University of South Carolina
Home Sweet Home
Fifth graders will research a biome (land or aquatic) and create a project (diorama, model or another idea of the student's choosing) which includes the geographic features of that biome as well as plants and animals found there and...
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Ice Age Challenge Game
Students use a website to do various projects about the ice age and discover the route taken by the first arrivals are unknown and are the subject of a great deal of debate and research.
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Wetlands: Pave or Save?
Young scholars discuss the characteristics of wetlands and how to make them more productive. Using a map, they locate the major wetlands in the United States and color them using a key. They read an article and in groups answer...
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Our Special Planet Earth
Students explore what is special about our planet. They explore the various climates that are found on the planet Earth. Students create an advertisement to convince people why their favorite environment would be the best place to visit.
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Biocomplexity Lab Activity: Creating Salt Water
The lesson seeks to intorduce to young scholars the properties of salt water and how to create salt water. Teacher gives backgound information about salt water to students. From that point, young scholars dscuss what elements are in...
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Human Needs
Students investigate human needs and how they have adapted to different environments. They complete an experiment to discover the effect of stress on muscles. They use the food pyramid to create a plan for healthy eating.
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Wacky Water Critters
Students visit a local creek or stream. They collect water samples from the creek and observe and sort the "water critters" they find in the sample, observing smaller organisms under a microscope if necessary. They identify each organism...
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Creating an Experimental Design
Students research the damage to the environment by certain plant species. They create an experimental design which they test how these species take over certain habitats. They share their information with the class.
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The Cost of Telling the Truth
High schoolers examine Leopold's Land Ethic involving illegal river dumping. They consider the dilemmas of the case study and share their ideas for a solution using group discussion and individual answers.
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Natural History of Costa Rica
Students use outline maps to become acquainted with Costa Rica. They see how it was formed and how its origin has created very diverse environments. Students then use atlases and compare their physical maps with maps of climate and the...
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Creating a Coastal Area
Students design and lay out a map of a coastal area that includes a bay, an estuary, an ocean entrance, and prime beach lands. They write a plan outlining solutions to the economic problems of their community and present their map and...
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All The Seasons
Students explore winter, spring, summer, and fall. In this science and technology lesson plan, students use "Kid Pix" to draw pictures that represent the four seasons.
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Living Swamps, Bayous and Forests
Third graders explore interesting environments by exploring Louisiana. In this wetland lesson, 3rd graders utilize the web to research the State of Louisiana, the bayous in the area, and the Gulf of Mexico. Students write a journal entry...
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The Beaufort Scale: A Local Model
Students study the Beaufort Scale and use it to study wind in their community. In this wind study lesson, students watch a DVD about climate change and learn about the Beaufort Scale. Students complete a worksheet for the topic.
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Wonderful Wetlands
Fourth graders create a model of Utah wetlands using clay, sponges and soil. They identify the value the wetlands have to plants and animals. They simulate rainfall to observe how wetlands help filter silt and pollutants from the water.
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It's Not Trivial!
Students participate in a trivia game about the environment. They focus on recycling and how to protect the environment. The team with the most correct answers wins.
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NASA Robots
Learners investigate how robots are used in space. In this space science lesson, students participate in an experiment using a blindfold and complete assigned tasks. The learners demonstrate how robots are "thinking" machines.
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Diatom Ooze
Learners explore seafloor sediment. In this ocean environment instructional activity, students describe the characteristics of different types of seafloor sediment and oozes. They compare and discuss locations of sediments and oozes by...
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Digging Up The Facts
Students research environmental issues. In this environmental lesson, students use the Internet to research an environmental problem and list ten facts about it. Students write a summary of facts.
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Water: Naturally Cleaned
Students use stream trays covered in different types of rocks or soil to investigate infiltrates and runoff. In this water pollution lesson plan, students work in groups with stream trays that have different substrates. They write a...
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What is a Karst
Students investigate landforms by holding a class experiment. In this topography lesson, students define the word "karst" and discover why sinkholes are created on the surface of the Earth by completing worksheets. Students create a...
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Animal Movements
Learners discuss the behavior of different animals and how they move. They explore the ways that this helps them live and find food in their environment. They participate in a game that requires them to mimic the ways in which animals move.
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Non-Point Source Pollution
Learners study non-point source pollution. They research the concept of bio-degradation and/or Nutrients/Fertilizers and discuss how non-point source pollution impacts the environment. Afterwards, they participate in an interactive...
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Robots
Students play the parts of robots and their controllers. In this robot lesson plan, students learn about robots, and use verbal commands to simulate how a robot would command to it's controller.