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How Much Is Too Much? How Little Is Too Little?
Learners perform a series of experiments which show that plants require nutrients in certain quantities. They also cooperatively read materials on the nutrient requirements of plants, fertilizers, composting, and soil management, and...
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Wetland/Estuary Structure and Functions
Students plant wetland plants in aquatic soil and regular soil. They test the effect fertilizers have on each and record the chemicals found in run-off water collected from each soil sample.
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Plant Needs
Learners explore the needs of plants. In this plants biology lesson plan, students work in groups to perform an experiment with tomato plants. Each group records observations in a journal, takes pictures, and interprets the results of...
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Prairie Restoration and Prairie Ecology
Young scholars collect data as they identify and classify native prairie plants and insects. They create their own population study using a variety of sampling techniques to determine the population density of various species. Students...
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Life Cycle of Brassica Plants: Planting Seeds
Students explore botany by participating in a calendar class activity. In this plant observation lesson, students examine a diagram of a Brassica plant and identify its anatomy before planting their own seeds and viewing the changes over...
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What Kind of Garden Would Grow in Our Schoolyard?
Students perform soil tests for pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, composition and water percolation rate and assess the conditions in the schoolyard.
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Seeds! What is Inside; How does it Grow and Why is it Important?
Students discover the importance of seeds in relationship to nature. In this plant growth lesson plan, students create a collection of seeds and discover the best type of environment to plant them. Students plant their own wheat seeds...
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Pollination Power
Second graders study and examine the structure of a flower. In this pollination lesson, 2nd graders observe pollinators in the garden and dissect a flower. Students then plant strawberry plants in the garden and observe the process of...
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Plant Reproduction
Students plant seeds in order to investigate and explore the questions: "How do seed companies develop varieties of plants?" and "What is the ideal plant?" Students will study related vocabulary and sketch seeds as they emerge. Students...
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Dissolved Oxygen and Respiration
Students are presented with the question, "Do plants that grow underwater use oxygen?" They create an experiment to test the presence of dissolved oxygen in the water using provided materials. Student experiments include a control jar as...
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Field Experiments on Succession
Student develop a hypothesis regarding the effects of either mowing or fertilizer upon the diversity of plant species in a grassland ecosystem. They set up experiment field plots and measure species richness.
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Soil In The Amazon
Learners grow plants in soil representing that found in the Amazon basin. They compare results to plants growing in fertile soil and soil fertilized with leaf compost. Students chart, average and graph plant growth by height.
Learners...
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Necessary Nitrogen
Students view a video that presents the biogeochemical cycle of nitrogen. They compare types of soils and consider how different fertilizers affect soil composition.
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Secrets to Healthy Soil
Fourth graders explore needed mineral nutrients for healthy soil. In this soil instructional activity, 4th graders investigate how living and nonliving elements combine to contribute to fertile soil development.
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Recyclers to the Rescue
Producers, consumers, food chains, and plants are the stars of this science lesson. Learners take part in an inquiry which helps them to discover the most effective and efficient way to grow a producer. They have a variety of containers...
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Week 3: Pollution Source and Effects
Lab groups set up an experiment to observe what happens over time in collected pond water when fertilizer, representing pollution, is added. This website does not include student lab sheets, but background information, materials, and...
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What's Organic?
Young scholars discuss background information presented by the teacher and read dictionary definitions for the words "organic" and "synthetic." For this gardengin lesson, students complete a worksheet on the material. Young scholars grow...
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The Angiosperms
Students study angiosperms and their classifications. In this investigative lesson students compare the sexual reproduction of angiosperms and seed formations.
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Identify Plant Nutrient Requirements
Students are given standard elemental nutrients, identify plant nutrient requirements based on criteria outlined in assessment instructment. They, are given standard elemental nutrients, provide all means and chemical symbols of plant...
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What If There's No Light?
students discuss the importance of light and the consequences of living without it. Using a plant as a demonstration, students predict and observe what happens to a plant when it does not receive enough light. In groups, they experiment...
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Invasives and Marsh Birds
Students are taught that invasive plant removal can have a variety of impacts. They are shown this by using graphs. Students view maps of vegetation change on Iona Island. They discuss implications of changes on marsh birds using data...
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Planting the Seed
Middle schoolers plant their seeds and collect and organize their own materials for planting. They also set up their planters with wicks, fertilizer, potting mix, and seeds. Finally, students write their names on planter markers with a...
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The Compost Bucket
Students recognize that plants and soils have a close relationship. They view a photo essay on the common practice and natural process of composting. Afterwards, they observe the process of plant decay over the course of several days.
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We are where and what we eat
Young scholars explore concepts of plants they eat, where and how they grow and are introduced to genetic diversity. They examine seed characteristics, look at their different sizes, shapes and germination time. They also set up seeds...