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Adventuring in the Archipelago

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students study Charles Darwin's voyage on the HMS Beagle and his visit to the Gal??pagos Islands. They click through an interactive map of the Gal??pagos Islands to read actual and fictional journal entries from a fellow eco-tourist.
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Time Marches On

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners research the development of remote sensing, various instruments used throughout time and create a time line depicting the history of remote sensing.
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The Flat Earth

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are first presented with the idea that the Earth is really flat. They prove that it is not--using a variety of techniques.
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A Crime Against Plants

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students research the phenomenon that is living in a small tree. They develop their own conclusion on what they believed is occuring. They answer discussion questions to end the lesson.
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Three-Hole Bottle

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students participate in an experiment with a 2-liter bottle. They develop their own hypothesis about what they believe will happen when certain items are tested on the bottle. They discuss results.
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Playing with Language: Tall Tales and Codes

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Young scholars interpret and identify the elements of folktales, with an emphasis on tall tales, in this lesson. Students utilize brainstorming techniques to list ways people communicate. Young scholars also read and create a time line...
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Arsenic and Human Health

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders concentrate on arsenic poisoning as an example of the connections among health, geography, and geology as they develop a persuasive presentation about the dangers of arsenic in the drinking water, targeting a specific...
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Sketch a Scientist

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students draw their perceptions of a typical scientist, evaluate stereotypes in their drawings quantitatively, and then discuss the origins of these stereotypes.
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Discovering the Past Using the Future: Remote Sensing and the Lost City of Ubar

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers identify and locate specific locations on the Arabian Peninsula, the Rub al Khali Desert, and present day Oman. They identify other names for the lost city of Arabia as Ubar, the Atlantis of the Sands, Iran, and the city...
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Geologic Time: Relative and Absolute Dating

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate relative and absolute dating; determine the difference between the two dating systems; and apply this knowledge by creating a geologic timetable of their own.
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American Civilization - The Ice Age

For Teachers 1st
First graders discuss the Ice Age land bridge over the Bering Straits and how it affected the population of the Americas. They construct a clay model of the land bridge and research common animals of the time.
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Chinatowns and Chinese Communities in America

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders recognize that Chinatown, as an example, can depict how ethnic groups in general are developed.
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Episode # 158A

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students research the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. and determine how they can contribute to community projects.
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Find the Washer

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers examine a closed box with wires and try to guess where the washer is. They experiment by pulling out wires to determine the location of the washer. They complete discussion questions to end the lesson.
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The Great Volume Exchanger...or the Magic Matter Maker ®

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students pour water into a "magic" box and examine how it comes out with a much larger volume of water. They, working in small groups, design a volume exchanger and explain its design to the whole class.
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Palpating Pachyderms: How Do We Interpret Observations?

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students interpret a poem before completing activities to distinguish observations and interpretations. They examine how personal background can influence how a person interpreters what they observe.
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Steller Web Spinning Mystery

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students investigate what a system is in the scientific world. They watch a video of the Stellar seals of Alaska and develop clues as to why the seals are leaving. They discover through the clues they discover, how the components of the...
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Chicago Rhythms, Chicago Roots

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students view a video about different types of music. They examine the history of jazz, big band and rock back to the city of Chicago. They discover Chicago's music scene today and compare it to the past.
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Thar She Blows!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars identify the advantages and disadvantages of wind farms and turbines. They examine how weather conditions can affect their effectiveness and how engineers are trying to solve the problem. They discover how engineers use...
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Animal clues

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders use general knowledge to make educated guesses about the habitat and survival strategies of animals from Australia, Antarctica and Africa. They research to confirm and check ideas and group animals in a variety of ways.
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Cultural and Social Transformations Since 1865

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research cultural and social issues in the areas of Westward Expansion, Immigration, and Civil Rights. They use their research to create a PowerPoint electronic book to be used by other students.
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A New Profession Takes Seed

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze a quote written on the board by John Muir. They brainstorm ideas from the quote and discuss the interpretation of the quote and answer questions regarding the Forest Service as a Profession.
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Can Land Ethics Work?

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students evaluate the various purposes and issues surrounding the management of a nature preserve. They participate in discussion on whether there is intrinsic value in nature for its own sake.
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The Chemistry of Killer Coal

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers research chemical components of coal, as well as environmental health impacts of mining and burning coal. They discuss conservation of mass as it relates to combustion of organic compounds.