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Habitat Assessment
Third graders demonstrate the effects of varying environmental components on plants and animals: chemical, physical and biological characteristics of a habitat. They find chemical, physical and biological characteristics of the lake at...
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How do Hypotonic, Hypertonic, and Isotonic Solutions Affect the Water Movement of a Cell?
After removing the shell from a raw egg, cell biologists soak the egg in either a hypotonic, hypertonic, or isotonic corn syrup solution. They calculate the percent change in mass and compare it to the strength of the solution in a...
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Circle of Life
Here is a well-designed science lesson that shows learners that everything that organisms do in ecosystems, including running, breathing, burrowing, growing, requires energy. After a thorough discussion of their own eating and drinking...
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From Curiosity Cabinet to Museum Collection
Learners study binomial nomenclature and museum-based research. They create a curiosity box, label the objects in their curiosity box , develop a classification scheme for the objects, and create a database of all objects collected by...
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Sex & Reproduction
Students examine animal reproduction by interpreting data and making arguments and then create their own graphs to explore relationships of organ systems. This instructional activity includes an individual worksheet and a reflective...
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Investigating the Behavior of Lumbriculus
Students perform a classroom experiment on the organisms of worms. They view the behaviors of the worms and analyze their results. This lesson introduces students to the techniques involved in behavioral studies.
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Life Cycle
Third graders examine and compare the life cycles of a variety of different animals. They analyze photos of animals and discuss any unique body parts and why those parts function they way they do. Next, they observe mealworms and...
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Students Solutions - Saving Our Surroundings
Students explore the environmental impact of humans on the plants and animals in their state. In this environmental impact lesson, students use digital cameras to photograph plants and animals in their state. Students investigate the...
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Building a Clay Neuron
Students examine the anatomy of a neuron and its physiology. In this neuron lesson students build a representative model of a biological structure.
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Big on Blubber: How do Whales Stay Warm?
Young scholars explore biology by conducting a science experiment in class. In this whale anatomy lesson, students identify the use of whale blubber for the animal to stay warm in cold waters while utilizing ice, vegetable oil, plastic...
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Biotechnology
Students explore biotechnology through various activities. In this biology lesson, students analyze its pros and cons. They study and read informative articles about biotechnology.
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Norman Suburban Activity
Students analyze the factors affecting organisms in the pond ecosystem. In this environmental science lesson, students perform an experiment to determine pH, nutrients and temperature of different pond sites. They present their result to...
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Cell Organelles
Students explore biology by researching living cells. In this living organism instructional activity, students participate in a role-playing activity in which all the students in class form one plant cell by portraying specific parts of...
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Investigating Evolutionary Questions: Bats, Whales, Reptiles, Birds, Animal Classification
Students are guided through a process in which three questions are addressed by retrieving beta hemoglobin sequences from online databases, and using online tools to compare those sequences in student-selected animals.
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Sexual Selection in the Animal Kingdom
Students research how sexual selection plays a role in driving evolution. They experiment how variation exists within not just obvious physical traits, but metabolically and behaviorally. They write a letter describing a problem, and a...
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Swimming with Crabs
Students explore Earth science by completing several graphic organizer activities in class. In this oceanography lesson, students research ocean inhabitants such as blue crab and oysters. Students complete graphic organizers about the...
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The Effects of Photosynthesis on Plant Growth
Young scholars examine the process of photosynthesis; its products and reactants, and the sequence of the process. They diagram the light reactions, record observations of plants, and discuss how difficult it is to measure plant growth...
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Now You See Me, Now You Don't
Bioluminescence fascinates most upper elementary scientists. Display images of different glowing deep-sea organisms and discuss their environment. Young biologists then experiment with images and different colors of filtered light. In...
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Beetle Collection and Release
Students investigate plants and compare them to the purple loose strife. As they observe the plants they predict possible impacts on plant populations based on their observations. They work in groups and present their findings to the class.
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Habitat Choice in Woodbugs
Students investigate woodbugs. In this scientific investigation activity, students explore the steps scientists take when conducting an investigation using live specimens. Students explore habitat preferences for woodbugs in various...
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Plant And Animal Adaptations
Young scholars examine plant and animal life while looking at the environments the organismisms live in. They determine how form follows function by looking an aquatic turtle and noticing its feature of adaptation features. They work in...
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Bivalve Biology
Students place clams into a beaker containing saltwater. They place a small drop of food coloring just above the shell. Students observe the movement of the food coloring. Clams are then placed into clean beakers of saltwater with 24...
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Urban Biology: Can Fish Detect Odors
Young scholars investigate how fish use their sense of smell. In this scientific method instructional activity, students design and perform an experiment to investigate how fish use their sense of smell. This instructional activity...
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Halloween: Arachnids
Learners participate in class discussion about the movie Arachnophobia. In this biology lesson, students find articles and photos of a species that interest them. They share it with their group.