Lesson Plan
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Making a Cave

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students discuss caves. In this science lesson, students experiment with how dissolution, a chemical weathering process, leads to the formation of caves. Once the cave is finsihed students draw a picture or describe in writing what it...
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Making Decisions: Packaging and the Environment

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students work in small groups to redesign the packaging of several common items. They attempt to reach the goal of 25% reduction in packaging materials currently used and explore the impact of various materials and designs in landfills...
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Kidney Filtering

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate how kidneys function. They discuss how a dialysis machine works, and conduct an experiment in which they filter different substances through a plastic window screen, various sizes of hardware cloth, and poultry...
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Vector Voyage!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students use vector analysis to examine the concept of dead reckoning. They listen to a teacher-led lecture, complete a Vector Voyage Worksheet with the teacher, answer discussion questions, and use the Pythagorean Theorem for speed...
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The World of Puppets

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students visit given web-sites to find out what puppets look like in different countries and then make a puppet and write a play for it.
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Cracking the Code of Life

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the concept of DNA. They work together to extract DNA cells from their classmate's cheek. They answer questions related to what to do with their DNA now that they have it.
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Modeling an Oil Reserve

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students conduct an experiment.  In this oil and natural gas lesson, students learn how geoscientists identify and explore reserves of petroleum.  Students make a model of an oil reserve, record how much it would cost to drill...
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Soil Properties

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Students explore the porosity of soil. For this soil lesson, students conduct an experiment which shows the porosity of different types of soil. They use sand, silt, and clay to see how soil particles are more or less aerated and thus...
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Change Since 1609

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students recognize how the climate of the Hudson Valley has changed since the last glaciation. They explain these changes using a reconstruction of the land use changes in the Hudson Valley composed of confetti, Ziploc bags and other...
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Paleoclimate of the Hudson Valley

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Young scholars recognize how the climate of the Hudson Valley has changed since the last glaciation and be able to explain these changes. They reconstruct the paleoclimate of the Hudson Valley.
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Sink or Float

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders explore floating and sinking and make predictions about whether certain objects are likely to sink or float. They read the story Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen. Pupils loacate rhyming words and discuss the events of...
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Land Use Change Introduction

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners discuss the major changes that have taken place in the Hudson Valley over the past 400 years. They use aerial photos to describe major trends in Dutchess County. Students view a PowerPoint presentation. They work in small groups...
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Hudson Valley Rocks

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students identify each of the rocks provided and locate where in the valley they are found. They explain why the rocks came to be as they are in each location. In addition, they relate the exercise to how the Hudson Valley's geologic...
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Glacial Groundwater

For Teachers 6th - 11th
Students study glacial deposition and groundwater in Dutchess County, new York. They identify the permeability rates in different glacial deposits and relate this information to ground water capacity of sediments found in Dutchess...
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Measuring Permeability of Soil, Sand and Gravel

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers investigate the different materials in their environment.  In this geology lesson, students collaborate in groups to examine the differences in sand, soil and gravel.  Middle schoolers utilize a magnifying...
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Time and Cycles - Dendrochronology

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars investigate the lives of trees by examining ring cycles.  In this plant life lesson, students identify the field of study known as dendrochronology and discover its history.  Young scholars investigate a...
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Look At Those Leaves!

For Teachers K - 1st
Students observe, measure and sort leaves.  In this leaf lesson students divide into groups and observe the different kinds of leaves. 
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Fossil Formation

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students discuss fossils. In this science lesson, students simulate fossils within Earth's layers by using gummy fish and bread.
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Eco-enrichers

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars discover the importance of plant and animal components within soil. In this soil lesson, students test the quality of soil. Young scholars then conduct an experiment adding different components to bags of soil to see what...
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How Can You Test Your Soil?

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Young scholars investigate chemicals in soil samples. In this soil science lesson plan, students test local soil to measure the pH, nitrate, phosphate, and potassium content.
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Mineral Identification

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students investigate the environment by examining mineral characteristics.  In this mineral lesson, students perform scientific observations in groups in which they identify minerals found in everyday objects by using a...
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Hazardous Waste Hot Potato

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students investigate hazardous substances. They work in groups to decide how to properly dispose of such materials..
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The Growth of Islam

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders gain insight into the daily lives of Muslims and to develop empathy for them by studying the Islamic world and creating presentations.
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Coconut-Shell Cup

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research and discuss the social ritual of drinking chocolate in viceregal Mexico. They explain its cultural and historical and geographical roots. Students create their own "drinking" vessel from papier-mache. They experiment...