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Managing the Everglades Ecosystem
Students explore the Everglades ecosystem using the Internet. To develop a picture about conservation of resources in the context of the Everglades. Explore relationships between species and habitats. Develop an idea of how human beings...
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Honeybees are Vanishing
Learners decide if they agree with a series of statements about the bee population, then read a news article about the disappearance of millions of U.S. honeybees. In this biology and current events instructional activity, the teacher...
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Introduction to the Amazon Rainforest
Students decorate the hallways and their classrooms to represent different layers of the rainforest. In this Amazon rainforest activity, students watch a slide show presentation to discover the Amazon rain forest of South...
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Classification of Cerealites
Middle schoolers create a dichotomous key. For this categorizing lesson, students create a dichotomous key for different types of cereal. Middle schoolers classify the cereal into groups such as flakes and cereal with holes. Students...
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Agriculture is a Cycle
What do a bicycle and the life cycle have in common? Cover this and more with the series of cross-curricular activities included in this plan. Learners do everything from making bracelets that represent the life cycle to checking out the...
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Rainforest Introduction
First graders explore world geography by completing a KWL chart. In this rainforest research lesson, 1st graders read a fictional story discussing a boy who lives in the rainforest. Students analyze the story, identify the plot and...
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Habitat Is Home
Students are introduced to the concept and components of a habitat. They discuss the key components of a habitat and describe how certain factors can cause disturbances in a habitat and change its population. Activities are leveled for...
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What Makes a Healthy Plant?
Students predict the effects of water, light, and soil on the development of a plant and then design an experiment to test their predictions.
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Beyond the Tap
Students explain the basic properties of a watershed including how water flows from higher to lower elevations and how watersheds are interconnected. They comprehend how the placement of buildings, roads, and parking lots can be...
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Plant a Seed
Students complete a seed and plant growth activity. In this plant growth lesson, students read about Lady Bird Johnson and then answer questions about her role in the beautification and the environment. Students participate in a seed...
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The Plant Bartering System
Fifth graders explore plant characteristics by viewing a flower and seed presentation. In this environmental adaptation lesson, 5th graders identify specific traits plants have in order to allow them to grow in different climates whether...
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Clay Hill Animal Sampling
Students create animal print casts from molds in the classroom. They use the cast patterns to identify animal prints on a field trip in which they locate animal tracks, identify the location with GPS and create field casts of the...
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Creature Features
Students examine why certain animals live in only specific places throughout the world. Using animals, they classify them based on their characteristics and identify their basic needs. They also observe and compare the life cycles of...
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Beaver Ecology
Learners explore the lives of bgeahvers. They identify the physical and behavioral adaptations that help beavers survive in their environment. Students compare and contrast how beavers influence the ecology of both forest and aquatic...
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Where Are the Dinosaurs
Students explore the concept of extinction. In this dinosaur lesson, students view a video and have a class discussion about the extinction of dinosaurs. They create a dinosaur egg and imagine what life would be like for a dinosaur.
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The Nitrogen Cycle
Learners design and create a compost pile in order to study the Nitrogen Cycle. They then use the scientific method to determine if plants grow better when they add organic matter from their compost pile to the plant's soil.
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Native Versus Exotic
Students investigate the presence of exotic and natural species in the ecosystem. They define the differences between exotic and native while looking at one specific ecosystem in Maryland. They write how the exotic species are considered...
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Global Environmental Change
Students examine environmental change of land, water, and air, discuss Clear Skies Legislation, and experiment on solid compaction and
resultant water filtration.
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Sock Walk
First graders, after brainstorming all the ways seeds are scattered and viewing a multitude of examples of seeds, explore how seeds travel by taking a walk outdoors wearing socks over their shoes. In addition, they assess how seeds...
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The Nitrogen Cycle
Fifth graders investigate the nitrogen cycle and examine the concepts of decomposition and nitrification. Students participate in a class discussion about the creation of waste and ammonia compounds, then using nitrogen cycle cut-outs...
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Ecologist's Activities
Students construct a model of a biome. In this ecology activity, students use a shoebox, magazine pictures, paper, and string to create a model biome. Students glue the photos inside the shoe box and draw other objects, such as plants,...
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What Are Endangered Species?
Learners explore the concepts of endangered and extinct animals. In this animal protection lesson, students discuss and define the words endangered, extinct, and habitat. Learners share why they think it is important to protect...
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The Nitrogen Cycle
Students study the nitrogen cycle and construct a diagram. In this Earth Science lesson students use role play to see the various paths.
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Nutrient Enrichment vs. Oxygen Depletion
Students investigate how excess nutrients enter a body of water, and the harmful effects they have on aquatic organisms.