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Excavating the Past
Students discover how palaeontologists conduct a dig for fossils and how they interpret the age of the fossils. In small groups, they prepare a "dig site" consisting of bones, rocks and soil layered in a cardboard box. They switch boxes...
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Roots Need Oxygen
Students investigate the growth of plants in soil with oxygen and soil without oxygen. They discuss what roots need to survive, and chart the growth of two plants to analyze the difference between plain soil and soil with two earthworms.
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Porosity
Students investigate the concept of an aquifer and use a 2 liter bottle and other materials to conduct a simple lab experiment or demonstration. They calculate the volume of water that can be stored in the aquifer. The lab is used to...
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Photosynthesis: An enlightening experience
Students observe the effect of light on plants. They illustrate the exchange of gases between the atmosphere and the plant. Students see that plants are part of many natural cycles. They investigate how green plants use the sun's energy...
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Forests
Learners examine soil in forests looking for animals and insects. They divide the animals based on their number of legs and draw the animal they have collected.
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Which Sand Contains The Most Salt?
Students investigate the salinity levels of sand samples taken from several different sources. They conduct tests and observations to measure the current salt levels. They develop a hypothesis from the experiment to determine the factors...
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Working Worms
Students study earthworms and their role in creating healthy soil for healthy food. In this earthworms and soil lesson, students complete an jug experiment to learn about the role of earthworms and healthy soil. Students read and discuss...
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Cleansing, Sparkling Koos
Students explore the importance of water conservation and investigate how plants clean water.
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Teaching about Rain Storms, Land Use, and Lake Turbidity
Students investigate the impacts of major rainfall and subsequent runoff on turbidity in lakes. They, in groups, develop a presentation of their research and/or write a paper summarizing their investigation.
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Trash Disposal Choices
Learners investigate the use of landfills. In this landfill use and recycling instructional activity, students discuss what happens to trash and junk. They review the types of trash before categorizing a list of items they throw away...
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Crickets on the Hearth
Middle schoolers investigate how crickets behave in cold temperatures. In this life science lesson, students explain the beneficial and harmful effect of pests. They research ways to properly manage them.
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"Tri-County" Project--Ground Water
Students explore data on some of the landforms in Nebraska to distinguish between porous and nonpremeable soils. The state's groundwater is investigated.
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Studying with Chemical Compounds
Students create a foldable to help them remember topics on chemical compounds. In this physical science lesson plan, students differentiate ionic and covalent compounds. Given certain compounds, they identify whether it's ionic or covalent.
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What's Gotten Into You?
Students use models to investigate the process and consequences of water contamination on the land, groundwater, and plants.
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Toxicology 2: Finding the Toxic Dose
Students brainstorm with group partners to decide upon a chemical they would like to test, and outline a procedure for their investigation. They then present in groups their ideas to the rest of the class as well as the chemical they...
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Navvies/ Canals
Students investigate the concept of water permeability in order to help find the best material to line a canal. The goal is to find a material that does not allow water to escape. They also conduct an experiment and record the observations.
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An Online Project - Comparing Terrestrial Ecosystems in Different States
Students investigate the similarities and differences in soils from different states with an analysis of its physical and chemical properties.
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Let's Settle It!
Students investigate and record data about sedimentation rates. They make a sedimentation bottle using aquarium gravel, sand and potting soil. They discuss the sedimentation rates that they see in their bottles.
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Environment: A Day Around the Bay
Learners examine various scenarios about pollution around bays and discuss their reactions to them. Among the situations they investigate are construction site soil washing into a tributary, oil from motor boats leaking into water, and...
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Wind Distribution of Weed Seeds
Students investigate how many seasons it would take for wind to disperse seeds one mile downwind from an initial growth of one spotted knapweed plant. They construct and use a wind tunnel as part of their experiment and graph their results.
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Erosion And the Cycling of Rocks And Minerals
Students investigate the concept of erosion by water in a problem solving activity. In small groups, they are assigned either sand, potting soil or rocks to construct a mountain that will hold up to a sprinkler can of water dripping on...
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The Chemistry of Coal
Students investigate the chemistry of coal. This lesson serves as a review of conservation of mass, simple reactions and equation balancing. During the lesson, students research chemical components of coal, as well as environmental...
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Planting A Garden On Campus
Students investigate the school campus area in order to plan the best spot for a class garden. They create a map of the school and research the different types of soil that exist in order to find the best spot. The class takes the...