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Medicine, Technology and Society
Students compare and contrast traditional Chinese and contemporary Western approaches to medicine. They bring a rational and scientific approach to the evaluation of alternative medicines. They study acupuncture from a Chinese and...
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Ecotourism in National Parks and Wilderness
Students develop a plan for ecotourism after researching a nearby national park or wild area.
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The Earth Moves Under My Feet
Students study earthquakes, monitor seismic activity using the Web, and plot real-time activity. They examine movement of the Earth's tectonic plates. They create an earthquake preparedness project.
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Environmental Health Hazards and Children
Students are introduced to the environmental hazards their community is facing. In groups, they develop a list of the ways humans have changed the Earth and how these changes have lead to environmental hazards. They record their...
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Discover a Pond Food Web
Students study the biodiversity of animal life in a pond. They investigate the interdependence between pond organisms by completing a pond dipping activity and completing a checklist.
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Fossil Inferences
Fourth graders use their knowledge about fossils to arrange fossil pictures in sequence from oldest to youngest. They explain how fossils can be used to make inferences about past life, climate, geology, and environments and discover...
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Primary Lessons for Grades K-2
Students study wildlife and identify similarities and differences between their home and wild environments. In this wildlife lesson plan, students make connections between wildlife and wildlife habitats. Students then build knowledge...
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Teacher's Plant Collection Guide
Young scholars explore a variety of guidelines that involve collecting plants in a responsible manner and participate in a plant pressing activity. In this teacher's plant collection guide lesson, students collect data regarding plants,...
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Reaching Across Borders In Southern Africa
Students gain a greater understanding of how political borders impact human and environmental development. Then, either individually or as a class, establish a correspondence with a Peace Corps volunteer working in Africa.
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Oil Spill
Students explore an important role of environmental engineers by studying the Exxon Valdez oil spill. They experiment with different strategies in order to clean up their own manufactured oil spill.
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Three D Constellations
Students address a major misconception in astronomy, the understanding of scale. The lesson plan is designed to introduce students to both celestial coordinates and to the first rung on the distance determination ladder, parallax.
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A Mendel Seminar
Students analyze Gregor Mendel's discovery of a process of biological evolution. They also explore how recessive and dominant traits are passed from one generation of living organisms to the next. This lesson involves environment...
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Tornadoes
Middle schoolers examine the characteristics of a tornado. They practice using new vocabulary and participate in a question and answer session. They use the internet to gather more specific information.
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Flambe Elements
Eighth graders discuss atoms and electrons as well as atoic structure. They view atomic structure via the computer. Students watch a demonstration in which the teacher demonstrates glass tubing turning yellow in a Bunsen Burner flame....
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Rock and Their Properties: Days 2-4
Students engage in cooperative research projects in order to study about the properties of the three basic rock types and the processes that form them. They plan and develop their products.with the resources for conducting their...
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Simple Harmonic Motion with Dr. DAQ
Young scholars study the work and accomplishment of Galileo. In this physics lesson, students calculate the period of a pendulum's using a mathematical equation. They explain the different factors affecting its period.
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Gorillas In The Midst
Students consider the idea of the eco-tour, and examine different aspects of the Mountain Gorilla Project eco-tour in Rwanda. They synthesize their understanding by acting as expert panelists on a morning news show that focuses on the...
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Hunting Invertebrate Fossils in the Classroom
Students acquire a general knowledge of fossils and paleontology, the study of evidence of life in the past and identify the major invertebrate groups (phyla) commonly found in the fossil record.
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Digging into the Past
Students discover how fossils are found and how they help scientists reconstruct the past. They examine how they shed light on what kinds of animals and plants lived over the years, when they lived, and under what environmental conditions.
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How To Make a Mummy
Young scholars explore the process of mummification through a British website. They read about why the process began and how it is done. They can follow along in the process in how to make a mummy as well.
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The African and the Pequot in Colonial America
Students determine that the lands the English settled on were owned and inhabited by 70,000 Indians. They consider that the London Company sold land charters to the English, which gave them illegal title to lndian land and that the...
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Digging Detectives
Students experience exploring an archaeological site utilizing various archaeological methods and techniques to help them synthesize multiple aspects of past life and culture to today. They explore what an archaeologist can learn from an...
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Crinoids: Flowers f the Iowa Seas
Students study the rocks and fossils associated with the geologic landscape of Iowa. In this rocks and fossils lesson, students examine fossils that would be found in the Iowa landscape that show evidence of marine invertebrates such as...
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Reducing the Impact of Drought
Students study the impact of drought and improve their writing skills. For this reducing the impact of drought lesson, students investigate various matters pertaining to drought. They share their findings and build knowledge about ways...