Lesson Plan
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A River Ran Through It

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students research how water is used to generate electricity. They investigate water's potential-to-kinetic energy transfer in hands-on activities about falling water and waterwheels. They take measurements, calculate averages and graph...
Lesson Plan
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TE Activity: Space Shelter

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students simulate that they need to develop a new home on a different planet. They design a shelter that will ensure their survival after researching the characteristics of the other planet. They write an essay about their home design.
Lesson Plan
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Hafta Do NAFTA?

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Students examine the benefits and problems of U.S. participation in the North American Free Trade Agreement. In two groups, students represent the campaign team for a presidential candidate, one for and one against NAFTA, and research...
Lesson Plan
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Combustion Reactions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers write a balanced chemical reaction. They articulate how burning fossil fuels increase the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Students incorporate all the environmental risks involved as well.
Lesson Plan
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GPS Art

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students design their own logo or picture and use a handheld GPS receiver to map it out. They write out a word or graphic on a field or playground, walk the path, and log GPS data. The results display their "art" on their GPS receiver...
Lesson Plan
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Million Dollar Machine

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore their self-awareness. They discuss the words unique, extraordinary and irreplaceable and their strengths and weaknesses. They write five things their bodies or Million Dollar Machines can do and investigate their blood...
Lesson Plan
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Landfills: Building Them Better

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the three methods of waste disposal. They listen to a teacher-led lecture, answer discussion questions, and write a letter to the E.P.A. from the viewpoint of an environmental engineer.
Lesson Plan
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Designing Future Houses

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students discuss houses of the future and imagine future house designs. They create a floor plan, architectural drawing, and write a short description about their future house.
Lesson Plan
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Animal Adaptations

For Teachers 4th
students in groups to work on bulletin board, making a list of animal adaptations. They write an example of each body covering and find pictures of animals with these coverings. They mount pictures and label the covering. They should be...
Lesson Plan
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Saving Big Cats from Extinction

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students explore extinction.  In this biology and environmental science instructional activity, students define extinction, identify what living things need to survive, and create a persuasive poster about "saving the big cats"...
Lesson Plan
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Clearcutting: Sustainable Forestry?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the conflicts between the economy and the environment by focusing on forest management in Maine. They read pamphlets on siliviculture and clear-cutting as well as those by environmental groups then conduct a debate on...
Worksheet
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Leonardo DiCaprio

For Students 4th - 6th
In this famous people worksheet, students read a selection about Leonardo DiCaprio and complete a variety of comprehension questions including but not limited to a synonym matching, spelling and vocabulary, writing and sequencing...
Lesson Plan
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Nurturing Nature

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners identify environmental problems and their causes. They explore some of the ways environmental problems are currently being addressed. In groups students explore causes, possible prevention methods, and laws and regulations...
Lesson Plan
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TE Activity: Tears in Rain

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students examine photographs before writing captions for them. They develop visual literacy as they see how photographs are manipulated to show the effects of acid rain. They rewrite the photo captions after a class discussion.
Lesson Plan
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Houghton Mifflin Social Studies/Chapter 13, Lesson 2 California Fights Smog (pp. 296-300)

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders look into certain environmental problems. The governmental branches are investigated and how government takes care to solve problems of the environment.
Lesson Plan
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Apartheid and Segregation

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Learners view a television program that depicts the history South African Apartheid and the United States' system of segregation. They discuss how laws were used to uphold these institutions and compare and contrast racism and...
Lesson Plan
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Current Events and Fish

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine current events impacting aquatic life in their communities. They search for newspaper, magazine and television reports for information about aquatic life in local bodies of water. Students can write letters to...
Lesson Plan
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Forest Management

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the changes in the Sequoia forest ecosystem. They evaluate reasons for the changes and discuss opposing views of human activity, logging and fire management practices. Students observe a video, describe the location of...
Lesson Plan
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Lewis and Clark: The Language of Discovery

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students replicate some of the trailblazing methods of Lewis and Clark on a fifteen-minute "writing journey" through the school or neighborhood.
Lesson Plan
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Animal Encounters

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students use their visualizing and interpreting skills to produce original writings and artwork.
Lesson Plan
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Candid Camera

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students investigate the negative effects that litter has on the environment and their community. They photograph areas of litter in their community and write a reaction to the pictures.
Lesson Plan
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Oceanography

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders study the topography of the ocean floor. They determine its ever changing nature as they examine currents and trade winds. They write paragraph describing how the winds might affect land formations after the discussion of...
Lesson Plan
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Community Voting Habits

For Teachers K - 5th
Students prepare a survey about voting habits in the community. Students give the survey to parents, teachers, business owners, and other voting age members of their community, and analyze the data.
Lesson Plan
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Timely Technologies

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders explain how society influences the type of technology developed. In this science lesson plan, 2nd graders research about a topic they chose from the given list. They develop a creative presentation about it such as a play,...