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Get a Half-life!
Students use m&m candies as their sample set. They begin by counting the total number of candies to determine their sample size. Students put the candies into a cup and shake them gently before pouring them onto a paper plate. Count...
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Taking Apart Electrical Appliances
Students apply the scientific method to the act of taking apart appliances. In this scientific process lesson plan, students disassemble appliances to learn how their components work together.
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Frosty the Snowman Meets His Demise: An Analogy to Carbon Dating
Students read and discuss an article about carbon dating, then participate in a hands-on lab to discover how carbon dating works. Students also write a letter to a friend explaining the process, and how archeologists use the process to...
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THE CHERNOBYL DISASTER
Young scholars explore how a nuclear accident can affect biological systems. They examine the case of the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown in 1986.
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Pollution Solutions
Young scholars explore the role of chemicals in the pollution and destruction of ecosystems. They research factors that affect ecosystems and the methods being employed to counter them. In addition, they choose one water ecosystem that...
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Fossil Inferences
Fourth graders use their knowledge about fossils to arrange fossil pictures in sequence from oldest to youngest. They explain how fossils can be used to make inferences about past life, climate, geology, and environments and discover...
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In Search of Cosmic Rays
Students compare rates to altitude. They conduct a class discussion about the results.
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Pieces of Mind: Remembering What Matters
Students watch the program "Pieces of Mind" from PBS and participate in a class discussion about PET scans and their advantages. Students then brainstorm activities a PET scan could be used for.
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Help Wanted: A Lighting Engineer For Popular Rock Group
Learners are assigned to groups, and determine each member's role in the group. They will design an experiment to determine a way to produce the three primary and five secondary colors. Students discuss color and mood. They listen to a...
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Who Was Here First? Relative Dating
Students read about and complete question activities for the topic of relative dating. In this relative dating lesson, students read information for the topic and then complete two activities to further their understanding of geologic...
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Thermal Waters & Geologic Provinces
Students investigate thermal waters and geologic provinces. They examine provided maps of geothermal springs and thermal wells in the state of Idaho and their locations relative to Idaho's geologic provinces. Afterward, they use the maps...
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Volcanoes
Students study volcanoes. In this volcanoes activity, students read several volcano paragraphs and study the pictures or diagrams. Students then make an erupting volcano, complete website research about volcanoes, and answer several...
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Hazardous Waste
Students define technology and relate the definition to the production of electricity using nuclear energy. They also list the technologies involved and relate the use of these technologies to their effect on society in general, and...
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Half-Life Lab
Middle schoolers participate in a lab in which they are introduced to carbon-dating. In groups, they use the holes of paper from a hole puncher and determine the rate of retention after shaking coins onto the same area. They record...
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Date a Rock!
Students figure the number of half-lives since the sample solidified, and therefore the "age" of the sample rocks.
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Geologic Time: Relative and Absolute Dating
Students investigate relative and absolute dating; determine the difference between the two dating systems; and apply this knowledge by creating a geologic timetable of their own.
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How Sensitive Are The Lungs to Radon?
Students examine the effects of radon on the lungs. They review pictures of the lungs on a large and small scale. They work together to answer questions to complete the lesson.