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Growing plants
Students explore plants and recognize that they are living things that require light and water to grow; students identify, name and match the parts of plants.
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Reversible and irreversible changes
Students experiment with solids and liquids to find which solids will dissolve in water. This dissolution and mixtures lesson can be completed online or in class as all materials are connected to the lesson plan for both settings.
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Land Use and Nitrogen
Students consider the effects of development on water quality. They test nitrogen levels in waters before and after development, investigate wastewater treatment options and research best management practices to reduce nitrogen loads.
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Nebraska's Wild Weather
Students examine the weather in Nebraska. Using this information, they describe the cause and effect relationships in the environment based on these changes in weather. They write various types of poems with weather themes and share them...
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Soil Permeability
Young scholars discuss how soil permeability is affected by permafrost. In this soil lesson plan, students freeze soil over night, and discuss how the environmental conditions of freezing affect soil and further affect vegetation.
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The Treatment of Wastewater
Students, through a series of lessons, study the various processes of treating wastewater. They participate in discussion and complete various worksheets and a hands-on activity, in which they observe the processes of filtration and...
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Greenhouse Gases: The Chemistry Behind the Culprits
Ninth graders investigate the effect of different gases in the atmosphere. In this chemistry lesson, 9th graders explain how these gases contribute to global warming. They suggest possible solutions to this growing problem.
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Web of Life - Ecosystem
Third graders play the roles of various organisms in an ecosystem (focusing on insects) and pass yarn or string around to other organisms from largest animals to the smallest. The end product is a web which shows how all of these animals...
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Swimming With the Crabs!
In this environmental science instructional activity, students complete a graphic organizer (Frayer model) on blue crabs. They write an article using the given facts.
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Cycling Energy
Fourth graders are introduced to how electricity is produced. In groups, they compare and contrast the linear production of energy with other forms of mechanical energy production. They try to make a turbine work acting like it is part...
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The Rock Cycle
Third graders, in groups, examine soil samples with magnifying glasses. They discuss the living and non-living things they find in their soild samples.
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Environmental Science/Water Pollution
Students study natural habitats, aquatic life, renewable and non-renewable resources. They discuss conservation efforts for sea otters and desert toad in this units.
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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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Creature Features
Learners examine why certain animals live in only specific places throughout the world. Using animals, they classify them based on their characteristics and identify their basic needs. They also observe and compare the life cycles of...
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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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Brine Shrimp And Ph Levels
Third graders investigate the different ph levels found in water that is tested using simple measurements. The water samples are taken from a local body of water. The ph levels are used to help indicate areas where shrimp can thrive in...
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Sun Seeking Plants
Students investigate the story "The Tiny Seed" by Eric Carle. This story is used to introduce the children to the concept that seeds change and grow into plants when conditions in the environment including temperature, light, water and...
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Sustainable Agriculture
Learners perform an experiment to find out if plants grow best when grown in soil with no fertilizer, with chemical fertilizers, or with compost that they have made themselves. Students discover how agriculture practices can benefit the...
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Food Webs
Students research an animal to define its food web and life cycle. In this animal life cycle lesson, students research an animal and define its food web. Students then present their animal food webs to the class and note other animals in...
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Demonstrating Erosion in Action
Students easure and record volume of water, then measure and record mass of soil. They explain the effects of the following in controlling erosion: Contouring, cover crop, strip cropping, reforestation, inter-seeding.
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How a Seed Grows and Who Grows It
First graders explore biology by viewing PowerPoint presentations in class. In this plant life lesson, 1st graders identify the life cycle of a plant and how to properly plant a seed outside. Students view a movie about plant life and...
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Necessary Nitrogen
Students view a video that presents the biogeochemical cycle of nitrogen. They compare types of soils and consider how different fertilizers affect soil composition.
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Creeping and Crawling Observing Mealworms and Earthworms
Fifth graders observe mealworms and earthworms. In this mealworm and earthworm lesson, 5th graders complete an experiment in which they observe the life cycle and living conditions of mealworms and earthworms. They experiment with...
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Biomes: Freshwater & Seawater
Middle schoolers observe organisms behavior and adaptations. In this biomes lesson students conduct fieldwork to determine water quality and answer questions about the differences between different habitats.