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Plant Growth & Development
Middle schoolers share what they know about plants and discuss what else they would like to know. The teacher evaluates students' prior knowledge of plants to inform future instruction. Middle schoolers practice observation and...
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"Did You Eat That!"
First graders investigate why plants are an important part of our everyday lives, providing us with food, clothing, shelter, etc. For this lesson students participate in a series of hands-on, online, and multimedia activities to examine...
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Stem Cuttings
Young scholars select the best non-flowering stems of plants and remove the leaves from the soon to be buried portion of the stem. They fill seedling flats with soil and insert the cuttings, label, and water.
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Observing the Growth Spurt
Students notice a growth spurt in their Brassica plants and closely monitor this growth by measuring their plants and predicting the next day's growth based on the pattern of their data. They also read and highlight the objectives in...
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Harvesting and Threshing the Seed
Middle schoolers harvest and thresh the seeds. They count the seeds and compare that number with the original number of seeds planted (8) to determine their profit or loss. Finally, students think about additional questions they have...
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Bats
Students examine the migration patterns of the long-nosed bat. They identify threats to the animal and the plants bats help pollinate. They participate in a game to help them with the information.
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Growing Tomatoes
Second graders investigate the growth of tomatoes. They plant grape tomatoes and observe them. They write in a journal and take digital pictures of their tomato plants. They create bar graphs to tally the progress of their plants and...
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Planting the Seed
Middle schoolers plant their seeds and collect and organize their own materials for planting. They also set up their planters with wicks, fertilizer, potting mix, and seeds. Finally, students write their names on planter markers with a...
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Tagging Race
Learners examine and identify plant parts to recognize specific weeds, identify three different weeds, discern differences in weeds quickly, evaluate classmates' weed recognition, and discuss what strategies they used to identify weeds.
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Terrariums for Project Pals
Students identify the components needed by plants to survive in the terrarium. In this biology lesson, students build their own terrariums using materials available. They present their project in class.
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Painting Botanicals by Computer Lesson
Students increase computer graphics skills and trace and paint botanicals from digital photographs taken of prairie plants using computer-aided artistic techniques in Painter Classic Software and with the Wacom Tablet and stylus.
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Fall Similes
Students create descriptive autumn similes and write them on fall-themed paper. They first write the autumn simile, and then arrange the plants around the border of the paper. They use natural plants which must be pressed.
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Paper Pulp Painting
Students draw an animal on a white piece of paper and add a background of leaves or flowers. They color the drawings and rip up construction paper that is the same color as the colors they chose for their drawings. They turn the...
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Poetry
Students review how clouds form rain, listen to the poem April Rain Song, discuss the saying April Showers Bring May Flowers, and participate in a craft activity.
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Field Trip to San Bruno
Students contrast a weedy annual grassland of introduced species with an undisturbed, ancient plant community of native bunchgrasses and wildflowers.
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Let's Think About... Change
Students observe various examples of "change." They mix paint to cereate new colors, eat bread and then toasted bread, and match baby pictures with pictures of how the same people look in the present. Finally, they watch a bouquet of...
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Our Environment
Students engage in a literature study that helps students to connect with some of the issues of conservation. They list parts of the environment that need protection with the help of a graphic organizer. Then students discuss in groups...
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Iconography: Art and Literature
Students discover the main subjects and objects of Buddhist art and how symbolism in the Arts can enhance the artistic elements. The lesson concludes with the creation of student works using iconography.
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Shapes and Colors: Circles and Ovals
In this shape worksheet, students trace circles, coloring them yellow, then trace ovals and color them blue. Students also color a picture of a flower made of ovals and circles.
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Earth Day
In this crossword puzzle worksheet, students identify the words that relate to Earth Day by reading the 14 clues. Students complete the crossword puzzle with the clues.
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Most Troublesome Exotic Invasive Plant Species Web Quest
Students participate in a Web Quest activity in which they identify common exotic invasive plant species of the Southern Appalachian Region. After identifying the top 10 exotic invasive species, they choose one to research in depth.
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Start a Herbarium
Students explore importance of a herbarium and start one of their own.
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Caterpillar Camouflage
Students list animals, plant parts, and reasons for caterpillars to camouflage themselves. In this animal and plant adaptations lesson plan, students also play a game where they use colors as camouflage.
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Tulips: Predicting the Arrival of Spring
Students use the blooming of tulips as a tool to measure spring's journey north. They predict when tulips bloom at 13 selected Journey North gardens in various geographic regions.