Curated OER
The Environment and You
First graders examine the human environmental impact and discover ways to lessen effects. They create a pollution damage flow chart and write down what they think Mother Earth might say. They create inventions from recyclable materials.
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Themes to Encourage Awareness of Environmental Changes on the Shoreline of Connecticut in Elementary School Students: The Case of Kelsey Island
Students begin the activity by developing a map of Kelsey Island by following specific instructions. In groups, they are given a block of ice in which they tie a rope around and drag over various rocks for different distances. They...
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Good News - We're on the Rise!
Students build and observe a simple aneroid barometer to discover changes in barometric pressure and weather forecasting. They graph changes in barometric pressure for two weeks and make weather predictions.
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Environment: Wild Wind Direction
Students examine the different types of wind patterns. Using common materials, they construct weather vanes to measure and record wind direction over a two-week period. After analyzing the data, they draw conclusions about the...
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The Dirt on Worms!
Fourth graders make predictions, observe, collect and record data. They investigate several soil and worm websites. Finally, 4th graders write a letter to The President which defends earthworms by explaining their value to the United...
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All Ears for Adaptation
Learners discuss different characteristics that enable animals to adapt to their environments. They work in pairs with one partner standing about one foot behind the other partner and cup their hands around their ears with palms forward....
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Keep It Clean!
Fifth graders investigate the how water becomes polluted and how it effects the environment, animals, and humans. They watch a video and conduct experiments.
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Prairie Plant Investigation
Students carefully observe prairie plants and record their observations in a science journal. They examine the root systems of grasses and flowers and surmise how these plants can grow together on the prairie.
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Fire Fighting
Pupils consider the effects of a wildfire on prairie life. They explore the ways that plants regenerate after a fire and create fictional plants that have adapted specifically to the prairie environment. They share models of their plants.
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Go With the Energy Flow
Students explore energy and nutrient flow. In this science instructional activity, students diagram the flow of energy through food chains and food webs. Students discuss the importance of energy flow in Earth's ecosystems.
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Land Quality Issues
For this unit of lessons, students examine land quality issues. They discover food chains and practice reading them. They also examine the erosion of soil and how it affects the environment.
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Audio Engineers: Sound Weavers
Students explore audio engineering. In this career education and "sound" science lesson, students define related vocabulary and make connections between the music they listen to and the job an audio engineer does after listening to...
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The Earth is a Changin'
Young scholars view examples of different types of erosion. In this erosion instructional activity, students discuss the different types of erosion and how erosion changes Earth. Young scholars explore erosion and the effect it has on...
Berkeley Engineering and Mentors
Darwin's Finches
Try a twist on the old finch beak and chopsticks activity by using M&Ms on a Twister mat. Spoons, knives, forks, and chopsticks represent beaks and are randomly assigned to your little birds, who must collect as much food as possible...
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A River Ran Through It
Students research how water is used to generate electricity. They investigate water's potential-to-kinetic energy transfer in hands-on activities about falling water and waterwheels. They take measurements, calculate averages and graph...
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No Fossils in This Fuel!
Learners explain how technology leads to a cleaner environment. They gain hands-on experience with ethanol as a fuel alternative.
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The Three W's: Wind, Waves, and Wings
Students participate in hands-on acticities to understand how native plants and animals arrived on Hawaii from long distances without the assistance of man. They then identify what characterizes a plant or animal as native vs. non-native.
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Magnificent Metamorphosis
Students discover stages in metamorphosis through up close and real encounters with video, hands-on investigative and interactive activities using mealworms.
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Fourth graders discover the differences between: reduce, reuse, and recycle by performing hands on examinations. They list what would happen to the soil if we allowed the earth to wash away and briefly discuss the meaning of erosion.
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Edible Coal Mining
Learners explore the concept of bituminous coal and the role it plays within our world. In this economic and earth science activity, students discover and model the extraction methods with hands-on activities. Learners also...
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Scales, Scutes, and Skins
Students identify the various adaptations of reptiles and amphibians. After distinguishing between reptiles and amphibians, students discuss the ways in which their adaptations aid in their survival. They participate in a hands on...
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Out and About: Sound
Students visit science museums. In this hands-on science lesson, students visit the Magna Science Adventure Center, Thinktank, and the Museum of Science and Industry.
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Animal Life Cycles
Students participate in numerous activities to gather information about parts of the life cycle. In this life science lesson plan, the teacher choose from a number of activities to create or support an interdisciplinary unit about the...
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What are Properties of Wood?
Students use hands on scientific observation to determine characteristics of wood. They work directly with the materials and record their observations. Students test if wood absorbs water, if wood floats or sinks, and if all wood...