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Recycling Activities
Middle schoolers explain the importance of recycling. In this environmental science instructional activity, students classify materials as recyclable or not. They make posters that promote the benefits of recycling.
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Water Quality Tests Explained
Students identify the eight tests done to check for water quality. In this ecology lesson, students explain why it's important to test water in rivers. They explore sources of river water pollution.
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Weather & Climate
Sixth graders differentiate weather and climate. In this earth science lesson, 6th graders complete a KWL chart about the two. They complete a worksheet by identifying whether a certain statement describes weather or climate.
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Ocean Layers
Students investigate how temperature and salinity causes ocean layering. In this ecology lesson, students observe and sketch their experimental result. They report their findings in class.
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Weather Versus Climate
Students differentiate weather and climate. In this earth science lesson plan, students investigate the climate of a zone they chose. They create a presentation and share their findings with the class.
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The Greenhouse Effect
Seventh graders investigate the temperature change in open and closed containers. In this earth science instructional activity, 7th graders relate this lab activity to greenhouse effect. They create a line graph from data collected in...
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A Coastal Arctic Food Web
Students create a food web of the arctic ecosystem. In this biology lesson, students explain how global warming affects this ecosystem. They explain how losing a species affects the entire community.
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Eco-enrichers
Learners discover the importance of plant and animal components within soil. In this soil instructional activity, students test the quality of soil. Learners then conduct an experiment adding different components to bags of soil to see...
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Ecosystems - Plants and Animals Together
Students study the biotic and abiotic factors of an environment. In this exploratory lesson students examine the different trophic levels and how organisms are connected.
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Conserving Resources by Watering Efficiently
Learners determine a watering schedule that promotes healthy grass growth. In this plants and natural resource conservation lesson plan, students plant grass seed in liter bottles and follow two different schedules that include "more...
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Ecological Organization
Students explain the impact of ecological organization. In this web-based lesson, students work through a series of activities to explain how biotic and abiotic interactions occur in ecosystems.
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It's A Jungle in Here!
Fifth graders research rainforest destruction. In this geography and ecology lesson, 5th graders work as a group to research the effects of logging, farming, and mining on the rainforest. Students gather and display data and information...
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Impacts to the Open Ocean
Students investigate how human beings impact ocean ecosystems. In this ocean ecosystem lesson plan, students explore how marine debris affects marine life. Internet resources are provided.
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Eyes on the Estuaries
Students study estuaries and compare several ones in the U.S. In this estuary lesson students interpret data and compare the distribution of different species.
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Biomes
Students explore the worlds biomes and see how organisms adapt to these ecological communities. In this world's biomes lesson students research and write a paper about one of the world's biomes.
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Cool Corals
Students explore corals and polyps. In this coral reef lesson plan students divide into groups and prepare a written report.
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Forest Products
Students study forests and understand their reliance on forest products and examine their choices between renewable and non renewable resources. In this forest products lesson plan students read several articles, complete a short...
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Understanding Interactions Among Local Species and the Local Environment
Students examine the differences between biotic and abiotic factors, explain the difference between habitat and niche and compare how organisms get their nutritional needs. In this local environment activity students trace the path of...
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Comparing Local, National, International Biomes
Students calculate averages of climate sets of data. In this ecology activity, students analyze data to determine identity of a biome and collect meteorological data to understand process. Students also compare data sets.
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Population Growth
Students examine the factors that affect population growth such as, the length of life cycles, carrying capacity and competition. In this population lesson students conduct an experiment on population growth and collect data and analysis.
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Forest Ecosystem Field Trip
Students investigate the environment by participating in a class field trip. For this botany lesson, students attend a field trip through their local park or forest while listening to a nature guide. Students practice using their 5...
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Environmental Security and Ecological Intervention
Students examine environmental changes . For this investigative lesson students view a film then complete and activity that includes a debate.
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Toward a Sustainable Agriculture
Young scholars examine how to use ecological analysis to animal production systems. In this sustainable agriculture lesson students examine where the nutrients flow in a system and complete several activities.
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My Friend, The Volcano
Students describe the positive impacts of volcanic activity on marine ecosystems. In this volcano lesson students explore the process that causes volcanic activity along the Mariana and Kermadec Island Arcs.