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Sorting and Using Materials
Young scholars practice sorting and classifying objects. In groups, they choose a variety of materials and describe how each one looks and feels. They must agree on how to classify each object and share their groupings with the class. ...
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Farm Products Help Me Grow
Young scholars view a display of empty food containers (or illustrations). They select a food and decide as a class if it has an animal or plant origin. Students view a display of common farm animals that are commonly eaten (cow, pig,...
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Marshland Ecosystem
Students classify animals based on their physical characteristics and eating habits. In this animal identification lesson plan, students investigate the life forms shown on a Parisian ceramic basin, and discover ecosystem the artist was...
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Classifying Monocot And Dicot Plants
Sixth graders identify the parts of a flower, and tell the difference between monocots and dicots. They group plant by leaf types and characteristics placing the information in table form on the computer.
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An Automobile Phylogenetic Tree
High schoolers construct a phylogenetic tree for various automobiles and trucks after considering important characteristics of these "organisms". They work in small groups to construct the trees and complete a set of questions then they...
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Pyramid of Biomass
Young scholars interpret data to demonstrate biomass and number pyramids. They use information to draw conclusions and examine an example of biological magnification.
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Taxonomy Project
Students act as a taxonomist and, given a certain situation, classify existing organisms.
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Invent a Plant
Young scholars investigate plant adaptations. In this plant adaptations instructional activity, students create a model of a plant. Young scholars are given action cards detailing specific environmental situations. Students design their...
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Sorting Things Out
Written to examine seeds that grow in Kansas, you can adapt this lesson to anywhere you live. Learners sort a mixture of five different seeds to by any characteristic of their choice. When your budding scientists are exploring the life...
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Science: Her-bariums Galore!
Students collect and identify plant species and construct herbariums both at school and at home. By gathering data from both locales, they draw conclusions and make predictions about plant diversity. Upon completion of the exercises,...
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Become an Expert
Students are assigned a separate species of plant or bird to research. Using a worksheet, they are responsible for finding a variety of information on their assigned plant or bird. They also complete a mini-poster and give an oral...
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Salinity Of Soil
Fourth graders investigate the contents of various types of soil to determine the differences in salinity levels. They conduct an experiment of observing the plants in the different soils. Students then determine survival rates by...
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Specialty Crop Production/Orchids
Twelfth graders explore the fascinating world of orchid production including propagation, care, culture, and finishing. They complete market research and design a production schedule for an orchid crop of their choice. They write a short...
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Chicago: The City in Art, 1995-2000
Students examine a mural of animals and talk about animal classification. They act as scientists and keep a record, called a Jungle Journal, of plants and animals they observe while studying the rainforest.
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Milkweed and Monarch Butterfly Mania
Students explore Earth science by completing a worksheet in class. In this botany lesson, students identify the relationship between the Milkweed plant and the butterflies which regularly feed on its nutrients. Students visit a list of...
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Camouflage
First graders learn how plants and animals adapt to their environments. In this camouflage lesson, 1st graders watch a movie that explains animal camouflage, design a butterfly that blends into a classroom habitat, create a mini book...
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Plant Party
Students identify plant parts. In this plants lesson, students bring in a vegetable. Each student classifies which part of the plant their vegetable comes from (flower, root, ect.) Students identify the parts of their vegetable and later...
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Vegetation Scavenger Hunt
Students use picture cards to familiarize themselves with plant structures and characteristics. They collect plant specimens without destroying the plant and mount them creating a class herbarium.
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Variation
Students practice sorting living things into groups using their characteristics. Using pictures of leaves and animals, they sort them based on their color and shape and write the objects characteristics under the picture. They share...
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Grouping and Changing Materials
Students feel and observe different types of materials. Using the internet, they sort objects based on the materials they are made from and justify their reasons for putting it in a certain category. They identify objects that could...
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Animals Galore
Third graders use structural characteristics to sort and classify animals into groups.
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This Place is Going to the Dogs
Students study different breeds of dogs. They watch a video, "Extraordinary Dogs", about special dogs and how they are categorized according to their adaptations. Then they create a digital video that demonstrates the qualities of dogs...
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Classifying Rocks
Young scholars classify rocks into groups after they observe the rocks and identify properties that can be used to divide them into groups. They then identify other properties that could be used to classify other objects into groups.
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Science NetLinks: It Counts
Students explore how numbers are assigned to objects, as well as think about more, less, or equal values. They describe, compare, and classify plants.