Curated OER
Interdependence and adaptation
Students use keys to identify animals and plants in local habitats. Students are asked if they remember what the word habitat means. Students make a list of three different local habitats and brainstorm animals and plants they might...
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Changing circuits
Young scholars identify that there are conventional symbols to represent the components in circuits. Students use these symbols to draw diagrams of circuits. They are reminded that electric circuits can be drawn in diagrams using...
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Forces in Action
Students investigate different forces and draw arrows to signify specific directions of force. Students are then shown a brick and they are asked to draw a diagram which will include labels for the forces that are acting on the brick....
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Reversible and irreversible changes
Students define the words "reversible" and "irreversible." They complete a worksheet that shows a number of changes. Students must decide which are reversible and which are irreversible.
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How Does a Satellite Stay in Orbit?
Students explore placing a satellite into orbit, then about forces needed to keep an object in orbit. They examine how satellites orbit in elliptical paths and about properties of ellipses. They learn Kepler's 3rd Law of Planetary Motion
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Scavenger Hunt
Students summarize the "Tri-County Project" section of the nebraskastudies.org web site using a scavenger hunt.
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Let the North Star Tell You Where You Are
Students create an astrolabe and locate the North Star in the night sky. They determine the latitude of the North Star, and calculate an average latitude based on class results.
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Let the North Star Tell You Where You Are
Students participate in activities in which they find the Big Dipper and locate the North Star in the night sky, examine the relationship between the angle to Polaris and latitude, and determine latitude by using an astrolabe.
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Clay Planets
Learners create scale models of the planets out of clay and compare them to the real planets.
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Comets
Students explore the nature and composition of a comet. They research comet facts, legends, and myths. They identify different types of comets and describe what happens to a comet as it travels closer to the Sun.
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Extensions - Astronomy Review Unit
Students participate in a review unit in Astronomy using the Layered Curriculum. This allows them to take charge of the type of assessment that is given. The method also allows better differentiation of instruction to occur.
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Human Needs
Students 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.
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Inner Planets
Students research characteristics of the planets and record their findings on Planet Web worksheet. They create fold paper to create a foldable booklet to display the information they discover about the planets.
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Watershed Management
Middle schoolers investigate the concept of a watershed. They conduct research into the concept using a variety of resources. Students take a field trip to a local watershed to make observations. The outcome is a report concerning the...
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How Much Do You Really Weigh?
Sixth graders check to see how their weights differ if they weighed themselves on different planets. They record their findings on a data sheet.
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Micro-organisms
Learners examine how micro-organisms are living organisms that are often too small to be seen. They explain that micro-organisms may be beneficial or harmful.
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Forces in Action
Students ask questions that can be investigated scientifically. They determine how to plan a fair test by changing one factor while keeping other factors the same, to use measurements to draw conclusions and use scientific knowledge to...
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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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"Tri-County" Project--Ogallala Aquifer
Students explore the Ogallala Aquifer in the state of Nebraska. The signs of pollution found are examined and the data classified.
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"Tri-County" Project--Rivers Lakes Reservoirs
Students examine data about the rivers, lakes, and reservoirs in the state of Nebraska. An understanding of the political implications of boundaries is developed.
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Tri-County Project: Precipitation
Students examine and research the annual rainfall in Nebraska. They create a map of the annual rainfall in Nebraska and use the map to develop explanations of settlement.
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"Tri-County" Project--Water Cycle
Students analyze the parts of the water cycle through research and experimentation. Particular attention is paid to the processes of evaporation and condensation.
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"Tri-County" Project--Well in a Cup
Students construct a model of a well to identify how water is brought to the surface. Signs of pollution are investigated.
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The Sky Show
Students use lecture and research to answer the question: Why is the sky blue? students research a variety of other sky phenomena, chart their observations and participate in experiments.