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Defining Drought
Students examine the hydrologic impacts of drought. They look at drought from a variety of prespectives. Students first focus on the scientific definition of drought, including weather patterns, water cycles, water requirements by plants...
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Ecosystems and Climate
Pupils examine climatic effects on ecosystems. They plant tomatoes and observe the differences in plant growth with differences in light. They create picture collages of plants, animals, and insects found in each climate of the U.S.
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Food Webs
Students research rainforest animals and use that information to make a flow chart to show the order in which energy is transferred through several organisms. They label the producers, consumers, and decomposers in their chart.
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Totally Tundra
In this tundra worksheet, students read about tundras and the plants and animals that live in tundras. They then use what they learned to answer the 10 questions on the page. The answers are on the last page.
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Ride the Wild Leaf Cycle
Fourth graders complete a worksheet. In this life cycle lesson, 4th graders learn about the leaf cycle and complete a worksheet where they put the leaf cycle steps in the correct order.
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Forest Ecology or Who Lives Here?
Students explore a hardwood forest. In this forest ecology lesson, students examine the diversity and animals and plants as they explore their habitats at Poricy Park Conservatory. Students determine how biodiversity and abiotic elements...
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Wonderful Wetlands
Fourth graders create a model of Utah wetlands using clay, sponges and soil. They identify the value the wetlands have to plants and animals. They simulate rainfall to observe how wetlands help filter silt and pollutants from the water.
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Ecological Impact of Wood Extraction
Students explore their local environment by conducting a class experiment. In this deforestation activity, students discuss the effects of wood harvesting on forests around the world and research environment related vocabulary terms....
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School Site Ecosystem
Fourth graders are introduced to the concept of ecosystem; specifically, the interrelationships among plants and animals within an ecosystem, and their relationships to the environment in which they live and interact.
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Renewable vs. Non-Renewable Resources
Fifth graders, after brainstorming why conservation of resources is important, distinguish between renewable and non-renewable resources. They make a list of different types of natural resources on the board and then sort them into two...
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LOOKING AT LAWNS
Young scholars investigate the importance of plants to animals by exploring their own schoolyard. They record relevant observations, findings, and measurements, using written language, drawings, charts, and graphs. They describe ways...
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Invertebrates and Vertebrate Evolution
Students explore the major characteristics of the major animal phyla. They describe adaptive features that have contributed to the success of animals on land. Students explain how primate evolution provides a context for understanding...
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Land of No Trees
In this Land of No Trees learning exercise, learners read a passage titled "Land of No Trees" about the Arctic Tundra and complete an experiment and short answer questions about it. Students complete an experiment with a plastic...
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Plant Identification Pictionary
Young scholars examine ecosystems and the variety of plants and animals that can be found in them. For this plant identification lesson students identify the basic parts of a plant and categorize them according to their...
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The Extraordinary Life of the Alaskan Tundra
Students investigate the characteristics of the tundra on the North Slope of Alaska. They conduct Internet research, develop a chart of the types of vegetation, plant growth, and fauna found on the tundra, identify examples in their own...
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Recyclers to the Rescue
Fifth graders examine the concept of the food chain and define producer, consumer, herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore. They draw a food chain for a mouse and discuss the different organisms involved in the chain, and conduct an...
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Collecting Compost
Students observe a composting box. In this soil lesson, students create a composting bin by using a bin, newspaper, worms, and food scraps. Students create a composting food web.
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Biodiversity
Students complete activities to study the importance of biodiversity. In this biodiversity activity, students find images to categorize into organism groups and illustrate their interconnections. Students use measurement tools to study a...
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Fourth graders discover the differences between: reduce, reuse, and recycle by performing hands on examinations. They list what would happen to the soil if we allowed the earth to wash away and briefly discuss the meaning of erosion.
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Acid Rain: Where Have All the Rainbows Gone?
Students study the pH scale and sources of acid precipitation. In this acid rain lesson students complete a lab on acid rain then complete a handout.
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Rotten Truth
Students complete activities to study decomposition. In this decomposition lesson, students work in pairs to observe a decay buffet experiment. Students keep compost bag journals. Students define and discuss the process of decomposition.
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Science: Where the Worms Live
Young scholars build mine-earthworm habitats to discover their niche in them. They make predictions about what the niche looks like in a week and draw a picture of it. Students notice the tunnels in the soil and how the sand and dirt...
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The Nitrogen Cycle
Fifth graders investigate the nitrogen cycle and examine the concepts of decomposition and nitrification. Students participate in a class discussion about the creation of waste and ammonia compounds, then using nitrogen cycle cut-outs...
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Survival of the Spiniest
In this earth science worksheet, students identify and discover the amazing ways that desert plants adapt to harsh habitats. They use discussion and drawing to explore their existing knowledge about deserts. Then, students respond to 15...