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Prairie Math
Students work together to build models of prairie plants. Using the model, they estimate the height and then measure them using metric and standard units. They write a fraction to represent their part of the whole set and compare and...
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Variations in Growth and Reproduction of Recently Transplanted Prairie Forbes and Grasses
students recognize and name prairie plants without the use of a key. they determine that prairie plants have different life cycles that affect their rate of growth and reproduction
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Alphabet Vocabulary
Third graders explore the biodiversity that exist on the prairie. Through reading or listening to books, they keep track of vocabulary words associated with the prairie on an 'Alphabet Poster'.
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The Web of Life - Ecosystem
Students examine the concepts of ecosystems and interdependence. They construct block pyramids to demonstrate interdependence, and map off an area to observe and identify animals. They create food chain mobiles and play a web of life game.
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Wagons Ho! Hard Times! Hard Choices!
You have just hit the lesson plan jackpot! This isn't just a lesson, it's a ten-day unit covering westward expansion, pioneer life, and the Oregon Trail. Activities include baking, model building, role-play, newspaper writing, science...
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Soil, Designer Soil: From Rainforests to the Prairie
Students explore the role and importance of soil in the ecosystem. In this Science and Social Studies lesson, students complete an experiment using various kinds of soil and clay and then examine how soil has a direct impact on our...
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Miners of the Prairie: The Days of Shaft Mining in Northern Illinois
Students explore the life and times of a coal miner in Illinois through the analysis of primary source documents and images.
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Life on the Canadian Prairie in the Late 1880s
Sixth graders are read excerpts of the book "Pioneer Girl" by their teacher. Using the text, they discover what life was like on the Canadian Prairies during the 1880s. They discuss why people moved west and the expansion of the railroad...
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A Study of Grasses on the American Prairie
Fifth graders study the ecology and impact of animal and human life as it relates to the environment of the Great Plains and its grasses. They compare types of grasses with a rainfall map to illustrate the effect of precipitation on...
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No Place Like Home
Students analyze photographs of high plains sod homes and read accompanying narratives. They then choose one photograph and, using the copy and paste features and simple drawing tools available in Microsoft Word, students identify...
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Stories of Life in Canada
Students examine Canadian history through William Kurelek's artwork. In this art analysis lesson, students discuss the ideas expressed in the picture book A Prairie Boy's Winter and A Prairie Boy's Summer. Students view the film Kurelek,...
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The Role of Fire in Healthy Prairie, Brush and Forest Lands
Middle schoolers create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast wildfires and prescribed fires. In this earth science lesson, students conduct a series of experiment to explore fire characteristics. They describe favorable conditions to...
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A Look Through My Antonia's Eyes
Thoroughly delve into My Antonia by Willa Cather with a plethora of activities. Engage scholars with videos and web sites in this week-long unit that explains the historical context and creates pioneers in the field of research. An...
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The Role of Fire in Healthy Prairie, Brush and Forest Lands
Sixth graders read and discuss background information and brainstorm reasons for wildfires. They use a Venn Diagram to list the similarities and differences between wildfires and prescribed fires and then track the weather forecast for...
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Speedy Succession
Fifth graders investigate how a pond ecosystem can change into a prairie or grassland ecosystem. They observe a small pond ecosystem in a two liter soda bottle, and examine and record changes over a two-week period of time on a worksheet.
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Prairie Voices...Making a Living
Students explore the many ways people support themselves and their families. In this economics lesson, students review newspapers and compare types of jobs. Students create daily schedules for an adult worker and role play job interview...
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Grid it, Map it
Students participate in designing a city layout using grids and coordinates. They work on a city space and create a grid on a life size layout on the gym floor.
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Amazing Bird Adaptions--Why Am I A Bird?
Fourth graders identify and classify birds found in Illinois. Using the internet, they discover how birds have adapted over time and how the adaptations have increased their life span. They compare and contrast the various adaptations...
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Push or Pull?
Utilizing the Nebraska State Quarter, pupils learn about the pioneers who had wagons that were pulled across Nebraska by oxen during the westward movement. Excellent worksheets are embedded in the plan that guide them through this fine...
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Boom and Bust in the Ozark Forests
Here is a hard-hitting, cross-curricular lesson on the effects that the deforestation of the Ozark forests in the 19th century had on the people, animals, and ecosystems of the area. The Dr. Seuss book The Lorax is used as a way of...
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Building an Ecosystem
Students research a variety of local and world ecosystems. Students will create a collage to represent the biotic and abiotic factors and interactions important to their given ecosystem.Students will understand that an ecosystem is...
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Introduction to the Nature Journal
Students create nature journals. In this introduction to the nature journal lesson plan, students discover the uses of nature journals and begin their own. Students are challenged to use vivid, concise terms in their descriptive...
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Sharks
Students delve into a study of sharks. In this biology lesson plan, students explore how sharks use their senses to detect prey and understand that the sharks body parts help it float and make it more buoyant.
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The Great Pollinators
Students discover the reproductive parts of a plant. In this biology lesson, students identify and categorize several different plants they dissect in class. Students record their information using a data chart.