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Are You Getting Thirsty?
Young scholars study droughts and how they affect communities and coastal ecosystems. In this ecosystems lesson students use data to examine drought conditions in certain areas.
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Alien Invasion
Students research how alien species can change an ecosystem. In this coral reef lesson, students describe invasive species and site evidence how these species came to be invasive and what control measures are possible.
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Decomposers- Nurse Logs
Learners investigate temperate forest ecosystems. In this environmental lesson plan, students discover different forms of decomposition and its effect on the environment.
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Build An Island
Students explore erosion. In this science lesson plan, students build an island and observe the effects of erosion on the island. Students discuss freshwater ecosystems in Hawaii.
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Smokey's Message
Learners list and discuss positive and negative effects of wildland fire. They discuss relationships among ecosystems and fire. They participate in role-playing activities related to wildland fire management.
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Island Biogeography
Students work in small groups to sort through photos of an ecosystem following a major disturbance. They place these photos in chronological order to show the process of succession. They then do an experiment with yeast to show the...
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Antifreeze - Anti Fish
Learners participate in the production of a play that highlights the direct linkage between storm drains and natural river, stream, or creek ecosystems. They explore their thoughts, feelings, and actions through dramatic interaction and...
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Habitat Hunt: Clue Box
Students compile a collection of specimens, descriptions, and data that describe their local environment. They exchange this collection with another school and use their collection to determine the ecosystem surrounding the exchange school.
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New York City Water Quality Assessment Project
Students investigate the chemistry of water and how its molecular structure supports life through its biochemcial, physical, and environmental roles. They investigate the quality of water as it interacts with the environment. Students...
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Build a Reef
Students build a coral reef, then discover organisms that make up the ecosystem.
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Oh Panther
Students play a game that replicates the balance of prey and predators in an ecosystem. In this physical education lesson, students follow the instructions to play "Oh Panther!" Students collect data regarding the game and discuss the...
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Sea Connections: Marine Ecosystems
Students identify producers and consumers from marine ecosystems and describe the balance among them in the environments. After constructing a food chain from a marine ecosystem, they examine human activities that can upset the balance...
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Sea Connections
Learners, after locating different marine habitats on a globe, play a card game about ecosystems, food webs and organisms.
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Plant Identification Pictionary
Students examine ecosystems and the variety of plants and animals that can be found in them. In this plant identification lesson students identify the basic parts of a plant and categorize them according to their...
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Columbus Travel Agency
Eighth graders research about their chosen ecosystem. In this life science lesson plan, 8th graders play the role of travel agents and create a travel brochure. They share this in class.
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Aquatic Life
Students explore aquatic life. For this science lesson, students visit an aquatic ecosystem and collect animals found there. Students create a food chain for the aquatic ecosystem.
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Desert Animals
Students survive within an ecosystem, an animal must be physically and behaviorally adapted to the conditions of its environment.
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The Basics of Creature Connectedness: Biodiversity Diversions
Students study biodiversity. They participate in a scavenger hunt to look for presence of wildlife and connections in nature. They create a collage about Venezuelan biodiversity in small groups and present to the class. They write a...
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Exploring Marine Ecosystems in the Caribbean and Maine
Students compare the marine habitats of Maine and the Caribbean using temperature, tides, ocean currents, latitude and longitude. In this marine ecosystems instructional activity, students analyze maps to complete graphic organizers that...
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Our Natural Resources
Students discuss key terms used to describe ecosystems and how humans are altering natural resources. They listen to the book, Grandfather's Wisdom, and list the renewable and nonrenewable resources they have used or consumed in the past...
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The Bee Tree
Young scholars engage in a variety of activities arranged around the reading of the book "The Bee Tree". This book will help students to understand the purpose of how an ecosystem can work together and that organisms influence each other...
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Treasure Hunt
Students actively search a the ground outside and find several types of leaves, lichen, feathers and trash. They place items into journals, write entries, draw pictures and ask questions about the items found on their exploration.
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The Rain Forest
Learners explain the basics of the tropical rain forest ecosystem. They list the four general layers of vegetation found in the tropical rain forest.
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The Rain Forest
Students acquire knowledge about the basics of the tropical rain forest ecosystem. They analyze the cause/effect relationship between humans attitudes and behavior and the evnvironment. Students list the four general layers of vegetation...