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Renewable Energy Sentences
Students construct sentences using nouns and verbs from a "renewable energy" word bank. In this cross curriculum ecology and sentence structure grammar and mechanics lesson, students listen to the book Our Earth: Clean Energy by Peggy...
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What's Cooking?
Students investigate solar energy by making sun tea. In this ecology and solar energy instructional activity, students prepare traditional tea and "sun" tea, then record and graph data comparing color, clarity, smell and taste.
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The Environments of Big Sur:Which Do We Protect?
Students examine the California environments. In this environmental lesson, students examine the various ecosystems of California, creating a presentation on how these environments impact Big Sur. They write a paper defending their point...
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Forest Ecosystem Field Trip
Students investigate the environment by participating in a class field trip. In this botany instructional activity, students attend a field trip through their local park or forest while listening to a nature guide. Students practice...
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A Garden of Verses: Poems About Class Gardens
Students explore botany by participating in a language arts activity. In this garden poetry lesson, students read the classic poem "Mary, Mary Quite Contrary" and discuss the imagery and rhyming methods used. Students examine their own...
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Pika Chew
Students work in collaborative teams with specific roles, use the Internet to research the behavior and ecology of pikas, make predictions about survival rates of pikas in different habitats and organize their data in graphs.
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Food Chain/Food Web
Students explore ecosystems. In this ecology instructional activity, students read an article explaining ecosystems. Students create a visual organizer with index cards using components of various ecosystems.
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Let's Build a Worm Bin
Students explore the process of decomposition. In this ecology and measurement lesson, students prepare a worm home to be used for vermicomposting. Students weigh a group of worms and the added food, recording this information on a data...
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What Are the Layers of the Rain Forest?
Students investigate the different levels of the rain forest by comparing it to an apartment. For this ecology lesson, students practice using forest related vocabulary words and complete a vocabulary data sheet. Students create...
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Hands on Biome-Building
Students explore Earth science by participating in an environment activity. In this biome lesson plan, students discuss the importance of a healthy ecology in order to sustain life, both animal and plant. Students utilize a cardboard or...
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Hands on Biome-Building: Build a Forest
Students explore Earth science by identifying environmental factors. In this biome instructional activity, students discuss the importance of a functioning ecology and design a biome diorama. Students utilize images of trees and plants...
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Calculating Your Foodometer
Students explore environmental issues by completing a food production class activity. In this carbon footprint lesson, students discuss the types of foods they eat, where they come from and what types of methods are used to transport...
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Amoeba This!!! Amoeba That!!!
Students investigate protozoa. In this protozoa lesson, students identify and classify different types of protozoa using different ecological samples and protozoa charts.
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Rainforest Vocabulary Words: Week 1
In these rainforest vocabulary worksheets, read the definitions and the matching terms for the following rainforest vocabulary terms: decomposers, deforestation, epiphytes, extinct, environment, pollute, vegetation, ecology, climate,...
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Choose Your Defense: Spines, Vomit and Camouflage
Students investigate defensive mechanisms of insects and organisms. For this biology lesson, students draw imaginary caterpillars as well as imaginary parasites that will harm the caterpillar. Students utilize the Internet to discover...
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Termitology
Students engage in an inquiry-based study of the ecology of termites. Through hands-on investigations, they explore the life cycle of termites, the termite's role in the food web, and the unique social structure of termite colonies.
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Rain Forest Reporters
Students work as magazine reporters to produce a print or multimedia magazine about rain forests.
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Let us Help
Students explore water conservation. In this ecology and civic responsibility lesson, students identify agencies that monitor and help improve water quality and describe what they do. Students research these organizations and work in...
Ocean Explorer
Living with the Heat
Young oceanographers study the Submarine Ring of Fire, which is a series of deep-water volcanic vents that come up from the ocean floor. Learners take a close look at the unique ecosystems that are associated with these areas, how these...
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U.S. History: Antebellum Heroes and Villains
Eighth graders research and write reports on key figures of the Antebellum Period. The projects also include pictures, bibliographies, and timelines about their assigned figure. In addition, 8th graders present oral reports to classmates.
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Information Reports
Students practice essay skills. In this essay skills lesson, students select an essay subject and take notes for their topic. Students create a web for their essays. Students organize, write, revise, and publish their essays.
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Aquatic Exotics
Students identify and describe the aquatic exotic species found in Illinois. Using the internet, they research the species origins and discover their effects on native species in the area. They discuss how appropriate it is to introduce...
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River Research
Students use the internet to research the streams and rivers found in Illinois. Using the information, they identify and describe the rivers and streams along with the physical characteristics of a river ecosystem. They share what they...
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Plant and Animal Cells - Are they Different?
Young scholars observe the similarities and differences between plant and animal cells. In this cell activity, students use microscopes to observe self prepared slides of animal and plant cells.