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Wigglers, Tumblers, & Bloodsuckers
Young scholars explore the life stages of a mosquito. In this animal biology lesson, students read Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aardema and complete several activities including an experiment with mosquito larvae, an...
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Washing Germs Away
Students investigate germs. In this cross curriculum health and biology lesson plan, students listen to Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth and identify ways in which flies spread germs. Students discuss hand washing during a visit by the...
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Amphibian Spawns
Students observe tadpoles as they gradually change into adults. In this amphibian biology lesson, students watch tadpoles in a tank in the classroom, keep a daily record of what they observe, and chart the growth development of the...
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Elements of Civilization
Young scholars create their own ancient civilizations based off of topographical maps of Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and the Yellow River. In this social studies lesson plan, students are assigned one topographical map to use...
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Monitoring Estuarine Water Quality
Middle schoolers analyze water quality data from real data. In this environmental science lesson, students examine how salinity and dissolved oxygen affect the living organisms in the estuary. They interpret graphs to support or disprove...
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Marine Life Protected Areas in the O.C.
Students research a Marine Protected Area and determine the species' that benefit from its protection. In this marine lesson students present their findings to the class using PowerPoint.
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Searching for Tomorrow's Energy
Fifth graders investigate energy. In this biology lesson plan, 5th graders will learn about energy, fossil fuels, and renewable and nonrenewable resources. Students will be participating in three lab activities which are described in...
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Food for Thought
Fifth graders explore the brain and what is needs. In this biology lesson plan, 5th graders will work on a series of activities that will allow them to learn about the brain, its parts, and the best foods to eat for their brain.
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The Mind-Body Connection
Second graders learn about the human body. In this biology lesson plan, 2nd graders will begin with the basics of understanding charts and graphs and progress into units that cover the body systems, and mental and emotional health....
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Species Diversity in Ecosystems with Different Techniques of Land Management
Students visit numerous places to help in their understanding of Ecology. In this biology lesson plan, students will learn about characteristics and how to identify numerous plants and animals. This lesson plan allows for many field trip...
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What Does the Inside of a Seed Look Like?
First graders study seeds. For this biology lesson, 1st graders observe the differences between dry and wet seeds and draw what is inside a seed after peeling off the outer coat of one of the seeds.
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Biomes
Tenth graders research locations of biomes and their barriers. In this biomes lesson, 10th graders examine location, environmental conditions, and species of plants and animals that live in the biome. Students take notes and create a...
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Teaching about the Effect of pH on Aquatic Organisms
Students perform experiments to determine the PH, acidity, and buffering qualities of a lake that make them sensitive to acid deposition.
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Food For Thought
Learners examine their school population about their health and exercise patterns. They brainstorm a list of factors that influence people to eat the way they do.
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Mission Possible
Students, in teams, solve a crime using forensic lab techniques. They apply lab techniques to a real life situation using a crime scenario that takes place on campus. Sample activities include Blood, Fiber, and Hair Lab.
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Electrophoretic Analysis: DNA Fingerprinting and Evolutionary Divergence
Students examine the principles of electrophoresis. They evaluate both the agarose and polyacrylamide system of molecular separation. In order to bring the concepts of genetics and evolution full circle from DNA to protein, students...
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Who Is It?/Who Done It?
Students conduct an experiment that allows them to assess individual differences in random DNA sequences and apply those differences when solving a forensic problem. After discussing the polymerase chain reaction and its use to identify...
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Exponential Decay
Learners study exponential decay and its application to radiocarbon dating. In this exponential decay lesson, students use candy to model the time it takes for something to decay. Learners also graph the data they collect and...
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Dissecting Owl Pellets
Students explore owl pellets. In this animal science activity, students use owl pellet dissection kits to dissect one owl pellet. Students use a magnifying glass to identify the foods that the owl ate.
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Measuring Animal Sizes (and Relative Sizes in our Animal Environment)
Students discover the actual size and weight of many insects and animals. In this biology lesson, students investigate animals and insects to determine their actual weight and size. In groups, students create an animal or insect of their...
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Should Populations in an Ecosystem be Restricted?
Fourth graders experiment to determine how overpopulation effects ecosystems specifically plants. In this ecosystem instructional activity, 4th graders conduct an ecosystems experiment after listening to Claire Daniel's, Ecosystems. They...
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Reaction Reasoning
Third graders experiment with chemical reactions and examine what happens to the atoms when different reactions occur. In this matter lesson students divide into groups and complete a lab experiment.
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What is pH?
Students describe pH and the importance of it in the natural world. In this Biology instructional activity students compare the pH of different mixtures.
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Yo! Gert-making yogurt
Young scientists or chefs culture yeast to produce yogurt. The materials and a general description of how make yogurt are provided, but there is very little detail otherwise. You could use this as an activity when your biology class is...