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Genetic Engineering of Crop Plants
Students explore genetic engineering and it biological and ethical implications.  By conducting experiments with genetically engineered corn and plain corn they determine the difference in taste.  Students also discover the effects of...
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Problems at Cliffs of the Neuse
Students assume the roles of members of the Cliffs of the Neuse Sate Park and must develop an action plan in response to a complaint about possible water quality problems and associated human illnesses.  Students conduct research on the...
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Flower Power
Students explore the parts of flowers and how they reproduce.  They dissect flowers and observe the reproductive organs.  Students observe anthers and ovaries of Tiger Lilies under a microscope. They investigate how insects and other...
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Life Systems - Plant Growth
3rd graders will participate in a variety of tasks which help them to understand the basic concepts of plant growth. Research and reporting skills are developed as they gather information from various sources related to the use of plants...
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Exploring the Temperate Forest: Biodiversity and Interdependence
Students examine the consequences of cutting down large amounts of forests throughout the world.  In groups, they use the internet to complete a module taking them on a tour through different temperate forests.  To end the lesson, they...
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Warming by Freezing
Ninth graders discover the reasoning behind spraying water on fruit and seedlings in preparation for hard freezes. In this conceptual physics lesson, 9th graders conduct an experiment to measure the heat released when water goes from a...
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Dry-Land Kalo-Growing New Plants from Stems
Students explore Hawaiian plants. In this Hawaii culture and botany lesson, students plant the haha(stem) of a taro plant. Students listen to Hawaiian myths about the taro plant and chorally speak a Hawaiian chant of protection. Students...
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Exploring the Water Cycle
Students investigate the water cycle. In this water cycle lesson, students create an ecosystem within a 2-liter bottle. Students record scientific observations as they observe the water cycle within their ecosystem.
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Native American Three Sisters Gardens
Students investigate companion planting. In this  communtiy gardening lesson students explore the tradition of the Native American Three Sisters gardening approach. Students act as botanists, anthropologists, folklorists, and curators.
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Life Underground
First graders build a terrarium in order to observe animal and plant life dynamics. In this biology lesson, 1st graders compare how organisms survive in different environments. They write their observations and analysis in their journal.
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Genetically Engineered Food: Altering the Blueprint
Students explore the genetic engineering of food.  In this health lesson students explain how DNA technology can be used to produce food. 
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Growing Pains
Young scholars compare common food items with the parts of a plant. They grow their own plants to assess the difficulties in assisting a plant's growth and reproduction.
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Scavenger Hunt: A Group Collection
Students be complete a collection of living organisms and systems from the school campus.
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Plants And Pollination
Students describe sexual reproduction in plants, including the process of pollination, how insects assist in pollination, and how pollination differs from fertilization. They also explore the importance of honey bees to Arizona agriculture.
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What Goes Around Comes Around!
Students create an ecosystem in a jar to show a model of the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycle. Working in small groups, they research and present orally the information they find on this cycle.
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Quick-Change Flip Book
Students create flip books that illustrate the growth and change of a plant or an animal as it goes through its life cycle.
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How Do We Use Scientific Inquiry To Solve the World's Problems?
Ninth graders examine how a scientific investigation is performed.  They read and discuss examples of various scientific experiments, design an experiment involving fast growing plants, and create graphs and charts to present their...
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Demonstrating Liquid Crystallization
Students conduct an experiment which illustrates applications of chemistry in our everyday world.
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Human Embryology
Ninth graders are introduced to the concept of human embryology.  Individually, they complete an exercise in which they determine which trait they got from which family member.  In groups, they identify and label the reproductive organs...
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Mighty Oaks from Little Acorns
What does it mean to grow? To germinate? For the plan detailed here, class members investigate the growth process of an oak tree while focusing on the beginning stages of planting and germination. They plant seeds and record observations...
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"Garden Springs Gardeners"
First graders ponder the question of how plants help their lives. They observe and compare properties of several different plants. Differentiate between living organisms and nonliving objects.
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Building a Parachute
Fourth graders construct a parachute using specified materials in a set amount of time.  They observe a toy parachute attached to a toy man and discuss what makes him move slower or faster.  Then in small groups they design, construct,...
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Electricity
Fourth graders experiment to find out how to light a bulb with simple materials. They make predictions if a light bulb set-up could work and gain knowledge to tell the difference between an open and closed circuit. They also figure out...