Chicago Botanic Garden
Ecological Mismatches
Modeling is a powerful teaching tool. The final installment in a six-part series has pupils complete an activity to model a food web and discover the interconnected relationships in an ecosystem. They then read about changes in migratory...
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Investigating Evolutionary Questions: Bats, Whales, Reptiles, Birds, Animal Classification
Students are guided through a process in which three questions are addressed by retrieving beta hemoglobin sequences from online databases, and using online tools to compare those sequences in student-selected animals.
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Let's Measure the Speed of Sound
Third graders measure the speed of sound using scientific investigative techniques.
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Understanding Kidney Disease
Students experiment to determine information about kidney function. In this kidney function lesson, students use the scientific method to experiment with eggs, water, salt, sugar, and vegetable oil to simulate kidney function. They...
Science 4 Inquiry
The Classification of Living Things
It's a classification sensation! Demystify why we classify using an inquiry activity that helps your class sort things out. Groups begin by classifying a variety of shoes before they research organisms and design their own dichotomous...
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Human Evolution: Biology, Bones
Learners will love a weeks worth of bone study. They use bones and characteristics of bones to explore the evolution of hominoids. Bones are compared, categorized, and considered. A great way to bring physical anthropology and material...
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Stones, Bones & Telephones: Analyzing Artifacts Using Bloom's Taxonomy
Seventh graders define metacognition, Bloom's Taxonomy, and artifacts. They, in groups, try to identify a mystery artifact using the Artifact Analysis sheet. They present their findings to the class.
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Oat Seed Lab: A Model Scientific Experiment
Students investigate seed germination. In this lesson on scientific prediction, students conduct a scientific experiment using oat seeds.
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The Life Cycle of the Mealworm
Fourth graders provide a habitat for live mealworms and observe their life cycle. In this animal life cycle and scientific inquiry lesson, 4th graders create a habitat for a live mealworm and observe and record related data as it grows....
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Scientific Measurement Exercise
Students measure irregularly shaped bones, once using a variety of measurement methods and tools, and then again using standard conventions and metric tape measures. They explore firsthand that standardizing data collection makes...
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The Behavior of Ants
Young scholars use the steps of the Scientific Method to develop and test their own ideas through experimentation with ants.
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Diffusion
Students design and carry out an experiment according to the scientific method. The experiment must test the effects of time and concentration on the rate of diffusion of potassium permanganate into potato cubes. After performing the...
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Daphina Science, The Method of Investigation
Students determine what causes a reaction in a species of Daphnia. In this ecology based lesson, students are in a hands on project to demonstrate a controlled experiment with data collections. Students use laboratory tools in this...
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Dealing with Data in Elementary School
Students follow the scientific method in collecting data. In this following the scientific method in collecting data lesson, students develop a question they would like answered such as how many aluminum cans are consumed each school...
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Death On Board La Belle: Finding Clues from Old Bones
Students practice analyzing skeletal remains for clues by using the Internet. In this scientific investigation lesson, students research the La Belle shipwreck using the Internet and written materials, later completing a Skeletal Report...
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What is Science?
Students explore physical science by conducting a plant experiment. In this scientific method lesson, students discuss questions scientists ask in order to properly explore certain subjects. Students utilize two plants and place one in...
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Adhesives: Measuring Stickiness
Students test the stickiness of natural substances. In this adhesion as a property of matter lesson, students build a tool to test the adhesion of natural "glues" such as honey, peanut butter, flour and water paste, and jelly. Students...
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Blood Typing Subunit
Students play the role of science detectives in an activity used to introduce the scientific method and the concept that blood is not identical and is identified by surface markers. Students must identify an unknown sample of "blood" by...
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Lesson 5: Designing an Experiment
The intent of this activity is to introduce young scientists to the steps of the scientific method. To this end, they consider the question, "Which brand of battery lasts longest?" In this case, the experiment is carried out as a class,...
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Do Touch!
Students explore the sense of touch. They investigate unknown solids using the sense of touch. Pupils use their senses of touch to match feely gloves. Students explore body parts, by tracing their hands and feet on paper. They create a...
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Using Your Senses
Young scholars make observations. In this sensory skills instructional activity, students use their senses as well as tools that sharpen their senses to make observations regarding foods and other items.
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The Space Cadet's Laboratory: Using Electromagnetic Energy to Study Astronomy
Students build their own spectrophotometer to study light. In this physics lesson, students explain the dual nature of light. They calculate the angle of incidence and refraction using Snell's law equation.
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Designing Tools for Ocean Exploration
Pupils research the methods and tools used in ocean exploration. They, in groups, simulate an ocean exploration and consider what tools facilitate the exploration's objectives.
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Using Inspiration To Support Logical Reasoning
Learners share descriptions of science experiments they have conducted. They create a thin film on the surface of water in order to float light objects and observe that a paper clip does, indeed, float on the surface of the water at...