Creative Chemistry
Making Soap
In this soap instructional activity, students produce soap in the laboratory and test their product by using it to wash away engine oil. Students answer four questions about tests they perform on their soap.
Curated OER
Creating Station Models
Students review weather conditions at various cities and create station models on a weather map.
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KWL Chart and Background Article
Students discuss an ecosystem. In this coral reef lesson, students fill in their own KWL chart and contribute ideas to a whole class KWL chart. They read an article as a class to spark ideas for facts they can add to the "K" part of the...
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Gorillas In The Midst
Students consider the idea of the eco-tour, and examine different aspects of the Mountain Gorilla Project eco-tour in Rwanda. They synthesize their understanding by acting as expert panelists on a morning news show that focuses on the...
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Wilderness
Learners examine the dynamic between animals and humans in the wilderness. They work together in groups share their journal entries when asked to reflect on natural areas.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Observation of Yeast Growth
Middle schoolers build an apparatus to look at how yeast cells grow by converting food to energy. They observe yeast both with and without food and see how yeast produces carbon dioxide.
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Will the Lights Go Out?
Students diagram nuclear power plant, describe process for generating electrical power, discuss nuclear disasters in the 20th century, and draw conclusion about value of nuclear power for the future.
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What's Wild
Third graders discover the differences between wild and domestic animals. In this animal lesson plan, 3rd graders chart the differences in the animals and look through magazines for pictures of wild and domestic animals to glue to a...
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Look on the Bright Side!
Students explore solar eclipses by participating in a number of hands-on activities. In class, students work in teams using tennis balls, grapes and flashlights to model partial and total solar eclipses.
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Remote Sensing
Students study the effects of global warming on specific organisms. They research the possible problems global warming is causing.
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Running on Renewables
Students investigate the costs and benefits of switching their school to sustainable technology energy production. They use software called HOMER developed by the National Renewable Energy Lab to do the cost/ benefit analysis. They then...
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What Makes a Habitable Planet?
Students list conditions necessary for humans to survive. They then mix yeast with a nutrient broth consisting of warm water and table sugar in a plastic bottle, capping it with a party balloon and compare the factors within the bottle...
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Mystical Membrane
Learners investigate osmosis, diffusion and a semi-permeable membrane. In this cell membrane lesson plan, students observe the movement of molecules out of a bag filled with sugar and starch into a beaker of water. They test the beaker...
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Collect Data Using a Transect Line
Learners learn about transect lines through a study of marine debris. In this marine debris instructional activity, students calculate the items on a transect line and graph them. Learners complete a category worksheet.
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Show Me the Halite!
Introduce middle school mineralologists to halite. The opening of the lesson involves a video and worksheet to which there are no links. However, you can replace the video with any informational clip that you can find online about halite...
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Crystals
Fourth graders use mucilage glue and magnesium sulfate to make crystals. They mix the ingredients, place a drop on a glass slide and observe the forming crystals.
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The Strength of the Muscular System
Seventh graders investigate the strength of the muscular system. They explore voluntary and involuntary muscle movement and discuss the types of muscles: cardiac or heart, skeletal, and smooth. They visit stations to answer questions...
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Forest Stewardship
Students define the term forest stewardship and they identify good forest stewardship practices. They are asked:"Does anyone enjoy spending time in the woods?" Students identify techniques of practicing good forest stewardship (taking...
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Preservation and the Power of Light
Students identify the effect of light on objects. In this scientific inquiry lesson, students use a chart to write a hypothesis about what will happen when colored construction paper is left in sunlight. Students observe and discuss the...
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Wacky Water Critters
Students visit a local creek or stream. They collect water samples from the creek and observe and sort the "water critters" they find in the sample, observing smaller organisms under a microscope if necessary. They identify each organism...
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Heat And Heat Transfer
Students role play molecules in a container as the container is heated to develop a definition of heat and temperature. They also observe demonstrations of conduction, convection, radiation, and phase transfer. Using these observations...
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Innovations In Adult Care
Students study scientists and the important Nobel Prize dates. In this investigative lesson students divide into groups and watch a program then complete a project.
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Can You Name the Four Seasons?
Students explore names, characteristics and traditions of the seasons and observe weather changes throughout the year.
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Fluidity in Motion Using Alice
Young scholars investigate how the Alice program works and how to program characters. In this programming lesson students use their characters to create a short scene.