan asks young ecologists to examine a wetlands poster. You can easily find one online and display it using a projector. Pupils immerse a piece of sandstone and a piece of granite in water to...
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Home on the Range
Young scholars use maps and mathematics to determine the appropriate panther population in a given area. In this Florida ecology lesson, students research the area requirements of male and female panther and use a map to help calculate...
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Comets
Young scholars explore the nature and composition of a comet. They research comet facts, legends, and myths. They identify different types of comets and describe what happens to a comet as it travels closer to the Sun.
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Surface Air Temperature Trends of the Caribbean
Students investigate the seasonal changes to sea surface and near-surface air temperatures near the equator. They use actual satellite data to track and graph the differences in air and sea temperatures during different seasons in the...
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Using the Very, Very Simple Climate Model in the Classroom
Students study the relationship between the average global temperature and carbon dioxide emissions. In this weather lesson students develop a test scenario using a model then read and interpret graphs of data.
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Do You Have the Key?
Students practice using a dichotomous key. In this classification instructional activity, students read an article about scientific exploration and identification of new species. They use a dichotomous key to identify objects and create...
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Exploring the Night Sky: Fall/Winter
Students explain how moon phases occur. They explain three ways that the night sky has been used through history. Students locate some of the constellations in the night sky. They discuss stories and myths surrounding stars.
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Ocean Drifters
Students define terms, and identify three ways in which plankton are adapted for life in the open ocean. In this ocean drift instructional activity students design a planktonic organism.
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Geometry of Exploration: Eyes Over Mars
Students research how engineers and scientists generate linear and angular measurements with geometry to survey the Earth and Mars. They assess how geometric shapes affect navigation. A surveyor comes to the classroom and explains how he...
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Global Warming or Climate Change?
In this online interactive global warming and climate change learning exercise, students respond to 10 multiple choice questions regarding the information included in the provided paragraphs.
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Greenhouse Effect
Pupils investigate the greenhouse effect. In this environmental lesson, students investigate why the greenhouse effect changes the climate through an experiment. Pupils use vinegar to simulate how acid damages the environment.
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Storm Watch: Knowing What To Do
Learners study the different types of weather and how storms form. In this weather lesson students make their own "tornado in a bottle" and create brochures.
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Getting to Know Soil
Students make predictions and analyze soil. In this soil properties lesson, students make predictions about soil properties for various soil samples. Students examine the types of soils and record their observations. Students analyze...
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Let the North Star Tell You Where You Are
Young scholars participate in activities in which they find the Big Dipper and locate the North Star in the night sky, examine the relationship between the angle to Polaris and latitude, and determine latitude by using an astrolabe.
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Modeling Geologic Time
Students design, construct and interpret a model of geologic time and investigate change through geologic time.
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Formation of Wind
Students correctly sequence the steps leading to the formation of wind, and describe the cause and effect relationships involved in the formation of wind. This task assesses students' abilities to classify, generalize, infer, interpret...