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Vertebrate Dioramas
Young scholars describe the development of their chosen form of vertebrate life from the past to the present in a four to six page paper. They explain the use of a phylogenetic tree, and use this to exemplify an organism's evolutionary...
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Design a Deep- Sea Vertebrate or Invertebrate
Learners design a deep-sea animal. In this research based lesson, students research and design a vertebrate or invertebrate that lives in a methane hydrate habitat. They compile a class chart of the adaptations animals have in this...
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What's the Difference?
Students analyze the similarities in different species. This lesson is part of a multi-segmented unit on the diversity of life. For this segment, students classify shoes to mimic the scientific categories of the classification system.
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Diversity of Life
Pupils explore the diversity of life forms and the role that interdependency plays in our world through a mult-segmented unit. This segment introduces the unit.
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Experimentation with Teratogens on Zebrafish
Students compare mitosis and meiosis with regard to chromosome number in parent cells versus daughter cells, types of cells produced, total number of cells produced, and the number of divisions. In groups, identify and differentiate the...
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Raising Trout
Learners investigate the life cycles of fish as they observe a trout's life in class. In this fish life instructional activity, students create a proper habitat in a fish tank for the trout eggs to spawn and thrive for several weeks....
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Spineless - YES... Helpless - NO!
Students distinguish between invertebrate and vertebrate organisms while examining the zoological classes of a number of invertebrates. They illustrate a food web of these organisms and investigate the impact of humans on the oceanic...
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Write a Description
Finding the central idea is the focus of this lesson. Middle schoolers write descriptions of different animals using details and descriptive language. They watch a video of kids using descriptive language, and then use showing language...
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Classify That!
Students get acquainted with diverse forms of life by using modern biological classification systems to group animals that are related. They explore basic scientific groupings like genus, species, mammals, fish, birds, amphibians, and...
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Wildlife Variety Show: Biodiversity In Illinois
Eighth graders write a short report in first person about any plant or animal found on a list of Illinois species. They become the character of the plant or animal and give a short report describing the plant or animal.
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Ocean Market
Students research how: The ocean is the source of many materials, from ores mined from its depths to relaxing mineral salts for a bath. Exquisite mother-of-pearl inlay, decorative shells, and pearl jewelry are found in gift shops...
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Dinosaurs Here Yesterday Gone Today
Students take a pre-test to show their prior knowledge of dinosaurs. Using the internet, they reasearch the time period in which they roamed the Earth. Focusing on the area of Connecticut, they compare and contrast the large and small...
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Ocean Market
Middle schoolers identify some consumer goods that come from the ocean.
They classify these items into groups, identify their source, and calculate the cost of buying such goods.