Penguin Books
A Teacher's Guide to The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan
"What should we have for dinner?" "What am I eating?" "Where did it come from?" These three questions are at the heart of Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. Pollan's book provides some very...
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CONNECTIONS
Students study the interdependence of an ecosystem that allows it to sustain itself. They examine the Western lowland gorillas for an example.
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The Gulf of Maine
Students examine the effect of limiting factors, especially when it comes to human beings. They examine data from the Gulf of Maine area.
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Forest Succession
Learners research environmental change and why forests cannot stay the same for long. In this environmental growth lesson, students discuss the life cycle of a tree and examine tree cookies to discover the age of these specimens....
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What If There's No Light?
young scholars discuss the importance of light and the consequences of living without it. Using a plant as a demonstration, students predict and observe what happens to a plant when it does not receive enough light. In groups, they...
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Field Trip to the Watsonville Wetlands
Students explore the differences between food webs and food chains. In this wetland lesson students play a food web game and go on a scavenger hunt.
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Forest Ecosystem
Learners take a field trip and explore a temperate rainforest. In this rainforest lesson plan, students discuss many items they see on their journey and experiment with different tree leaves.
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How Much Land Does It Take To Produce Your Food?
Students calculate the amount of land required to produce the food eaten by an individual for one year. They compare the amount of land required to produce animal versus plant products. Students visualize the areas of land calculated.
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The MPA “GamePlan”
Eighth graders explore the purpose of having Marine Protected Areas. In this environmental science lesson, 8th graders simulate the planning process by playing a board game. They explain the positive and negative effects of trade offs.
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Marine Protected Areas (MPA)
Ninth graders explain the purpose of MPA's. In this biology lesson, 9th graders identify MPA's in Southern California. They simulate coastal sampling using candy from two buckets. Students analyze their results and share it with the class.
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What makes up YOUR Environment!
Students create their own land or water environment. They make their environment livable for all the different animals they collect to put in it. Students research the types of animals that they can have in their environment, and how...
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How Much Is an Ecosystem Worth?
Students examine the value of ecosystems. They read and analyze an article, evaluate ecosystem services, research the benefits of biomonitors, and design a public service announcement.
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Great Lakes Ecology
Eighth graders identify the Great Lakes, and describe the habitat of life of a loon. They are able to point to and explain one of the major river systems that enters the Great Lakes with a focus on the Clinton River and the food webs...
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A Survey of Plankton Communities
In this biology worksheet, learners identify and define the vocabulary terms listed and make a prediction about the outcomes of the experiment. Then they complete the chart of the observations of the plankton diversity in drops of pond...
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Biomes
Students collect information about different biomes, and locate the biomes on a world map. They read a climograph and match them to the appropriate biomes.
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What Happened to Robin?
Students investigate animal injuries caused by humans. They present their findings to various neighborhood groups.
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The Value of a Garden
Students explore the history of taxonomy, the work of Carl Linnaeus, and the factors involved in the decline and extinction of a variety of botanical species.
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Down, Dung and Dirty
Students observe the changes seen in succession and the biodiversity of a community through its species richness and evenness. They create a dung culture in a clear plastic cup from horse, goat or cow dung then observe the numbers of...
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Cheetah Challenges
High schoolers research the problems that cheetahs are facing in the wild. In this biology lesson, students discuss how animal rehabilitation works. They write blogs about it and comment on everyone's post.
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What Shapes a MPA?
Learners identify the three types of MPA in California. For this marine science lesson, students analyze information provided to design a new MPA. They justify their reasoning in class.
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The Greenhouse Effect and Me: How Do We Affect Each Other?
Ninth graders create a model of greenhouse effect in the lab. In this integrated science lesson, 9th graders investigate the different variables affecting this condition. They research about global warming and prepare a PowerPoint...
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Fossil Fuel Sources, Usage and Alternatives: What are the Options?
Students identify the different sources of fossil fuels. In this environmental science lesson, students research about how these impact our environment. They explore renewable energy sources that could replace fossil fuels.
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Seeds of Wetland Life
Students participate in several activities on seed exploration. In this biology lesson plan, students classify seeds according to their dispersal method. They explain the different adaptations plant have to disperse their seeds.
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Water Resource Engineering
Learners examine solubility and the significance of water. In this aqueous solution instructional activity students complete a lab activity on soil profiles.