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Eek, It leaks!
Students construct model landfill liners out of two-inch strips of garbage bags within resource constraints. The challenge is to construct a bag that will hold one cup of water without leaking. This represents similar challenges that...
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Sampling and Comparing Biodiversity
Learners compares the density and distribution differences of four species of spiders in two hypothetical habitats. They "sample" two habitats and then do calculations such as average density and relative distributions to compare the...
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Investigating Nets and Polyhedra
Fifth graders create a net for a given polyhedron. They determine the corresponding polyhedron for a given net. Students investigate several polyhedra (cube, tetrahedron, and one of their choosing) and their corresponding nets. They...
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Gravity and Layers of Air
Students actively look and listen as their teacher provides transparencies to show how the atmosphere is made up of layers. In this atmosphere lesson plan, students discuss the atmosphere in terms of layers and how gravity pulls...
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Fling It
Students investigate the best design using technology. In this science lesson, students construct a freestanding object with specific materials to be able to shoot a ping pong ball and a marshmallow. They have to adjust and discuss...
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Investigating the Soil
Students explore the Earth's crust by researching pH levels and acidity. In this environmental safety lesson, students identify the pros and cons of acidity within soil and how it affects plants. Students collaborate in a pH level...
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Digging in the Classroom
First graders "excavate" a story. In this creative earth science lesson, 1st graders become archaeologists and dig through a box of dirt or other material to find pictures from a picture book. It is their job to then put them in order.
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Senate Debate on Scientific Racism
Students analyze the arguments around scientific racism. They collect data on the views of eugenicists and its opponents.
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Spatial Characterization of Animal Movement
Learners identify biotic and abiotic factors which may alter the observed patterns in plant communities with different structural characteristics, climate, or environmental constraints.
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Weather Watchers
Students engage in this weather predicting lesson. They discover instrumentation used in the meteorological science. With this knowledge, they will create their own "low-tech" versions of weather instrumentation such as thermometers,...
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Elodea Lab
Students observe the changes between elodea leaves placed in darkness and light. In this life science instructional activity, students experiment to find evidence of photosynthesis in elodea leaves. Students use indicators to detect the...
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Identifying the Relationship Between Black Carbon and the Weather
Students identify the relationship between black carbon and the weather. In this investigative instructional activity students compare samples of black carbon with a color-scale and analyze others samples.
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Environment: Natural and Invasive Plants
Learners examine a parcel of open land to collect data about the native and invasive plants found there. By monitoring the area, they prevent the spread of weeds through early detection. Students create posters describing the monitoring...
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How Fragile Is an Egg?
Students design a "container" for his/her egg to determine whether the egg remain intact when dropped from a predetermined height.
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Peak Performance
Students design and build a car that is capable of traveling across the floor quickly, and also up a steep ramp.
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Properties of Materials- Leaky Pipe
Students are presented with a problem of an industrial site is losing water through a pipe leakage. They need to find an appropriate material to seal the joints. Working in groups, they analyze the situation, collect additional...