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Investigation 9 - Bird Study
Fourth graders examine specific bird characteristics and become more aware of the ecosystems that support each bird. They engage in bird walks, mapping the areas where they find evidence of bird activity.
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Polluting the Environment
Fourth graders construct mini-ecosystem, pollute the ecosystem, observe, collect, and record data on the effects of these pollutants on their ecosystem, organize data on spreadsheets, create graphs, and design presentations to share with...
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Food Chains & Webs
Fourth graders examine roles of animals in food chain, explore roles of humans, plants, and animals in ecosystem, create their own food webs, and role play producers, consumers, and decomposers.
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Wiggley Worms
Learners investigate how worms affect plant growth. In this biology activity, students construct a worm ecosystem in a plastic 2 liter bottle and plant a seed in the soil. They later compare the ecosystems with worms to ones...
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The Mighty Hudson Stretches its Mussels
Students brainstorm possible causes of zebra mussel migration and population expansion. They identify the key causes and effects of the disturbance of the Hudson River ecosystem and research causes and effects in the disturbances of...
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Backyard Birds: Who's Who Out There?
Young scholars practice techniques of field observation and data-gathering while studying local bird population, describe ecosystem as complex combination of elements, which can affect or be affected by each other, and determine effects...
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Design an Island
Students explore islands. They create a two- or three-dimensional map of an island. They explain how the topography of an area influences the location of water sources, ecosystems, and human settlements. Lesson includes adaptations for...
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The Barn Owl Pellet
Seventh graders examine the factors that affect the number and types of organisms that an ecosystem can support. In this ecosystem instructional activity students study the barn owl and where it is on the food chain, then dissect...
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The Circle of Life
Fourth graders examine how the different organisms living in an ecosystem affect one another. In groups, they research a specific ecosystem and present their findings to the class based on the type of organisms found in it. To end the...
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Bermuda Reef Diorama
Students build a Bermuda coral reef to gain a better understanding of this ecosystem.
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Quad Squad
Students pretend they have visited a forest research station on an overnight field trip. They study forest fires, use compass directions, read maps, interpret imagery, and think about the impact of fire on ecosystems.
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Land Use Decision
Students identify social and ecological considerations where human uses of land and trees conflict with each other and ecosystem needs, and describe importance of land-use management and planning through role play.
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Receding Waters
Learners explore the effect of environmental factors on ecosystems. In this wildlife and ecology lesson, students identify and describe the stages in a frog's life cycle. Learners participate in a simulation demonstrating the...
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Next Stop, the Watsonville Wetlands
Middle schoolers study bird migrations and the importance of wetlands. In this migration lesson students play a game and complete a computer activity.
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Rocky Shore Food Web Drama
Students explore food chains. In this ecosystem lesson, students discover how plants and animals rely on each other for survival. Students research the rocky shore ecosystem and create a skit representing the ecosystem.
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Discovering the Wetlands!
Learners name wetland plant and animal life. In this ecosystem lesson students go birdwatching and interpret native plants through art.
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Nature in a Flick of the Eye
Students explore the visual information a diorama artist provides by thinking of all the details for the background of a location described by their teacher. They investigate diorama artists and their importance in creating the illusion...
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Owl Pellets
Sixth graders investigate the role of owls in their ecosystem. In this food chain lesson, 6th graders illustrate an owl food chain, dissect an owl pellet, and analyze data. Students discuss what would happen to owls if there were an...
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Start at the Very Beginning
Students explore ocean ecosystems. In this cross curriculum art and oceans lesson, students create a collage featuring three-finger algae using sand paper, tissue paper, and construction paper.
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Kure Waste Chase Game Lesson
Students work together to identify marine debris. They explain the effect of the debris on various ecosystems. They draw different types of ocean currents as well.
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We're All In This Together
Students discover what a coral reef is and the animals that live there. In this ecosystem lesson, students act out a story with ocean organisms. They answer questions that show the interdependency of the sea animals.
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Introduction to Restoration Lesson
Middle schoolers explore how pollution and invasive plants disrupt the ecosystem. In this restoration lesson plan students list materials that pollute wetlands, how people can keep them clean and ways in which invasive plants...
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Too Cool for School-The Greenhouse Experiment
Students create a town model and analyze the type of greenhouse gases their town emits. In this earth science lesson, students build greenhouses to investigate how trapped heat causes temperature change. They relate this activity to...
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Climate Change Challenge
Students participate in a demonstration in which they role-play polar bears and habitat components to demonstrate the impacts of climate change on the Arctic Ocean ecosystem.