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Organisms and Their Environments
Students study a local ecosystem and research the organisms to create a food web. In this ecosystem lesson plan, students view a video and answer questions. They visit a local ecosystem and make a list of organisms to research. Students...
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Living Organisms as Indicators of Pollutants in Fresh Water Ecosystems
Students observe the effects of pollution on living organisms. In this pollution lesson plan, students observe fresh water Hydra and look at their structures and movement. They place samples of pond and lake water on the Hydra and...
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Inquiry in Science Using an Animal Behavior Model
Students observe a planaria without a microscope and with a stereoscopic microscope. They draw the planaria and describe its motion and eating habits. Students research planarias various body systems and behavior. They design an...
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Ziploc Gardening
Students observe beans germinating in a plastic bag. In this bean growing lesson, students predict what their beans will look like. Students draw illustrations to record the changes in their bean plants. Students should also note...
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Down, Dung and Dirty
Students observe the changes seen in succession and the biodiversity of a community through its species richness and evenness. They create a dung culture in a clear plastic cup from horse, goat or cow dung then observe the numbers of...
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An Inventory of My Traits
In this biology activity, students identify and describe a number of easily observable genetic traits and compare the traits they have with other students. Then they identify and describe that some traits are common while others are not...
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Desert Adaptations
In this desert adaptations worksheet, students are given a water filled sponge which represents an animal. Students observe their "animal" for a 24 hour period and conserve the water in the sponge as best they can. They measure and...
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Creating a Dichotomous Key for Amphibians
Students are introduced to the purpose of dichotomous keys and create one together as a class. In groups, they use a digital atlas to examine the different types of amphibians in Idaho. Using this information, they make their own...
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Amphibian Spawns
Students observe tadpoles as they gradually change into adults. In this amphibian biology lesson, students watch tadpoles in a tank in the classroom, keep a daily record of what they observe, and chart the growth development of the...
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Invertebrate Diversity
Young scholars observe different animals with bilateral symmetry. In this biology lesson, students compare how these animals move. They discuss the evolutionary history of observed animals.
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Insect Inquiries
Students explore the topic of insects. In this biology lesson plan, students develop a curiosity about the insect world. Students will collect and observe insects native to the area.
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Virtual Earthquake
Learners visit a website that features online interactive geology and biology simulations. They observe and estimate the amplitude of the largest wave and transfer the information to a nomogram. Based on the nomogram students will...
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What's That Tree?
Fifth graders identify trees along a nature trail. Using a dichotomous key, 5th graders answer questions to aid in their identification of trees along a specified nature trail. Observations are recorded in their science journals. Sample...
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A Survey of Plankton Communities
In this biology instructional activity, students identify and define the vocabulary terms listed and make a prediction about the outcomes of the experiment. Then they complete the chart of the observations of the plankton diversity in...
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Butterfly Life Cycle
Second graders explore biology. In this life cycle lesson, 2nd graders act out the stages a caterpillar goes through to become a butterfly. They spend days prior to this lesson observing caterpillars they have collected and developing...
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Explore Your Natural Habitat
Students identify habitats and understand why they are important to our environment. In this environmental lesson students design their own habitat, observe and record data on the impact their habitat has on the environment.
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Human Population's Response to Re-emerging and Emerging Infectious Diseases
Students examine the human population response to microbial diseases. In this disease lesson students observe population trends, write about a scientist and evaluate and defend current treatments for infectious diseases.
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Sequencing
Students gather information about gene sequencing. In this biology lesson, students use the Internet to access information about gene sequencing, then work in pairs to read and record a gene sequence. Lesson includes extension activities.
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Urban Effects on Inshore Plankton
Students investigate the effects of urban pollution on plankton. For this plankton and pollution lesson plan, students use samples of plankton collected in urban areas to observe the effects of pollution on plankton samples. They...
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E. coli and Their Human Environment
High schoolers are able to observe how environmental changes (antibiotics) affect the growth of E. coli. They are able to use the "F" test for statistical analysis. Students can explain that E. coli is a common rod-shaped intestinal...
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Plant Pollination
Middle schoolers investigate methods of pollination for various flowers. In this plant biology instructional activity, students learn the parts of a flower and form a hypothesis about the method of pollination for the flower. They...
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Insects!
Students explore the diet of insects. In this "insects" biology lesson, students take a nature walk and collect various natural materials they think may be eaten by insects. Students sort and classify these materials into three diet...
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Mammals: Mammals and Their Ways
Students study the difference between innate and learned behaviors. They observe the adaptations and behaviors of mammals in this series of lessons.
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Microbial Influence on Earth's Systems
Students identify the different biogeochemical cycles on Earth. In this biology lesson, students observe microbes under a microscope. They compare and contrast respiration and photosynthesis.