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Volcanic Clouds and the Atmosphere
Young scholars examine how scientists monitor volcanoes. In this volcano lesson students complete several activities including why we see things when using satellites.
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Thermo and Fluid Dynamics of a Homemade "Lava Lamp"
Students construct their own lava lamp using simple substances. In this physics lesson, students explain how difference in density causes convection. They solve for forces and buoyancy using mathematical equations.
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WAVES AND PHOTONS
Students examine the many types of electromagnetic waves, the concept of an EM wave, how James Clerk Maxwell proposed a slight modification of the equations of electricity, Heinrich Hertz and his radio-frequency, wavelengths, and light...
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Areology-The Study of Mars
Students examine core samples from Mars and discover what they can use it to tell the history of Mars. In this core sample lesson students create and analyze their own core samples then eat them at the end.
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Creature Feature
Learners make detailed observations and identify an unknown using descriptions. In this observation lesson students are given a creature and must be able to identify it by species and genus.
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It's Just Right
Students conduct an experiment to determine the temperature tolerance of yeasts. In this biology lesson, students collect data and compare them by plotting graphs. They explain how extreme temperatures affect organisms.
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Impact Craters: Holes in the Ground!
Young scholars simulate crater formation through a lab activity. In this space science instructional activity, students calculate how much energy is transferred during meteorite impact. They identify different factors affecting the size...
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Follow the Falling Meteorite
Middle schoolers use triangulation method to locate meteorite landing site on the map. In this earth science instructional activity, students participate in a meteorite treasure hunt set up by the teacher. They explain how this method is...
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MOTION IN A CIRCLE
High schoolers explore uniform circular motion, and the relation of its frequency of N revolutions/sec with the peripheral velocity v and with the rotation period T, and the "centripetal acceleration" of an object.
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A Bird's Eye View Of Your Community
Learners locate and identify their community by using a satellite image from the Internet. Students locate and identify common land structures within their community. You may want to include structures such as roads/streets, houses and...
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Blame It On El Nino
Students understand what the weather phenomenon El Nino is and what causes it. Students recognize how remote sensing technology can detect and predict El Nino. Students discover how El Nino effects weather conditions throughout the globe...
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Investigating Planetary Soils
Students study soil characteristics and identify properties of soils from different parts of the solar system. For this soil lesson students divide into groups, read soil descriptions, test and record soil samples.
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Searching for Meteorites
Students examine meteorites and attempt to recover meteorite fragments. In this space instructional activity students complete a demonstration on the impact of a meteorite using water balloons and make experimental predictions.
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Planetary Diversity
Students explore the infrared radiation and the part of the spectrum that is not always visible. In this electromagnetic lesson plan students complete a lab activity on the different wavelengths.
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MASS
Students distinguish between weight and mass. They examine how in oscillations of a mass against an elastic spring--in the absence of gravity, or in horizontal motion--the length of the oscillation period is proportional to the square...
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FRAMES OF REFERENCE: THE BASICS
High schoolers examine the concept of frames of reference in physics: that two frames of reference, each moving with respect to the other with a constant velocity v, observe the same accelerations and therefore Newton's laws are the same...
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Is There Water on Mars?
Students decide whether or not there is or has even been water on Mars. They analyze temperature and pressure data from the Pathfinder mission to Mars, and then they analyze images of Mars, interpreting the landforms they see and...
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Modeling Hot and Cold Planets
Learners, in teams, design and construct models of two planets, one hot and the other cold, using a variety of materials. They attempt to create the models out of substances that will actually show the greatest temperature differences...
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What Color is the Ocean?
Learners view satellite pictures of the ocean, and discuss the presence of phytoplankton and the colors of the ocean. Students compare/contrast ocean satellite images with maps and globes, then color world maps to replicate the satellite...
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Criteria and Constraints in Aircraft Design
Students investigate criteria and constraints for designing any aircraft. They define these terms and categorize a series of examples of both. Using the constraints and criteria set before them, they design and construct airplanes in...
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Particle Man and the Photon
Learners simulate photon transmission, scattering and absorption. In this physics lesson, students explain why some objects appear bright while others appear dark. They define photon and radiation in their own words.
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Preventing Hypothermia
Students identify the causes of hypothermia. In this biology lesson, students investigate the different types of heat transfer and heat loss. They discuss several practical measures to avoid hypothermia.
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Surface Air Temperature Trends of the Caribbean
Students investigate the seasonal changes to sea surface and near-surface air temperatures near the equator. They use actual satellite data to track and graph the differences in air and sea temperatures during different seasons in the...
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Geometry of Exploration: Eyes Over Mars
Students research how engineers and scientists generate linear and angular measurements with geometry to survey the Earth and Mars. They assess how geometric shapes affect navigation. A surveyor comes to the classroom and explains how he...