Lesson Plan
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Electron Sqare Dance

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students participate in an Electron Square Dance in which they act the part of atoms. They follow the structure of different atoms suggested by the teacher.
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Symbols from History: Mesopotamia Today

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify the various symbols different nations use to represent themselves. As a class, they discuss the recent events in Iraq and identify the needs of its people. They use print resources to research various Mesopotamian...
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What is a Watershed?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students create a classroom size model of a landscape to define the concept of a river watersheds. They spread crumbled newspapers around the floor to simulate different elevations then cover the whole landscape with a sheet. They pour...
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Explain Your Vote!

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students improve their essay writing skills using the subject of voting as a topic. In this writing essays lesson, students write expository essays to increase the weight of their vote in the 'Cast Your Vote Poll' for the Trans-Amazon...
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Cultural Comparison

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students choose from a group of entries about the culture of Peru. In this Peruvian culture lesson, students understand the definition of culture. Students describe the culture of Peru researched in the entry and complete a worksheet.
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Indentured Servants

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Learners read the article, "Misery." and take notes about reasons immigrants came to America, their physical treatment on the journey, living conditions when they arrived in America, and benefits at the conclusion of servitude. Students...
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Math Activity File

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders describe the difference between area and volume and also explain how various units of measure relate to one another.
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Modernizing a Traditional Irish Folktale

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students write their own folktales based on "Cathal O'Cruachan and the Cowherd." In discussions they examine the animal symbolism in the story, as well as the characters, events, problems, and solution. With partners, they select...
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Praire Biome Models

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders, in groups, list the physical characteristics of a biome and think of ways in which animals might have to adapt to live there and make a biome mobile ball that show the different types of habitats that shape the praire biome.
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Illinois County Dragonfly Poster

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students identify the dragonflies found in their Illinois County by using the Odonata database list to find the scientific names, searching field guides and the Internet for (1) the common name (2) description (3) life habits and (4) a...
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Comparison of Political Life

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students research and compare and contrast the political leadership of three cultures.
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What's up with the weather?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students use the weather as a context for collecting data and making interpretations based upon the observations. The scientific method is also taught to give them a way to conduct the data collection.
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Life before Congress

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students name some interesting backgrounds of Members of Congress, identify their current representatives in the legislative branch of the national government, and describe the background of one local representative or senator.
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Using the Software Program "Kid-Pix"

For Teachers K - 8th
Students create a slideshow using the software program Kid-Pix. They use the differences in rocks and minerals for their presentation. They also demonstrate different ways to import and save pictures using the program.
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Cast of Characters Lesson Plan: Comparing Artists

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students choose an artist, examine a painting, read a statement of the artist and their biography. They research the artist using the World Wide Web, books, encyclopedias, art, prints or magazines. They write an essay using their notes.
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Cast of characters -- Lost in Space Lesson

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students examine how artists use the picture plane to depict two and three dimensions. They view online images, discuss how space is used to depict three-dimensional space, and create a painting.
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Ferde Grofe

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students participate in three different activities centered around Ferde Grofe. The different lessons are used to introduce music and the artist to the class. They listen to stories that music tells, and create their own sand painting...
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Sadorus Lesson Plan: The American Farm as Portrayed by Artists

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students describe how artists painted American farms in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. They identify idealized, nostalgic, and realistic views of farming through discussion, bringing into play their own knowledge of farms today.
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Lincoln's Political Theology

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students continue to examine the events of the Civil War. Using primary source documents, they identify how Lincoln's religious beliefs affected the decisions he made during this time period. They discuss the meaning of his "Meditation...
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OUT OF THIS WORLD AND INTO OUR CLASSROOM

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars create projects on Astronomy using math concepts and use of Internet resources.
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Earthquakes of the World

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students observe data of earthquakes with a magnitude of 7 or greater on the Richter scale from 1900-1989. The data is evaluated and assumptions are made about the interpretation.
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Co-evolution of Plants and Pollinators

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore biological evolution and natural selection and its evolutionary consequences. They also explore how organisms are interdependent on one another.
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Looking to Our Environment

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders studied an environmental region in Illinois. The wetlands, swamps, woodlands and prairies were chosen. They research this region and create a picture that looks as if they are looking out the window. They had to have at...
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Prairie Plants Lab

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students recognize and identify 3 grasses and 9 common forbs of the fermilab prairie and which were common in IL, identify using resources and write 3 critical attributes of each plant.