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Whose "Truth" Is Out There?
Students read article It's a Fact: Faith and Theory Collide Over Evolution, and examine different ways people arrive at what 'the truth' is, focusing on the evolution vs creationism debate that has been a hot topic throughout the 20th...
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A Dog's Life
Students get a look into the life of dogs-from their origins and basic biology, through selective breeding, and into how dogs have become intricate parts of everyday life for many people worldwide.
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In Search of a Land Ethic
Students research the theory that everything is connected to everything else. Students explore the concept of how do we put normative values on our nonhuman environment. Students investigate an ecologist and write an informational...
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Fire Escape
Students explore the effects of the volcanic eruption of Nyiragongo in Congo as a springboard to exploring past examples of volcanic eruptions and their respective relief efforts.
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Weather Map
Ninth graders utilize several different types of maps to forecast weather conditions specific areas of the country. Air masses, wind, cloud types, fronts, and the pH of the rain is explored in this instructional activity.
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Management of Wildlife Resources
Students investigate how wildlife management policies affect the size of large animal populations. They develop a spreadsheet that incorporates a mathematical model to predict big game herd sizes, and using worksheet data manage a bison...
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Energy is Everywhere
Students differentiate between renewable and non-renewable resources and identify the different forms of energy and list the advantages or disadvantages of different forms of energy. They also determine the benefits as well as the...
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Disappearing Rocks
Students explore the causes of erosion and observe how different surfaces erode differently. They recognize erosion and predict what type of erosion caused it. In addition, they predict the outcomes of erosion on different materials.
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Land Use and Lawmaking in California
Students investigate the laws of using land. In this California Government lesson, students examine the many uses of land in California and find an environmental issue they care about. Students write a letter to a politician...
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Time Line of Astronomy Events and Discoveries
Students work in groups to present a segment of a timeline of events and discoveries in astronomy. In this astronomy lesson plan, students teach their classmates about their section of the timeline.
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Who Dirtied The Water/Clean Water: Is It Drinkable?
Students enter the room, receive a film canister that contains materials that be added to the dirty water bell jar. They record on their data table who or what is doing the adding and the actual substance that has been added to the bell...
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Mad About Madagascar
Learners read/discuss "On Madagascar, A Treasury of Fauna and Flora," examining the issues affecting the biodiversity of Madagascar. They present information on issues affecting Madagascar's ecology, and write policy statements on...
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Stewardship of Yosemite National Park
Middle schoolers devise a plan that would be true to John Muir's spirit of stewardship toward Yosemite. They analyze a core map to determine the original plan and usage of the park and compare the original plan to a current park map.
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Mammals: Mammals and Their Ways
Students study the difference between innate and learned behaviors. They observe the adaptations and behaviors of mammals in this series of lessons.
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For the Birds
Students examine the different types of pandemic flu viruses and virus "scares" that have occurred over the past hundred years by creating a master chart that displays the origins, transmission, symptoms, and socio-historical impact of...
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Drama in the Refuge
Students write and perform dramatic presentations about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. They select formats from puppets, plays, improvisational skits, or screened silhouette.
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Stardust Delivers Comet's Clues
Students explore the NASA test center and comet facts through an interactive program. They examine the idea if comets are predictable. They finally analyze the materials that combine to make a comet.
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Frogs Losing Ground
Students explore an exhibit through an interactive program on frogs. They can listen to the different sounds frogs make and the different types of frogs. They search for the types of frogs they find in their local area.
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State of the Planet's Wildlife
Students view and discuss a video about the challenges facing wildlife on the planet Earth. They define key terms, watch the video, and answer discussion questions about the film.
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The Energy Crisis
Students participate in different activities and discussions to analyze the energy crisis in the United States and other parts of the world. In groups, they research the availability of fossil fuels and the possible alternatives. Using...
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Flowers and Plants
Students are assigned to bring five flowers. They explore flowers to distinguish different physical features of flowers. They compare and contrast different flowers to determine what features they have in common. Students develop an...
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The Facts of Life
Students explore the different ways scientists gather information about extinct animals. They utilize these methods to create illustrated story books about a particular extinct animal.
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Teaching about the Rainforest - Classroom Ideas
Students are introduced to the tropical rainforest through different ways that catch their attention such as: Visit a local botanical garden or conservatory so that students can see the variety of tropical plants in the world. They...
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DNA Model
High schoolers are able to construct a candy model of DNA. They are able to list all of the parts of DNA that they investigated earlier. Students are able to describe what each part of DNA does. They create an edible model of DNA...