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Michigan Ecosystems: The Web They Weave
Students examine the forest ecosystem and how all life in the forest depends upon itself. In this ecological lesson, students participate in a personal connections activity where someone pulls on a string and everyone feels it,...
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Toward a Sustainable Agriculture
Students analyze organic production systems. In this organic agriculture lesson, students examine key organic practices for both crop and livestock. This lesson includes 5 different activities, 4 critical thinking questions and...
National Wildlife Federation
Green Green Revolution
School budgets don't have a lot of extra money, so when students propose saving the district money, everyone jumps on board. The first instructional activity in the series of 21 introduces the concept of an energy audit. Scholars form an...
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Renewable Energy Sentences
Students construct sentences using nouns and verbs from a "renewable energy" word bank. In this cross curriculum ecology and sentence structure grammar and mechanics lesson, students listen to the book Our Earth: Clean Energy by Peggy...
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Prairie Predator and Prey
Fifth graders brainstorm a list of animals that live on the prairie, and classify them as predators and prey. They conduct interviews where they ask the animals what they need to look out for to sustain life on the prairie.
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Management of Commercial Fisheries, Part 3
Students search the Internet and write a research paper on the environment. In this investigative lesson students develop a paper on fisheries and management of them.
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Impacts to the Open Ocean
Students investigate how human beings impact ocean ecosystems. In this ocean ecosystem lesson, students explore how marine debris affects marine life. Internet resources are provided.
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Ecological Impact of Wood Extraction
Students explore their local environment by conducting a class experiment. For this deforestation lesson, students discuss the effects of wood harvesting on forests around the world and research environment related vocabulary terms....
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A Garden of Verses: Poems About Class Gardens
Students explore botany by participating in a language arts activity. In this garden poetry lesson, students read the classic poem "Mary, Mary Quite Contrary" and discuss the imagery and rhyming methods used. Students examine their own...
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Composition and Earth Literacy
Students are asked to write about a memorable experience they have had in nature. They write a summary or analysis of an essay that delineates either how to live sustainably, how to develop sustainable technologies, or how to solve...
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The Needs of Living Things
Pupils investigate the global food chain by creating a visual chart. In this ecology lesson, students discover the elements needed for life to sustain itself, contrasting living things vs. non living things. Pupils fill in a printed...
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We Are All Responsible
Students conduct research about the issue of conservation and the environment. They focus upon the interdependence of man and nature. They write and discuss the issue of environmental preservation. Students appreciate the importance of...
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Hands on Biome-Building
Students explore Earth science by participating in an environment activity. In this biome lesson, students discuss the importance of a healthy ecology in order to sustain life, both animal and plant. Students utilize a cardboard or wood...
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Economics, Ecology, & Ethics
Pupils are introduced to the concepts of economics in a ethical way. In groups, they examine a shift in an economy and discover the effects of the shift. After reading an article, they evaluate it and they write their own conclusion to...
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Temperate Forests vs. Wetlands
Students compare and contrast the temperate forest and wetlands by researching them in groups. In this forest lesson plan, students identify the economic, ecological, and social benefits of each.
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National Worm Survey
Young scholars participate in the National Worm Survey. In this National Worm Survey instructional activity, students generate data on earthworms. Young scholars submit their data to the online database Worm Watch.
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Cumulative Effects Assessment - What if?
Tenth graders discuss natural and human influences that may affect the ecological integrity of national parks. They study the concepts environmental assessments. In groups, they research a park's situation and present their findings at a...
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Pen Pals
Young scholars make their own predictions about the amount of different types of birds at each site before they go there. In groups, they collect the bird data and compose letters to their pen pals sharing their information. To end the...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Personal Choices and the Planet
How big is your footprint? Activity three culminates the series by having groups complete carbon footprint audits with people in their schools and/or around the districts. Groups then gather their data, create a presentation including...
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Ecosystem Lesson Plan: Food Chain/Food Web
Students discuss ecosystems, eliciting their current knowledge of an ecosystem. Students receive an Ecosystems document and look at the picture. Students brainstorm connection between the cover picture and ecosystems. The indicated...
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Wellness and the Organic Food Movement
Twelfth graders examine their activities and discuss how they impact the environment. In groups, they research the organic food movement and discuss how it changed the type of foods eaten. To end the lesson, they examine the impact of...
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Evidence of Climate Change
Sixth graders examine climate change in the state of Colorado. In this climate lesson, 6th graders watch 2 video clips regarding the topic and research the subtopics- snow pack, precipitation, temperature, forest fires, river flow,...
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Zoo Poo
Students use Internet research to determine the amount of carbon dioxide produced per unit energy for biomass and coal. In this alternative energy lesson, students research to find out how much energy and carbon dioxide several coal and...
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Natural Inquirer Ecosystem Article Lesson
Students discover new ways to preserve the ecosystem by completing graphic organizers. In this environmental lesson, students read an article from the Natural Inquirer in small groups and fill out a graphic organizer based on the...