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Branching Out
Young scholars investigate the causes and effects of the spread of tree diseases in the U.S., and research certain American species of trees and the diseases that commonly threaten them. They create pamphlets to help identify healthy and...
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Fittest of the Survivors
students consider the reality television show 'Survivor' as a means to contemplate what it means to be a survivor. They create fictional characters and explore how different personal qualities would help and hinder their success on...
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Dig Those Descriptions
Students practice writing descriptions by researching various artifacts from ancient Egypt and writing captions for them. They read and discuss the Times article, King Tut, Museum Trailblazer, Begins Encore.
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Shades of Gray
Students examine their own strengths and weaknesses and try to determine if it is a result of nature, nuture or both. After reading an article, they discuss how gender may or may not account for differences in intelligence. They...
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They're more evolved that way
Students explore the notion of local evolution, or genetic selectivity among different continent-based human populations. They consider specific examples of local evolution, such as lactose tolerance, skin color, and cognitive capacity,...
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Clearly Classified
Young scholars review the classification system for living organisms and apply it the classification of insects and flowers in the still life by Ambrosius Bosschaert. They create a chart classifying the animals and plants in the painting...
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Classifying Plants and Insects
Art and science come together in a lesson based on Flower Still Life by Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder. Learners classify plants and insects in the painting by color, leaf shape, size, reproduction, and season of bloom.
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Travel Magazines in the Classroom
You can use travel magazines as a means to address a variety of standards.
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Creative Convincing
Young writers will love examining Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type for examples of good persuasive writing. Generally, when we write persuasive pieces, there are common words we use. Encourage your writers to identify these words and...
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Decision Making and Assertiveness
Fourth graders identify a problem and write a persuasive essay, to the appropriate audience, to correct the problem.
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Gender Separate Dialogue Groups
Students complete studies to learn about tolerance for gender groups. In this gender study instructional activity, students are divided into gender groups and discuss how it feels to be grouped that way. Students brainstorm messages...
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Decision Making and Assertiveness
Fourth graders identify a problem and write a persuasive essay to the appropriate audience, to correct the problem. They demonstrate effective decision making based on positive self-worth. Students need to write a paragraph about their...
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Egyptian Mummification
Learners explore Egyptian mummification and burial practices. They conduct research on gods, goddesses, afterlife, and mummification. Students dissect and mummify a frog "pharaoh and create a tomb wall for their frog "pharaoh."
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Harriet The Spy
Fourth graders investigate the style of diary writing as its own genre of literature. They read Harriet The Spy in order to have a text for this literature study. Students use the skill of prediction to preview the story, and then...
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Nevada, A to Z
Fourth graders explore U.S. Geography by reading a timeline. In this Nevada history lesson, 4th graders identify the geographic location of Nevada and discuss the history. Students read the book S is for Silver: A Nevada Alphabet and...
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Cooperation Tag
Students brainstorm a definition for the word cooperation. As a class, they participate in a game in which they try to avoid the taggers. In groups, they surround a tag classmate and help them get to safety. To end the lesson, they share...
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Transformations
Students identify the types of transformations in their lives. As a class, they determine the ones they have control over and which ones they do not. They practice solving problems in math and oral communication that they are faced with...
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What's So Nice About Fairy Tales?
Seventh graders modernize a fairy tale, then compare their version with he original version and determine whether or not they've changed the author's original intent.
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Personification Stories
Pupils create a clay object in which they are to personify. They use their own personal experiences to help the viewer imagine what it would be like to be that particular object. They also watch videos of fables to help them with...
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Left to Their Own (Literary) Devices
Pupils write scenes for stories using their own original characters. However, they write using the literary and plot devices found in the Lemony Snicket book series.
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Fit to Lead
Students assess the personalities of Ugandan politicians Yoweri Museveni and Nasser Ntege Sebaggala in the context of modern Ugandan politics, and decide which one might make a better leader of Uganda. Students then consider what their...
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Journalism Career Pathway Unit
High schoolers explore a career in journalism while using various forms of technology; such as, distance learning via the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) and the Internet. They have the opportunity to create a final project that is...
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X Is For Wonderment
Learners engage in a lesson that is concerned with the "X" chromosome and how ti is part of genetics with the use of Punnett squares. They use this tool in order to predict future genetic outcomes while focusing upon specific questions.
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The Lion and the Mouse
Students examine a story. In this good citizenship lesson, students read the story "The Lion and the Mouse" and discuss being kind and what it means to be a good citizen. Students hold a discussion about how other animal pairs could...