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RIDE THE WILD LEAF
Students identify and interpret that leaves provide food for new trees and plants. Students cut out leaves and glue them on the appropriate
number on included worksheet. Students collect different types of leaves and make leaf rubbings....
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Variation
Students participate in an online lesson to reinforce the similarities and differences in plants and animals. They classify living things according to observable characteristics.
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Grain Seeds and Food
Learners observe the characteristics of different seed types. They classify, sort, name and write about the seeds.
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Plot Studies
Third graders are introduced to how to properly read a plot map. As a class, they take a field trip to an area surrounding the school and work together in groups to examine small sections of the different environments. To end the...
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Invertebrate Classification
Students discuss the recent disovery of the "furry lobster" to peak interest in the animal kingdom. They classify various speciments using invertebrate dichotomous keys, identifying major animal phyla and classes. Thy the complete the...
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Animals Galore
Third graders use structural characteristics to sort and classify animals into groups.
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Animal Kingdom: Phylum Chordata
Students use a dichotomous key to classify various vertebrate jar speciments into classes. They examine the speciments for general characteristics of each class and fill in a corresponding chart and then complete a few final assessment...
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Insect Biology and Ecology: A Primer
Students explore insects and closely related organisms. They examine the growth and development of a lady beetle. Students classify insects and organize them. They investigate pest management.
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Classification of Cerealites
Middle schoolers create a dichotomous key. For this categorizing lesson, students create a dichotomous key for different types of cereal. Middle schoolers classify the cereal into groups such as flakes and cereal with holes. Students...
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Seed Dispersion of Strawberries and Dandelions
Students investigate how seeds are dispersed on land. In this plant biology activity, students use a dissecting microscope to study strawberry seeds and dandelion seeds, they draw what they see, then create a hypothesis on the...
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Energy Flow in Ecosystems
Pupils, in groups, create a slide show about the ecosystem and answer critical thinking questions based on their research.
Michigan Sea Grant
Water Quality
Learners observe water samples and measure the samples' water quality. Students develop their own criteria for measuring water quality and test for temperature, acidity, oxygen levels, turbidity, conductance, sediment and hardness.
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Fish Haunts
Students examine some of the different ecosystems that fish live in. While doing this they identify the species of fish and the ecological conditions needed for survival. Students use research resources to make fish cards that have...
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Knock On Wood
Students investigate the trees of the Mississippi Valley, specifically looking at the coniferous and deciduous forests. The research of the area is part of a field study when students conduct a survey of local forests in order to create...
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Food Chains
Fourth graders study food chains, producers, consumers, and decomposers. They play a food chain game and create food chain mobiles or posters. They take a nature hike around the school and observe various parts of a food chain.
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Soil Permeability
Students discuss how soil permeability is affected by permafrost. In this soil lesson plan, students freeze soil over night, and discuss how the environmental conditions of freezing affect soil and further affect vegetation.
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Biodiversity
Students investigate the diversity of temperate forests and tropical rainforests. They catch and observe local insects, sort leaves and insects on a chart, listen to the book "A Walk in the Rainforest," and create a class bar graph that...
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Sorting and Using Materials
Students explore materials and their properties. For this matter lesson, students identify objects and describe their properties. Students test and sort materials using an interactive whiteboard, followed by a group discussion of what...
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Life in a Cup
Third graders make and maintain a mini terrarium. They keep a daily journal of what happens in their terrarium and record daily observations and measurements.
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The Circle of Life
Fourth graders examine how the different organisms living in an ecosystem affect one another. In groups, they research a specific ecosystem and present their findings to the class based on the type of organisms found in it. To end the...
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Prairie Food Chains & Webs
Students complete a food chain. In this ecosystem lesson, students learn about producers, consumers and decomposers. Students identify herbivores, carnivores and omnivores and complete two worksheets.
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How are Seeds Alike and Different?
Second graders examine the seeds in fresh fruit. For this seeds lesson, 2nd graders view different seeds and tell how they are alike and different. Students separate the seeds into groups according to their characteristics.
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Woodland Animals and Their Habitat
Students explore the natural environment through a video and nature sounds tape. They keep journal's of the unit's activities and vocabulary terms. They play a web of interdependence game and compose a list of forest animals and write...
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TE Activity: Environmental Interactions
Students design a web that shows the interactions between the living and non-living parts of the environment. They determine what an environment is and how engineers work together to solve problems. They complete a tally chart that they...