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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Extinction and Rediscovery of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker

For Teachers 5th - 8th
An incredibly thorough, and well-designed lesson teaches youngsters about the presumed extinction and rediscovery of the ivory-billed woodpecker in Arkansas. Learners discuss the environmental factors that led to the birds disappearance....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Variables Affecting Earth's Albedo

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students study the variables that affect the Earth's albedo.  In this environmental data analysis activity students interpret and graph information and calculate changes. 
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Population Ecology

For Students 9th - Higher Ed
A complete study of population ecology is covered by this worksheet. Biology or ecology learners answer questions and interpret population graphs. This can be used as the intended guided notes worksheet or assigned as homework.
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Lesson Plan
Prince William Network

Migration Headache

For Teachers 2nd - 6th Standards
During this game, kids become migratory shorebirds and fly among wintering, nesting, and stopover habitats. If they do not arrive at a suitable habitat on time, they do not survive. Catastrophic events are periodically introduced that...
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Lesson Plan
National Gardening Association

Migration Mishaps

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Elementary ecologists pretend to be migratory hummingbirds. They fly between wintering and nesting grounds, trying to reach a habitat haven. In a musical-chair fashion, some birds will miss out, and are removed from the game. To further...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Choose The Appropriate Graph

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders work in groups to investigate the proper use of a graph during a schoolyard ecology project. The challenge of the project is for students to choose the proper form of a graph. They gather data and conduct analysis with the...
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Activity
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2
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Ocean Acidification

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Human impacts on the environment can sometimes be difficult to measure, especially under water! An activity centered on ocean acidification gives science scholars the opportunity to examine the effects of carbon dioxide on marine life....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Analyzing Tree Rings to Determine Climate Change

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine how to locate and access data sets.  For this climate change lesson students import data into Excel and graph it.   
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing the Effects of El Nino and La Nina

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students examine the differences between an El Nino and La Nina year.  For this investigative lesson students create maps and graphs of the data they obtained. 
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Lesson Plan
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NOAA

El Niño

For Teachers 9th - 12th
El Nino, La Nina ... and the Santa Maria? The 11th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program explains the mechanism of El Nino/Southern Oscillation. Pupils use previous data to determine...
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Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Lab 2: Nanocatalysts Clean Your Car Emissions

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Surface area certainly surfaces as a variable for chemical reaction rates. Scholars perform an experiment to discover how the size of catalysts affect the rate of a chemical reaction. They record their results in tables and graphs to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Environmental Studies: The Power of Wind

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Investigate the prospect of wind as a renewable resource. Second and third graders make a pinwheel, answer critical thinking questions, and then attempt to use wind power to wind string. I would be more apt to use this lesson in a 1st or...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Significant Science: Statistics for Planet Earth

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders discover how statistics are used to interpret results of scientific experiments. Students write hypotheses and test the hypotheses by collecting data and organizing the data. Students graph their data to produce a visual....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Environment

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore the issues that influence our environment and research ways to decrease the negative impact that humans have on the environment. Misconceptions about environmental issues are addressed in this lesson.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tracking the Salt Front

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Using the Hudson River as the focus, learners discuss the difference between salt water and fresh water environments, analyze maps and graphs, and complete addition and subtraction problems. This instructional activity comes with a...
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Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Historical Climate Cycles

For Students 7th - 9th Standards
Scientists use ice core samples to obtain temperatures of the earth from 400,000 years ago! The third of five lessons instructs pupils to interpret historical climate data to see changes over time. In part I, participants interpret...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Toxic Is It?

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Young scholars participate in an activity in which they investigate the scientific method and seed germination as well as practice graphing and metric measuring skills. Students examine toxicity by exposing Wisconsin Fast Plants seeds to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Effect of Math Anxiety on Cardiovascular Homeostasis

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Using a pulse monitor, learners will measure a resting pulse, take a math test, and then measure the pulse again. They analyze the change in pulse and compare it to performance on the test. This multi-purpose lesson can be used in a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Leaves: All-Natural Solar Collectors

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Take a good look at tree leaves and notice the adaptations for collecting solar energy. Pupils trace the margins of five different leaves onto graph paper and count the number of squares covered. They then relate this infomation to the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Carbon Monoxide and Population Density

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders investigate the carbon monoxide level at a fixed latitude. They determine if there is a relationship to population density. They download data sets and generate a graph. They determine a link between human activity and...
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

Biological Oceanographic Investigations – Signals from the Deep

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill directly impacted an area of the Gulf of Mexico the size of Oklahoma. A marine biology lesson looks at the impact of an oil spill on the deeper parts of the ocean. Scholars download actual data collected...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Meter Reader

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Junior high schoolers learn how to read a water meter, track their family water usage, and discuss the amount in class with other pupils. They will interpret real-world data and graph it. It is ideal for increasing awareness and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wetland vs. Stream Macroinvertebrates

For Teachers 9th - 12th
A link to a comprehensive macroinvertebrate guide gives you the information needed to prepare for this field study activity. Sample macroinvertebrates are collected from areas representing different environmental conditions. Junior...
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Activity
It's About Time

Coal and Your Community

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
When I was young, I was afraid of the dark. Now I am afraid of getting the electric bill. This fourth lesson in a series of eight focuses on coal mining, conservation, and energy efficiency. Scholars start by taking data from a table and...