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Circle of Life
Learners consider why we eat and where our food obtains its energy. They illustrate food chains that might be found on an open field, dissect owl pellets, identify the remains of animals in the pellets, watch videos and participate in...
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Trout Life-Cycle Booklet
Students write books about trout, completing one page per life stage.
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Biodiversity - Does It Really Matter?
Students examine biodiversity, ecosystems, and extinction. They are divided into groups to discuss why they think biodiversity is important.
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Biofilms Are Everywhere
Learners research biofilms and create brochures. They role play as advertising firm members assigned to educate the general public about biofilms. They create "wanted dead or alive" posters about harmful and helpful biofilms respectively.
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Energy Flow in Ecosystems
Students, in groups, create a slide show about the ecosystem and answer critical thinking questions based on their research.
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Monitoring Aquatic Ecosystems Lesson Plan
Students perform an experiment to test the quality of the water in a marsh.
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The Rain Forest
Pupils explain the basics of the tropical rain forest ecosystem. They list the four general layers of vegetation found in the tropical rain forest.
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Butterflies in the Garden
Students estimate the population of a butterfly ecosystem and create a chart and graph based on information they find.
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Biomes/ecosystems
Fifth graders examine ecosystems through a variety of activities including an Internet hunt, work at centers, and building a diorama on a specific habitat.
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Balance and Flux Reveal How Organisms Are Connected in Ecosystems
Students read about cats in Borneo and discuss role predators play in controlling population size. They map the interdependencies among species. They read about flux in ecosystems and complete a worksheet.
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Two Way Causality in Ecosystems
Students complete various activities in order to explain that ecosystems are complex and that animal behavior (mainly that of a predator) is not necessarily intentional or bad.
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Marjory Stoneman Douglas
Students explore Marjory Stoneman Douglas and her contribution to the ecosystems and National Parks.
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Interactions Among Living Things
Students role play predators and prey, classify organisms as predator or prey, and describe factors that affect population growth and size.
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Smokey's Message
Students list and discuss positive and negative effects of wildland fire. They discuss relationships among ecosystems and fire. They participate in role-playing activities related to wildland fire management.
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Preserving Paradise
Students read an online article to study about the death of Joan Root. They research endangered ecosystems around the world and design ad campaigns to create public awareness.
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Animals Abound
Pupils explore the world of mammals, birds, and fish to compare and contrast their habitats, adaptations, and camouflages. Through research, musical experiences, and hands-on activities, the lives and adventures of these animals are...
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Build a Reef
Learners build a coral reef, then discover organisms that make up the ecosystem.
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Sea Connections
Students, after locating different marine habitats on a globe, play a card game about ecosystems, food webs and organisms.
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Ecosystem Interactions Web
Pupils pick an ecosystem (forest, desert, coral reef, open ocean, grassland, mountain, savanna, etc.) and design an interaction web for their chosen ecosystem. Each group shares their ecosystem's web of life with the class.
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Ecosystem Energizers
Fourth graders see how the flow of energy through an ecosystem made up of producers, consumers, and decomposers carries out the processes of life and that some energy dissipates as heat and is not recycled.
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Oh Where, Oh Where, Can My Industry Be?
Pupils conduct observational studies of three ecosystems by visiting the Web World Wonders website. They gather data, compare/contrast the information, and decide on the establishment of a nuclear power plant at one site over the others.
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Our Natural Resources
Students discuss key terms used to describe ecosystems and how humans are altering natural resources. They listen to the book, Grandfather's Wisdom, and list the renewable and nonrenewable resources they have used or consumed in the past...
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Ecology
Pupils personify ecology vocabulary and write a one-act play using their knowledge of ecology as the basis for characters, conflict, setting and plot.
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Ecosystems and Habitats
Fourth graders go on a virtual field trip to five ecosystems. They investigate and videotape a temperate forest in the school's backyard.