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Salmon Vs. Dams: the Dam Removal Debate on the Elwha River
Learners role-play a meeting of the Elwha River council in which they present opposing views to council members on hydroelectric power and salmon fisheries resources. They brainstorm possible conflicts between various people in land-use...
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A Bracero Protests Low Pay and Discrimination
In this primary source analysis instructional activity, students analyze an interview with a bracero. Students respond to 3 short answer questions based on the interview.
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A Model Aquifer
Students build a model that depicts how water is stored in an aquifer. They examine ways in which groundwater can become contaminated.
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Relative Dating - Telling Time Using Fossils
Students use fossil range charts to explain relative dating. They graph for ammonites, marine organisms that went extinct at the same time as dinosaurs.
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Non Native Species: English Ivy-Landscape Plant or Deadly Killer?
Young scholars examine an area overrun by English Ivy. They explore how invasive species affect an ecosystem. They also study about the lack of biodiversity and how to measure it out in the field.
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Economic Use of Public Natural Areas
Students examine the public controversy between the use of public natural areas for economic activities by viewing video clips, researching on the Internet, and calculating sustainable land.
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Floods: Rising Waters and You
Students examine the relationship between human-made structures, flood waters and the increasing population through video clips, websites and a lab experiment.
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Co-evolution of Plants and Pollinators
Young scholars, while studying the rolls of pollinators and plants, explore co-evolution of mutualistic relationships.
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Ecotourism in National Parks and Wilderness
Middle schoolers research a wilderness or natural area and develop a plan for ecotourism.
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Threatened Species and Public Policy
Middle schoolers discuss the Endangered Species Act and its impact on people and the environment. They read the act and watch video footage. They examine why sea turtles are endangered and efforts to protect them. They analyze numerical...
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Salmon vs. Dams: The Dam Removal Debate on the Elwha River
Learners use roll playing to discuss the merits of tearing down these dams so that the Elwha River can run free. The activity is presented in the form of a council meeting to encourage students to try to build consensus in finding...
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Volcanoes:How Safe Are They?
Students explore volcanoes, locate them on maps, record general information about volcanoes, and organize information on a fact sheet.
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Testing the Caverns
Students build model caverns using paper mache or clay and bury them in a tray of sand. They test the models by dropping balls onto them to simulate an asteroid hitting the earth. They evaluate the effectiveness of a structure against...
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Whose River Is It?
Students explore the world around them through authors, poets, and artists eyes and ears as it relates to them with the river theme. They examine and interpret conditions that might affect the river. Students read books about rivers....
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This Land is my Land-Westward Expansion During Reconstruction
Students analyze policies regarding Native American territories during Westward Expansion. In this Reconstruction lesson, students research primary and secondary sources pertaining to the transfer of Native American land. Students take...
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Iowa: Reading Comprehension
In this Iowa reading comprehension activity, students read a 2-page selection regarding the state and then respond to 10 true or false questions.
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Ben Franklin
Students study Ben Franklin and why he was an important person in our country's development. They draw a picture of him by following step by step oral instructions.
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Charles R. Savage Lesson Plan Ideas
Students explore works by English photographer Charles R. Savage. In this visual arts lesson, students investigate photography by Savage as they discuss the use of perspective, space, color, and texture.
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Fire and Fire Suppression
Students explore forest fires and forest service's new stategies. They study a case of natural burn and the impact of lowering the intensity of a larger forest fire.
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Native Species Restoration and its Impact on Local Populations
High schoolers watch video clips of ecosystems and answer questions relating to them.
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Volcanoes: How Safe Are They?
Students explore the most dangerous volcanoes on Earth, plot their locations, and research different volcanic hazards.
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Possible Locations
Students create maps with cutout pieces of paper that represent caverns. They develop a scale for their map and decide where the best location is to live. They discover the importance of map reading skills.
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Scaling the Map
Students practice determining map distances using the map scales. They discover how much an area represents on the map in relation to the actual area. They decide on the best place to build their cavern.
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Spark Activity: Louisiana Line Dance
Students learn and practice 1 step at a time of the Louisiana Line Dance, then put all steps together and practice the dance to music.