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Antarctica
Young scholars explore why Antarctica is so important to the planet. They investigate the physical characteristics. Students create their own unique treaty of governance for Antarctica and discuss how laws are enforced in Antarctica.
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Blast Off to Learning
Students explain the laws of volume and pressure, identify what a limiting reagent is and why it is important in a chemical reaction, and distinguish between fossil fuels and renewable energy sources.
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Believe It...Or Not
Students critically analyze data regarding climate changes using a glossary of terms generated by examination of climate related articles. They examine and graph climatic data, and discuss, hypothesize and test apparent discrepancies in...
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Ecosystems and Climate
Students examine climatic effects on ecosystems. They plant tomatoes and observe the differences in plant growth with differences in light. They create picture collages of plants, animals, and insects found in each climate of the U.S.
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How Coal is Mined
Students examine various methods for mining coal. They discuss the various methods of coal mining, and complete a worksheet, reading statements and selecting either surface mining or deep mining as the appropriate type of mining.
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Surfing for Earthquakes and Volcanoes
Students search the Internet for data pertaining to the world's volcanic and seismic activity.
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What Can I Do About Global Environmental Change?
Middle schoolers complete a unit to evaluate their impact on the environment and greenhouse gas emissions. They conduct Internet research, develop a list of their electrical and energy use, calculate their share of greenhouse gases, and...
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Limpet Shell Exercise
Students review the terms and concepts: evolution, selection, biotic, and abiotic factors. They come up with hypotheses about limpet shell types based on what we discuss about intertidal environments. Students use ratios to compare...
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Ancient Sun Models of the World
Students explain that many different cultures across the world developed their own reasoning for the weather around them. They explore the different cultural beliefs of the sun's cycle and to create their own story of the sun's movement.
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Time Zones and Migration Patterns of the Leatherback Sea Turtle
Students identify the different time zones by plotting the migration patterns of the leatherback sea turtles. They discover that traveling around the worlds includes passage through different time zones.
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Exploring the Night Sky: Summer
Learners explain how moon phases occur. They describe and explain at least two common misconceptions that people have about the moon. Students explain what a star is. They explain 3 ways that the night sky has been used throughout history.
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The Motions of the Oceans
Students examine the topics of ocean waves, currents, and tides. They locate and label ocean currents on a world map, conduct experiments, analyze key vocabulary, view demonstrations and record the data, and complete handouts.
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Tides & Lunar Cycles
Students demonstrate how the moon affects the tides, a neap tide, and spring tides by using their bodies as models. After students observe the model they created, they draw and label the diagram on a provided worksheet. They then log...
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World In Motion Curriculum
Students explore the night sky and its solar system. Using a Digitarium planetarium system, students observe four constellations. They discover the phases of the moon and eclipses. Students recognize the difference between normal and...
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Differences between Climate and Weather
Students collect weather data over weeks, graph temperature data and compare the temperature data collected with averaged climate data where they live.
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Conservation in Costa Rica
Students brainstorm what they do that requires land use and use a worksheet to calculate their footprint (the total area of land and water required to produce all the resources they consume). They then compare their footprints to each...
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Landfills: A Solid Waste Management Plan
Students are able to list the types of household waste that they produce daily. They are able to describe some other types of waste that are produced by industry or agriculture to help maintain their lifestyles. Students are able to...
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Beach Zonation
Young scholars investigate the characteristics of the beach environment and explore beach zonation. After gathering samples from different areas of the beach, students discuss how the beaches work and the characteristic of each zone....
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Rocky Intertidal Field Trip
Students investigate tides and the land submerged under them. For this intertidal field trip, Students visit the intertidal zone and observe the habitats and animals that live there. Students view the pools under rocks where...
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Disappearing Sand
Students discover what sand looks like, how sand dunes form and what minerals can be found in sand. They also examine how beach erosion occurs. They explore how to stay safe at the beach.
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How Many Birds Would It Take To Keep A Jackal Alive?
Students examine the role of large families in some animal populations. They work together to complete an activity related to food supply. They discover the relationship between preys and predators.
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Coral Reefs
Young scholars research an inhabitant of a Caribbean coral reef using a list of common organisms that live on or near it. Students then write a description of their organism and draw a picture or a 3-D model of it. Eventually they all...
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No Fossils in This Fuel!
Students explain how technology leads to a cleaner environment. They gain hands-on experience with ethanol as a fuel alternative.
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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.