Lesson Plan
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Making a Terrarium

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students construct and maintain model of natural habitat, suggest improvements to the model of the natural habitat to make it more realistic and habitable, and demonstrate careful observation and recording of how animals survive in their...
Lesson Plan
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Wonder Underground

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students classify and record objects they find "underground." In this observation instructional activity, students dig into bins filled with soil and encounter various objects such as bark, twigs, etc. Students classify their findings.
Lesson Plan
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Caterpillars To Butterflies

For Teachers K
Students observe the life cycle of a butterfly. They read butterfly/caterpillar themed books. They sequence the lifecycle from eggs on a leaf to an adult butterfly. They release their butterflies into a natural habitat after singing and...
Lesson Plan
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Case Study - Tragedy of the Commons

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students role play being a fisherman and fulfill the goals they are given from a description sheet. Other students observe the fisherman and record their behavior and actions. The class then discusses how this activity was an example...
Lesson Plan
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Be a Scientist: A Kindergarten Unit

For Teachers K
Students conduct observations using their five senses. In this science lesson, students describe different states of matter. They investigate the factors affecting mold growth.
Lesson Plan
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Charles Darwin

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers research Charles Darwin and the process he used to develop his theory of evolution. They keep a journal about the skill of observation and make a newspaper of their learning.
Lesson Plan
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Lamarck And Darwin

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars compare Lamarck's mechanism for evolution with Darwin's theory of natural selection.
Lesson Plan
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Archaeology

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students compare and contrast the role of scientists with that of archaeologists. They also describe the roles of observations and evidence in science.
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Introducing the Use of Dichotomous Keys to Students

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars are introduced to the use of dichotomous keys as a simple means of beginning scientific observations in nature. They comprehend how to use a dichotomous key. Students distinguish characteristics of a group of organisms....
Lesson Plan
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Water 1: Water and Ice

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students examine the changes as water goes from solid to liquid. In this states of matter lesson, students observe and record the changes to water as it changes from solid to liquid and back to solid.
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Hatching Chickens

For Teachers Pre-K - 3rd
Students observe chicks hatching from eggs. In this science lesson, students view a video to develop an understanding of the proper care and needs of eggs and live animals. This is a great precursor activity for hatching eggs in class.
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The Egg Activity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students comprehend the three basic steps of science: 1) Observation, 2) Statements of cause and effect (Hypotheses), and 3) Testing. By working with an egg, students are required to observe an object that is very common to them. This...
Worksheet
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Problem-Solving Methods in Biology

For Students 3rd - 8th
In this problem-solving worksheet, students will read a biologist's observations about elephant communication. Students will write down what the biologist observed, what facts she knew about elephants, and her hypothesis. Students will...
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Hawaii's Freshwater Ecosystems

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students examine brackish water. In this Science lesson plan, students observe organisms found in brackish water. Students record their observations of the various organisms.
Lesson Plan
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What Plants Need in Order to Survive and Grow: Air

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Young scholars conduct an experiment to determine whether plants need air in order to survive and grow. They discuss natural resources, analyze slides, and observe and record data from the experiment.
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Melting and Freezing

For Teachers K - 2nd
Learners explore how various substances change from a solid to a liquid or from a liquid to a solid and how temperature, pressure and nature play an important role in this process. In this melting and freezing lesson,...
Lesson Plan
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Who Was Charles Darwin?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students complete two activities to study Charles Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection. They read Darwin's journal from the voyage of the Beagle and look at the scientific ideas that influenced the development of his theory.
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Survival of the Fittest – Battling Beetles

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore natural selection. For this genetic adaptation lesson, students discover why certain traits continue and some traits disappear. Students discover how species evolve and change. Resources are provided.
Lesson Plan
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Our Desert Backyard

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students make observations of their own backyard. In this environment lesson, students keep records of the plants and animals they see in their home or school yard. Students make notes of how the weather and environment changes over...
Lesson Plan
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Peppered Moth Simulation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the process of natural selection in peppered moths. In this natural selection lesson plan, students simulate peppered moths in environments similar to those during the industrial revolution. Students use white paper...
Lesson Plan
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Monk Seal Research Expedition

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students study data. In this seal research lesson, students act as scientific researchers observing Monk seals in their habitat. They work in small groups to record data from a video and when through they share a piece of information...
Lesson Plan
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Applied Science - Physics Pre-Lab

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students describe the science of physics. In this Physics lesson plan, students observe examples of physics within their classroom. Students create a definition for physics.
Lesson Plan
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The Life Cycle of a Star

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate the life cycle of a star and make conclusions based on evidence, research, and observation.  In this lesson on space and scientific investigation, students describe the relationships between science and...
Lesson Plan
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Photo Scavenger Hunt

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Students celebrate Earth Day by applying what they've learned about studying the natural world. In this Photo Scavenger Hunt lesson plan, students use a digital camera to capture outdoor imagery and to help them understand the...