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The Dust Bowl and the Ogallala Aquifer
Students research the characteristics of the Great Plains as an agricultural area. They examine farming techniques from the past and how those farming techniques are used today. They investigate the present uses of the Ogallala Aquifer.
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Get to Know Your City
Third graders research the history of their home city and how it's development was influenced by different groups of people. They present their research information to the class.
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Rivers of Change
Third graders examine rivers and how they affect the people living around them. They read a chapter in their science text, take a virtual river tour online, read a background information story, and in pairs describe the changes in the...
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Our Natural Resources
Young scholars 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...
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Native American Living Museum
Seventh graders complete a unit of lessons on Native Americans. They analyze Native American cultures, create a Native American artifact for a Living Museum, and develop a tour of the museum using a digital camera and a Powerpoint...
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Where Should We Land?
Learners discuss the difference between major landforms as a class. In groups, they rate the landforms based on the needs of the community that wish to settle there. They also discuss the push and pull factors of the colonists that made...
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The Bard, the Globe, the Midsummer Night's Dream
Students complete a unit of lessons to learn about William Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre. In this William Shakespeare lesson, students complete 7 lessons of activities to study William Shakespeare, the Globe Theatre, and the play 'A...
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And the Rains Came Down: A South American Rainforest
Learners examine the characteristics of a South American tropical rainforest. They analyze maps, develop graphs, listen to the book, The Great Kapok Tree, and create a rainforest mural.
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Exploring Alternative Energies
Students research various forms of alternative energy sources and examine the pros and cons of each type. They discuss American oil dependence and the Bush administration's policies regarding this issue.
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Wetlands: Pave or Save?
Students discuss the characteristics of wetlands and how to make them more productive. Using a map, they locate the major wetlands in the United States and color them using a key. They read an article and in groups answer discussion...
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The Great Kapok Tree
Pupils read The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry. After reading the story, they center on the controversy of destroying the rain forest or conserving it. Students have to make an informed decision about rain forest destruction.
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Indian Meets Colonist - Role Play
Students role play as colonists and Indians. They are assigned a specific colony and Indian group, and write a script and then role play in front of their classmates.
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Science Inquiry Lesson: Mapping Project
Students explore the methods of creating maps. They create a map of Animas River Park using a compass and measuring tape, develop a single map from the team map sections, and devise another map of the Animas River Park using a GPS unit.
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Push/Pull factors in Immigration
Students explore the push/pull factors experienced by immigrant families. They interview a parent and an American about their family's immigration history. Students write a summary of the interview and compare the push/pull factors of...
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Families and Neighborhoods
Young scholars explore the concept of community. In this community lesson, students explore the cultural flavor of their neighborhoods as they discuss the history of their neighborhoods and draw pictures of their family and a building in...
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Lesson Plan: Global Warming
Students explore the concept of global warming. In this climate change lesson, students explore the provided links to PBS NOW sources and research the greenhouse effect and the effects of global warming. Students support their stances on...
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Don't Forget the Three R's
Students encourage one another in recycling. In this environment and art lesson, students create a new recycling bin that would help people in remembering to recycle.
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Kansas Prairie Homes
Students read about settlers in Kansas and the adaptations they made in order to build different kinds of houses. In this Kansas settlers lesson plan, students participate in choral reading and retell information they learn.
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Discovering the Past Using the Future: Remote Sensing and the Lost City of Ubar
Students identify and locate specific locations on the Arabian Peninsula, the Rub al Khali Desert, and present day Oman. They identify other names for the lost city of Arabia as Ubar, the Atlantis of the Sands, Iran, and the city of towers.
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Discovering the Past Using the Future: Remote Sensing and the Lost City of Ubar
High schoolers use a video, maps, worksheets and Internet research to explore the role that sensing played in locating Ubar - the lost city of Arabia.
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Southern Agriculture and the Slave Trade
Students examine the relationship between agriculture and the slave trade during the 1860s. In groups, they research how two factors led to the explosion of slavery in the Southern United States. Using maps, they answer comprehension...
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Fred the Fish
Students read and retell the story of Fred the Fish. In groups, they create their own story of a similar nature and identify a situation in their community like the one in the story. They create possible solutions to the problem and...
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Go West My Class
Students find data that can be mapped on the Factfinder Web page. They analyze the data from the web site and state recommendations on whether a person should live in Illinois or not based on their preferences.
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Water Mitigation
Students identify the major health effects of arsenic contamination. They explain how arsenic gets into groundwater in Bangladesh. Students list ways to prevent arsenic from getting into drinking water. They explain why access to clean...