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Prairie Populations
Eleventh graders practice the Quadrat Survey Technique to analyze the biodiversity of a local plant community. They compare its biodiversity with the documented changes in biodiversity of the tallgrass prairie over time.
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Acid Rain
Create a simulation of acid rain in your classroom with lemon juice and bean plants to help kids study the effects of pollution on plants. In addition, learners will listen to a story and write responses based on guiding questions.
Discovery Education
3D Printing Robots
What is water worth to you? The answer probably depends on many different variables. Learners explore the value of water in space and what it takes to transport the resource to locations in a galaxy far far away. They then consider...
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Assessing the quality of habitat for Monarch Butterflies
Students use different sampling methods to determine the population size and appropriate space for monarch butterflies. In this averages lesson plan, students complete word problems where they can accurately estimate the size of an...
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People Are Like Peas in a Pod
Students experiment with peapods to show the diversity of individual within a population. They examine dominant traits, recessive traits, genotypes, and phenotypes and show the process of making a Punnett Square.
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Historical Geography Scavenger Hunt
Learners are told that Geography is the science that deals with the differentiation of the surface of the earth due to the influence of things like population, vegetation, geology, and land use. They explore the Geography Basics page. ...
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Living in Extreme Environments: Havens on the Deep Sea Floor
Students identify the characteristics of an extreme environment in the deep ocean and consider what organisms need to survive in these elements. They research sampling and data collection methods in this environment.
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Empty Oceans
In groups of four, pupils brainstorm about seafood. They view the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch website to examine the problems caused by the seafood industry. Learners are then brought back together to discuss what they...
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From Restriction Maps to Cladograms
Biology aces analyze restriction maps to determine the relationships among different primate species and then complete a cladogram. Preface this lesson with an explanation of how restriction enzymes are used to create the DNA maps....
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Quadrat Sampling 101
Learners explore the population of grass plants in a given area. They plan and conduct a sampling activity to estimate the population of dandelions or the number of grass blades on the school grounds.
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Biological Sampling Device Using a Sea Perch
Pupils construct plankton nets to be towed and collect specimens to be examined and analyzed in the classroom. They develop research skills through collection of an aquatic sample. They write lab reports after interpreting, identifying...
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Is There Sewage in My Sample?
Students explore the proximity of the Hudson Shelf Valley and the Hudson Canyon to one of the Nation's most populated areas. They study that from 1987 to 1992, two dumpsites in the Hudson Shelf Valley and Hudson Canyon, one 12 miles
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Prairie Restoration and Prairie Ecology
Students collect data as they identify and classify native prairie plants and insects. They create their own population study using a variety of sampling techniques to determine the population density of various species. Students...
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Activity 3: Using Photo Images to Explore Life on the Ocean Floor
Students work in groups with copies of the three photo images provided with the instructional activity. They make observations about mussels and clams. Students discuss reasons scientists use a representative sample of a population...
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Tracking the Monster
High schoolers exchange fake bodily fluids with other students. They track the spread of the "infection" throughout the population of high schoolers and determine where the infection began in the class. Every student in the class...
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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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Catch, Tag, and Release
Learners discover how fish tagging is used by marine biologists and fisheries to estimate fish populations. Participating in a simulation, learners use estimation to determine the whole population from a small number of items.
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Life in a Drop of Water
High schoolers examine the structure, function, and characteristics of microscopic organisms that inhabit freshwater through collection of water samples and observation through microscopes.
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Soil pH & Plants
Students investigate the pH of the soil in which different plants grow. They design and carry out an experiment to determine the factors that affect the growth of a population of plants, identifying and controlling major variables...
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Eutrophication Experiments
Observe two different water samples and write down observations. Write a paragraph which predicts the relative amounts of nutrients, nitrates, and phosphates in the water samples. Compare water samples under a microscope.
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Marine Protected Areas (MPA)
Ninth graders explain the purpose of MPA's. In this biology lesson, 9th graders identify MPA's in Southern California. They simulate coastal sampling using candy from two buckets. Students analyze their results and share it with the class.
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Diatoms of Laboratory Indicators of Water Quality
In this science worksheet, high schoolers use the diatoms present in water in order to test water quality and perform data collection and interpretation.
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Microbiology Lesson
Learners collect water samples and use a microscope to find bacteria in the samples. They categorize the different bacteria they find, determine the number of colonies there are, and predict how the bacteria levels might affect animals...
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The Electrophoresis of Human Hemoglobin
Learners are presented with a scenario that requires them to electrophoreses human hemoglobin samples in order to confirm a diagnosis of sickle cell anemia and/or to determine whether individuals in the scenario are carriers of the...