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Lesson Plan
Chymist

Alum from Waste Aluminum Cans

For Students 9th - 12th
Turn aluminum cans into pickles! An engaging experiment has learners chemically change aluminum into a substance with many purposes including the manufacture of pickles. After performing the chemical conversion, the experimenters verify...
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Unit Plan
Intel

Biomes in Action

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
A STEM project-based learning lesson, number four in a series of 10, focuses on human impacts to biomes around the world. Groups work together as environmentalists to research a specific biome, investigating human impacts on it. From...
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Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Causes and Effects of Climate Change

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
Wrap-up a unit on global climate change with a lesson plan that examines the causes and effects of climate change. Learners fill out a chart that represents what they think causes climate change—natural and human-based—and what they...
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Assessment
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Review and Assessment: Causes and Effects of Climate Changes

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
The last activity in the series of five is a short one where individuals show what they've learned about the causes and effects of climate change. Working independently, they fill in a graphic organizer, then compare their notes with a...
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Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Causes and Effects of Climate Change

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
It's time for your class to literally show what they know! Pupils illustrate what they learned about the causes and effects of climate change by filling out a graphic organizer to complete the 5-part series of lessons. They discuss them...
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Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Food for Thought: Climate Change and Trophic Cascades

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
Learners examines the arctic food web with a short video about polar bears and an article about bears and warming temperatures. They design an arctic food web and discuss the trophic cascade that could come from climate change. 
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Lab Resource
Colorado State University

How Can Freezing Make Something Warmer?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Crazy fact—freezing liquid actually gives off heat! Young scholars investigate the transfer of energy when liquids freeze using a chemical heat pack. The heat pack gives off heat as its liquid core freezes.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

30 GOOD REASONS FOR TREES

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Learners create their own book of ideas about saving the environment. They research information the role of trees in the environment. Then make a large tree for a classroom bulletin board and put the leaves on the tree.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Erosion in Different Soils [Erosion Races]

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders review how erosion can happen by wind, water, and gravity which they studied in previous lesson. They attempt to discover if all soils erode at the same rate. In small groups, 4th graders experiment with three different...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let's Take a Rock Apart

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Young scholars take a crushed rock and sort the remains of the rock minerals into different categories based on the different properties. In this sorting lesson plan, students learn what makes up a rock and how to sort something into...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mighty Minerals-We Use Them Everyday

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders investigate the importance of knowing about rocks and minerals. They study the way in which many products are produced from rocks and minerals. Students are shown how we obtain many of the rocks and minerals we use.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Environment" The Mining Cycle

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the world of mining and explain its importance in daily life. After describing how companies search for mineral deposits, they examine the environmental consequences of mining as well as the positive aspects. The...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rain Machine (Solar Still)

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars experiment with a solar still. In this distillation lesson, students find a simple way to use evaporation to make salty water drinkable.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Classifying Rocks

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders classify rocks. In this rocks and minerals lesson, 3rd graders observe, make inferences and conclusions about rocks, minerals, soil and fossils.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Climate Characteristics of Canadian Localities

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders match the climate data to a Canadian city. They justify their choice, referring to factors that affect climate. They use the Atlas of Canada's Advanced Search to locate specific communities.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

We All Need Trees

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars complete a guessing game. In this tree products instructional activity, students view various household items and try to determine if they were made from trees. They discuss their findings and then read books about trees.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Snowfall

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Learners examine the differences between snow and rain. In this precipitation lesson, students measure one inch of rain and snow to calculate the amount of liquid water. Learners use a snowfall "conversion" chart to measure how much...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Properties of Soil

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders conduct investigations to test different types of soil from different regions of Texas. They make comparisons and identify the characteristics of the soil. The end product of the inquiry is a student report.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biomes Around The World

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore the six major biomes found in the world and choose one for further research and presentation. Using internet sources, they identify the major characteristics of their biome and synthesize their information into a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where Does Water Come From: The Water Cycle

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore the water cycle. In this water cycle lesson, students read the book The Magic School Bus Wet All Over and summarize the steps of the water cycle. Students label a picture map of the water cycle.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Does Shape Affect Drag?

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students study drag and how it affects a parachute in the sky.  In this parachutes instructional activity students build models and compare their drag. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stick-Slip Movement

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders operate a model to observe the type of motion that occurs at a fault during an earthquake. They explore the effects of several variables. Students measure movement, calculate averages and plot and graph information.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather Lesson 1

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students describe and compare the layers of the atmosphere. They explain how to measure the temperature of the atmosphere. They also explain what causes the atmosphere to heat up in some places more than in others.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spuds in Space

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students explore the effects of velocity on an object when it collides with another object. They design and outfit a potato astronaut in a spacesuit to withstand the hazards of high velocity impacts from space debris and meteoroids.