Lesson Plan
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Thinking about Energy

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine their understandings about energy concepts by completing an online survey. Students participate in a class discussion about their uses of resources and the differences between perpetual, renewable, and nonrenewable...
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Planetary Weather

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study the weather on other planets in our solar system.  In this planetary weather instructional activity students create a display of the different weather conditions on the other planets. 
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TE Lesson: Navigating at the Speed of Satellites

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study the basic concepts of the Global Positioning System and how it increases the accuracy of navigation. They examine trilateration and how the speed of light is used to calculate distances.
Lesson Plan
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Strong Chemistry

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars research and create a poster about a gemstone. In this mineral properties lesson, students view a video about diamonds. They discuss the properties of minerals and choose a gemstone to research and create a poster.
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What's Dancing in the Water?

For Teachers K - 6th
Young scholars learn about watershed, as well as the different forms and uses of water. In this water forms lesson plan, students brainstorm water sources and uses. Young scholars read the book Water Dance and discuss water examples....
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What is a Karst?

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students examine the process that creates limestone.  In this limestone lesson students complete a worksheet and participate in a lab activity. 
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Aging of Trees

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students examine tree rings to determine its age.  In this tree ring lesson, students examine core tree samples, identify the tree rings, and then determine its age. Students complete a worksheet, deciding which of the two core...
Lesson Plan
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Lift and Drag: Principles of Flight and the Soaring Imagination

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Learners construct models of early gas balloons and gliders. In this balloon and glider instructional activity, students create models of early gas balloons and gliders, discover how the forces of lift and drag effect aircraft in...
Lesson Plan
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African Drumming - Repetition of Patterns

For Teachers Pre-K - 6th
Students are introduced to basic patterns used in African drumming. They listen to examples of drumming by Kundidzora Azim, participate in chants and repeat demonstrated rhythms as a class.
Lesson Plan
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The Distance Between Us and Them: Sea Floor Spreading in the Atlantic Ocean

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Pupils examine how geologists determine rates of sea floor spreading between two tectonic plates. They apply mathematical concepts such as the calculation and use of velocities and conversion from one set of units to another.
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The Water Cycle

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students study the water cycle. For this water cycle lesson, students examine how the water cycle works, what its functions are, and how to diagram it.
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Does Humidity Affect Cloud Formation?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners use NASA's S'COOL database to identify factors that affect cloud formation.
Lesson Plan
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Exploring the Night Sky: Fall/Winter

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explain how moon phases occur. They explain three ways that the night sky has been used through history. Students locate some of the constellations in the night sky. They discuss stories and myths surrounding stars.
Lesson Plan
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Cloud Types

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students examine cloud types. In this cloud lesson plan, students identify cloud types, observe clouds and collect data, and analyze data to identify the most common cloud they observe overhead during the course of a month.
Lesson Plan
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The Rock Cycle

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students study the rock cycle of different types of rock. They arrange cut-outs of the parts of the rock cycle in the correct order and then draw the rock cycle or research different types of rocks.
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Rain Forest Reporters

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students work as magazine reporters to produce a print or multimedia magazine about rain forests.
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Why is the Sky Blue?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore diffusion or scattering of light. In this physics lesson plan, students explain why the sky is blue and sunsets/sunrises are red.
Lesson Plan
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Mount St. Helens Shakes and Burps

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars uncover the nature of volcanoes and locate some of the world's active, dormant, and extinct volcanoes. They also discover how scientists detect, measure, and predict volcanic activity.
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Environment: How'd That Pollution Get There?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners examine how global wind and water patterns aid in the spread of worldwide pollution. In groups, they read articles about the domino effect of pollution and create posters displaying its journey. On blank world maps, students...
Lesson Plan
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Check Out Lights and Shields with Beads

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore Ultraviolet detecting beads and conduct several investigations with them.  In this investigative lesson students participate in an experiment to see the harmful effects of UV light and discuss their findings. 
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Human Needs

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers investigate human needs and how they have adapted to different environments. They complete an experiment to discover the effect of stress on muscles. They use the food pyramid to create a plan for healthy eating.
Lesson Plan
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Intelligent Design Fumbles; Evolution Still Going Strong

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students examine how all life is related and how species are classified. They also discover how traits are passed down from one person to the next. They examine the evolution the arthropod has going through.
Lesson Plan
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Space, the Final Frontier...

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students study a common theory on how the solar system was formed and examine the relative scale of the size and distances among the bodies of the Solar System.
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The Day an Egg Solved the Mystery of the Cell

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students conduct an experiment comparing human cells to chicken cells. In this cells lesson plan, students conduct an experiment to see how nutrition moves through cells and how to better take care of their bodies.