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Campus/community Weed Pull
Students practice field identification of exotic invasive species. They use their identification key, and invasive plant species flash cards to identify and dig up exotic invasive species in a preselected
area as a community service.
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Plant Roots
Students discover the purpose of plant roots and how they move water through a vascular system. They conduct an experiment using colored water to observe the movement of water through the roots and stem of a plant in a controlled...
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Parts of a Cell
Students explore the parts of a cell. They identify the structures of plant and animal cells. Students explain the functions of plant and animal cells. They compare and contrast animal cells to plant cells. Students create a model of the...
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Photosynthesis
Students explore the concept of photosynthesis. They describe the light and light independent reactions of photosynthesis. Students relate physical plant characteristics to their functions. They distinguish between C3, C4, and CAM plants...
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Berenstain Bears: Grow It
Second graders read several books and complete an activity that coincides with each book. i.e. They read 'Berenstain Bears: Grow It' by Stan and Jan Berenstain and then decorate a flower pot, plant flower seeds in it and record their...
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What is in Soil?
Fourth graders identify and examine the components that make up soil. Individually, they use a magnifying glass to identify the organic and inorganic material in their soil sample. To end the lesson, they record the differences in the...
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Native Plant Species Web Quest
Students visit USDA Plants Database Web site at
http://plants.usda.gov/ to identify native species of the Southern
Appalachian Region. They name and describe each species in general
terms in their field notebooks for the purpose of plant...
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Pollination Station
Students investigate why and how bees pollinate flowers and other plants. They define pollination, and read and sing along with the song "Yo, i'm a Flower." Students examine a diagram of a flower, simulate bees pollinating flowers, and...
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How A Garden Grows
Fourth graders explore the importance of plants to animals and visa versa. After reading a book, The Tree in the Ancient Forest, they explore how plants and animals are independent. Students list living and nonliving things they...
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Oklahoma's Roots and Leafy Greens
Students explore valuable food sources. They examine vegetable that have roots and leafy greens that we eat. They also discuss the various used for the leafy greens of vegetable plants. Students create a carrot necklace using carrot slices.
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DNA Isolation from Plant Tissue
Students perform an experiment to extract and observe DNA from plant Tissue. They read about the procedure and relate it to the procedure used to isolate DNA from an endangered plant species. This is lesson three in a nine lesson unit...
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Electrophoresis Analogy
Students participate in a simulation of electrophoresis separation of DNA fragments. They link arms to form DNA fragments with each student representing a nucleotide. As they move through an obstacle course they discover how fragments...
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"Publication" of Scientific Papers And Posters
Students create and display a scientific poster in the same format that scientists use at a research symposium. They compile data and make conclusions about the classification of the Arizona Hedgehog Cactus as an endangered species. ...
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Hands-on Cells
Students review the components of a cell and the differences between plant and animal cells by creating a three-dimensional model of each type of cell. In small groups, they use modeling clay and household object to construct their models.
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Onion Skins
Students explore the structure of a plant cell. They carefully peel a single layer of onion skin from a slice of onion and stain it with methylene blue to observe the structures inside. They use a Digiscope connected to a computer to...
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Basic Needs of Plants
Fourth graders explore the four basic needs of plants. They examine plants as they grow. Students discuss the changes that they see in the growing plants. They observe what happens to a plant when one of its basic needs is taken away.
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Plant Science: Introduction to Photosynthesis
Students explore the process of photosynthesis in plants. They discuss the purpose of photosynthesis and its components. Students discuss the importance of photosynthesis for plants and they examine the parts of the plant that play an...
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Life Cycles
Fourth graders explore life cycles. They examine pictures of the various stages of life cycles and put them in the correct order. Students match pictures of eggs to the correct parents. They discuss the importance of knowing the life...
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Plants of the Past
Fourth graders explore ecosystems by examining plants of the past. They discuss ways in which we interact with plants in our daily lives. Students discuss the role plants play in providing food for animals and the significance they had...
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From Seed to Plant
First graders listen to the book, FROM SEED TO PLANT by Gail Gibbons and identify the process by which a seed becomes a plant. They discover the names of the parts of a plant as well as what is needed for it to grow. They wrap up the...
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Ecology Club
Fifth graders measure their plants and take pictures, write down new
observations about their plants. They discuss taking plants home. When they take them home students carefully put a plastic bag over the top to keep the plants from...
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Sunlight and Plants
Students design and conduct an experiment to discover the role of direct sunlight on plants during germination and after germination. They plant corn and lima beans in small containers which they place in direct sunlight from a window...
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Producers and Energy Transfer
Fifth graders discuss the relationship between producers, consumers, and decomposers as they look at the energy pyramid. While working in small groups, they create an ecosystem that includes all or some of the given categories, and they...
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Outdoor Survivors
Fifth graders complete a survey to decide what are most popular plants among the class. They test the water quality in a nearby pond. Studnts test the quality of soil samples taken from their homes. Different plants are moistened with...