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Science: Backyard Bugs Data Collection
Students practice data collection skills by observing common bugs found in their local environment. Once the data is collected they complete data sheets to compare, contrast, sort, and classify the insects. The lesson includes...
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Animals at Night
In this nocturnal animals worksheet, students study a fact page with lists of mammals, insects, birds and amphibians that they may see on the school grounds at night. There are no questions to answer.
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Rainforest Complexity and Diversity
Second graders investigate the diversity of plants and animals in a rainforest. They watch an online story developed by the Rainforest Alliance, observe and record animals in their local area, explore various websites, and compare and...
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Conservation in Small Spaces: Butterfly Life cycles
Students discuss ways that butterflies and moths change during their lifecycles, observe caterpillars, and explore how their different body parts work.
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Hitchhikers in the Bathroom
Young scientists will go buggy over this resource. After reading a passage that describes the pseudoscorpion, individuals respond to questions about this clever arachnid and use a Venn diagram to compare the pseudoscorpion to a real...
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All About Seeds!
How do fruits relate to flowers and seeds? Identify the seeds and their purpose with a coloring activity for kindergartners. Once they color the seeds of apples, bananas, and peas (among others), kids get hands-on experience with bean...
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Name that animal
A great way to classify organisms, is by counting the number of legs it has or how it moves. Little ones count the legs on five different creatures, then match the leg count to the proper animal name. Tip: Have them come up with other...
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Wetland Pictionary
Young scholars create a game for reviewing vocabulary. They make cards with definitions of the words. Then the cards are used to play the game of Pictionary or a modified game. The teacher could have the students generate their own game...
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Habitat Happenings
Students examine the characteristics of the Prairie Creek Habitat in Illinois. In groups, they travel between various stations writing haikus and reading brochures. They identify what occurs in each habitat and identify the animals...
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Creating a Pollinator Garden
Learners build a pollination garden. In this pollination lesson, students read directions and build a pollinator garden that will produce flowering plants for pollinator organisms to use in pollination of other plants.
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Venus Flytrap
Students study the Venus Flytrap including its habitat and how it eats. In this ecology lesson students complete several experiments using a Venus Flytrap to see how it reacts to various conditions.
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Ladybug Poem
In this language arts worksheet, students study rhyming patterns and learn about ladybugs by reading a short poem and coloring a picture. Students also practice printing the word "ladybug" and create a poem or story of their own.
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Animal Signs
Students discuss the many different types of animal signs that can be used to identify and track animals. They participate in an hands-on activity in which they examine tracks, trails, homes, territory markings, and even "scat" left by...
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The Key To Classifying Animals
Explorers of the environment construct a dichotomous key for a variety of organisms and design a key to classify Galapagos animals based on descriptions and images. The lesson includes a link to an animal gallery and the worksheet for...
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America's Rain Forests Can It Be Real?
Students examine the attributes of unusual plants and animals before determining how they are adapted to specific habitat. They complete an associated worksheet. They make posters with information that they find during research sessions.
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Honeybees are Vanishing
Students decide if they agree with a series of statements about the bee population, then read a news article about the disappearance of millions of U.S. honeybees. In this biology and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the...
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Fifth Grade Life Science Review/Quiz
In this life sciences review or quiz worksheet, 5th graders use recall of knowledge to answer multiple choice questions. Students answer 20 questions.
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Macroinvertebrate Sampling
Young scholars identify macroinvertebrate species to investigate ecological systems and the relationship between humans and the environment.
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Complete Metamorphosis
Young scholars use a map and colored pins to plot the migration path of Monarch butterflies. They use data found at the Journey North website. Commas are also used in the activity to show how they are put in a series of words using...
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Mini-Ecosystems
Third graders identify the living and non living things in a book read aloud and discuss the interactions represented in the book. Then, they research and include a list of food that each animal needs in an ecosystem. Finally, 3rd...
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Development in Drosophila melanogaster
Learners study the least familiar aspect of development in Drosophila melanogaster; the development of the pupa. Students isolate and culture "First-day" pupae. They are dissected daily to study the progressive developmental changes.
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Observing Mealworms and Earthworms
Fifth graders examine the lifecycles of earthworms and mealworms. In groups, they make sketches, measure, and read about mealworms and earthworms. They travel between stations to examine a different part of their lives. To end the...