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Environmental Action
Students investigate an environmental problem in order to find and propose possible solutions. The problem is real to add to the engagement of the lesson. This is found through conducting research and then brainstorming is done in small...
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Home Sweet Home
Middle schoolers examine the change in the diversity of animals living in an area before and after development. In order to do this, students need to have access to an area near their school which is undeveloped. A good, "real life"...
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Ecosystem Interactions Web
Students pick an ecosystem (forest, desert, coral reef, open ocean, grassland, mountain, savanna, etc.) and design an interaction web for their chosen ecosystem. Each group shares their ecosystem's web of life with the class.
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Species at Risk: Recovery Teams to the Rescue!
Sixth graders discuss how certain species and plants are deemed endangered. They work together in conservation recovery teams to research an endangered species. Then they explore efforts to make sure that the existence of these species...
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Down By the River
Students examine how watersheds work and determine the difference between point and nonpoint source pollution. They research management practices to reduce pollution and investigate how everyone can participate in reducing water pollution.
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Erosion Explosion
Ninth graders explore soil erosion. Through a class discussion, they examine soil conservation methods. Given a potted plant, 9th graders observe the effects of erosion when water is poured over the soil. Students brainstorm terms...
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Waterwheel Work
Students investigate the history of the waterwheel and common uses for water turbines today. They construct an experimental waterwheel using a two-liter plastic bottle, measure the rate of revolution of a waterwheel, and complete a...
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Weathering Rates
Students calculate weathering rates from tombstone weathering data. Atmospheric (and precipitation) chemistry determines the rate of weathering for marble tombstones. They are shown data from a rural and an unrban cemetery, and are...
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Making & Breaking : The Rock Cycle
Students examine the rock cycle and how rocks can change over time. In this geotechnical engineering instructional activity students draw a diagram of the rock cycle.
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This is Your Life
Middle or high-school pupils choose a scientist to research. They collect biographical information and explore their contributions to scientific understanding. With all that they compile, they create a scrapbook of the scientists' life....
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Climate Change: Is there a Controversy
Students explore climate changes. In this climate changes lesson, students research what causes changes. Students search the Internet, summarize reports they find and create a poster with the information.
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Dust in the Wind
Students investigate causes and effects of droughts by participating in a simulation 'town hall meeting.' Acting as community members, students make informed decisions to help a town and its surrounding areas suffering effects of a...
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How Much Water?
Students investigate amount of water available in different countries around the world, compare it to their daily water use, and explore how unequal distribution of water can cause challenges to survival. Students then discuss need to...
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TE Lesson: How Clean is that Water?
Students examine the factors the affect water quality, and allow for animals and plants to live. They look at how engineers apply water quality information when making stream modifications in order to ensure drinking water quality. They...
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Let's Heat Things Up!
Students build and evaluate simple models to understand the greenhouse effect. They explore the role of increased greenhouse gas concentration in global warming, and the implications of global warming theory for engineers, themselves...
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Global Warming Webquest - Group Worksheet
In this global warming worksheet, learners, working in groups, answer 11 discussion questions involving global warming, climate, greenhouse effects and ecosystems.
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It's Challenging Being Green!
Young scholars influence the plant life cycle as they take care of plants.In this caring for plants lesson, students understand the parts of the plant and their functions in keeping it alive. Young scholars participate in experiments...
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Insects: Bug Off
Students design and conduct an experiment to test three organic pesticides to control ants. They view a video that demonstrates ant behavior and the role of pesticides in insect control. In small groups, they set up behavior...
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Sharks At Risk Viewing Guide
Students complete a worksheet while viewing a film about sharks. They examine the reasons for overfishing of the oceans. They identify predator-prey relationships as well.
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Barnegat Bay Watershed
Middle schoolers design a model watershed. In this watershed lesson, students learn the needed parts of a watershed and how they work. Middle schoolers evaluate how watersheds effect communities.
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Lake Superior Ecology Unit
Sixth graders research Lake Superior and its ecosystem. Students investigate the lake's cycles of mixing and stratification and how these cycles affect the biology of the lake. This lesson contains five days of activities.
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"Home Sweet Home?"
Students research an endangered animal's habitat, investigate the survival problems. They research the animal's zoo life. They research some programs of reintroduction and chart the pros and cons of each.
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Hazard Mitigation: Bioterrorism
Learners discuss different ways to spread infectious diseases. In this bioterrorism lesson, students model the rate of smoke emission using CalRoad software. They analyze the effects of airborne release of biological...