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The Great Pond Safari
Students study pond life by visiting a pond and completing an associated worksheet. They play an online game based on the pond learning experience.
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Lake and Pond Study
Students examine the habitat and community structure of a pond that could support Ospreys through games and worksheets. They then go on a field trip to a pond to evaluate the suitability of the pond as an Osprey habitat.
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Ecological Succession in Pond Water Cultures
Students collect samples of pond water, dried grass, and soil in a jar. They predict the order of ecological succession in their pond water cultures. They compare their expected results with their observed results.
Forest Foundation
The Web of Life
Producers, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, decomposers. To begin a study of the forest ecosystem, learners examine the connections among the members of ecological communities.
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Using A Winogradsky Column to Analyze Microbial Communities
Students use easily obtained materials to study ecological succession in a microbiological community. This investigation is appropriate for a variety of age groups. Elementary Students be fascinated by the changes occurring over time...
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Importance of Marine Protected Areas: an Overfishing Simulation
Students simulate overfishing by conducting a guided experiment in the classroom. In this ecology lesson plan, students discuss the environmental consequences of overfishing. They research additional information about the issue and share...
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Lentic Ecosystem or Lotic Ecosystem
Students explore the differences between lentic and lotic ecosystems. In this ecology lesson students study the water systems in Pennsylvania.
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Macroinvertebrate Sampling
Students identify macroinvertebrate species to investigate ecological systems and the relationship between humans and the environment.
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Beaver Ecology
Students 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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Aquatic Ecosystem Exploration
Young scholars visit a local stream, pond, creek, or river and collect macroinvertebrates. They sort macroinvertebrates and identify each species using a dichotomous key. Students decide on trophic levels and construct a possible food...
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Microfishing
Students use a simple method to collect living microorganisms from natural and/or artificial environments and develop skills in microscopy, observation, drawing, speculation, hypothesizing, oral presentation, and raising questions.
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Six Levels of Ecological Organization
Ninth graders describe the six levels of ecological organizations and give examples of each. They also differentiate between food chains and webs and identify trophic and consumer levels in food chain and food webs.
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How Healthy is the Wetland?
Students explore wetlands. In this ecology lesson, students visit a wetland site and collect data about the wetland functions. Students record their results and use the data recorded to rate the wetland site on its function.
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Threatened, Endangered & Extinct Lesson Plan
Students examine the basic needs of living organisms. In this science instructional activity, students study ecosystems and discover that organisms have basic needs that must be met.
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Inquiry-based Investigations into Pond Water Microorganisms
Students become familiar with common microorganisms and experience exploring the microbial world.
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Using A Winogradsky Column to Analyze Microbial Communities
Students use easily obtained materials to study ecological succession in a microbiological community. They collect water samples from outdoor sources in plastic bottles to observe and record changes.
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Water and Rice Agriculture
Second graders investigate the agriculture of rice by reading a study guide. In this food making lesson, 2nd graders read about the irrigation of rice fields used for harvesting. Students write three sentences about the rice...
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Fish and Flowers
High schoolers read and discuss a research article that explains the unlikely link between increased fish populations and increased plant pollination. They answer reading guide questions to discover this ecological relationship.
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Burnaby Lake Field Trip
Learners identify different organisms found in the lake ecosystem. In this life science instructional activity, students discover the predator-prey relationship through a game. They explain how beavers adapt to the environment over time.
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Fish Haunts
Middle schoolers examine some of the different ecosystems that fish live in. While doing this they identify the species of fish and the ecological conditions needed for survival. Students use research resources to make fish cards that...
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"Approaching Walden: From Emerson to Thoreau"
Students examine selected local leaves in greater detail in the classroom by using more analytical drawing techniques. They use Thoreau's drawing of a Scarlett Oak as their model. Students choose a leave from a box of leaves removed...
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Micro-Ecosystems
Students create a sustainable, self-contained ecosystem in a ten-gallon aquarium.
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Freshwater Habitats
Learners take samples from local freshwater sources and examine them for macroinvertebrate life. They take samples from both shallow and deep freshwater environments, measure temperatures, and classify organisms found in their samples.
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Animals Finding Rice Paddies
Fourth graders examine the animals who live in rice paddies and create a chart. In this rice lesson, 4th graders link the types of animals living in each ecosystem with a bar graph. Students use colored bars to show...