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Gone But Not Forgotten
Third graders examine animals and organisms that have become extinct and their similarities to living organisms. In this extinction instructional activity students divide into groups and research extinct animals.
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Classification of Intertidal Organisma
Students categorize animals. In this animal classification lesson plan, students group animals by their characteristics. Students break into groups and work together to classify the animals. Students fill out a graphic organizer with...
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Health and Growth
Students recognize that living things need food and water. In this health and growth lesson, students identify foods that are better for health and growth. Students sing a song and complete a worksheet. Students understand that...
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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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Our Friends or Foes
In this living organisms worksheet, 6th graders choose the multiple choice answer to 10 questions. Students then read and answer 10 statements as true or false and fill in the blanks to 5 statements.
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Looking at the Community Tree
Third graders review the characteristics of living and nonliving organisms. As a class, they observe a tree and describe the interactions between the living and nonliving organisms surrounding it. To end the lesson, they ask a question...
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Exploring the Sun's Role in Living Systems
Students create graphic organizer webs that illustrate their thinking about seasonal physical and biological changes caused by changes in sunlight. They identify the central role of sunlight in living systems.
Community Resources for Science
A Whole New World of DNA and Proteins
Lead your young scientists into an exciting world as they participate in a role play and experiment focused on proteins and DNA. After researching the Central Dogma of Biology, individuals or groups participate in a classroom...
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Ecology Integration Using IMovie
Amazing! Any 5th grader would be more than willing to participate in this project. Students are broken into groups, each group reads one book from a list of five. They use their book as the basis for choosing an animal and environment to...
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Photosynthesis
Students recognize the importance of plants as they perform an experiment involving photosynthesis. Students determine the optimum wavelength of light for photosynthesis by exposing plants to different colors of light, collecting data,...
US Environmental Protection Agency
Carbon Through the Seasons
Meteorologists view an animated video by the Environmental Protection Agency to learn how the carbon cycle works, and then move into groups to analyze and graph actual data of the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration from Hawaii's...
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Water in the Geosphere
Through a PowerPoint presentation and the embedded animation and video, earth science enthusiasts find out about the moisture in the soil beneath our feet. In the animation, follow a water molecule on its path through the water cycle. As...
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One of These Things is Not Like the Other
Students examine sets of four or five organisms and determine which organism in each set doesn't "belong", and determine a variety of characteristics that explain why it doesn't belong.
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Hidden Science in Colonial Living
Fifth graders evaluate evidence that indicates a physical change has occurred. In this colonial living lesson, 5th graders explore the science involved in the making of items used in colonial life, such as, bread, butter, soap, candles,...
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Wild Thing!
Sixth graders view several segments of the video, "How Animals Survive." They discuss elements of survival. Students list living and nonliving things found in their backyards and schoolyards. Students work in groups to complete the...
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Finding Balance in Our Lives
Students identify the different areas of imbalance in their lives. In this personal lifestyle instructional activity students learn different techniques to help them create more balance in their lives.
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Living to Avoid The Criminal Justice System
Students brainstorm a list of negative stereotypes in the African-American society. In groups, they develop ways to decrease the chance of them living in poverty and being in trouble with the law. They develop ways to solve problems...
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Photosynthesis: Intake of Carbon Dioxide - Production of Oxygen
Students, after a long-term observation of photosynthesis with aquatic plants, assess the benefits of photosynthesis towards all living organisms. They explain in their own words the two cycles within photosynthesis. Guided discussion...
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Living By the Book
Students read a story individually or in groups to begin the lesson. As a class, they discuss their viewpoints on reading and compare it with the viewpoint of those living in Fiji. In groups, they compare and contrast American and Fijian...
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Observing Plants
Students identify how plants affect the survival of a caterpillar and what plants need to survive. They plant three bean seeds in the three containers, placing two containers at a sunny window and the third one in a dark closet and label...
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Monarch Egg
Students investigate the stages of the Monarch butterfly and its life cycle. In this butterfly life cycle lesson plan, students discuss when, where, and how the Monarch butterflies lay their eggs. After discussion, students...
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What is an Animal Group?
Students discover that people live in groups and animals live in groups or alone. They list ways that families cooperate and work together as a group. They create a large dinosaur made out of geometric shapes.
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Field Trip to Living History Farms
Students tour "Living History Farms" in Iowa. In this field trip preparation lesson, students observe ways Native Americans began growing crops in the 1700's as well as how the farm changed in the 1800's. Upon their return from the trip,...
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Where We Live
Students make a 'where we live' chart to find what's common and unique about where they live. In this living analysis lesson, students complete a chart about where they live.