National First Ladies' Library
Boxer Rebellion
Students research China and the Boxer Rebellion. In groups, they gather information using the internet and other sources. Students participate in a simulation where they become foreign correspondents for a local television station. One...
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A Hands-On Paper Activity Examining The Relationship Between Hierarchical Levels Of Structure And Function
Students investigate how complex functions arise in biological systems through the creation of several paper structures to accomplish various tasks such as remaining suspended in air for the longest time, making the loudest noise and...
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Valves and Pumps - A Demonstration
Students see how valves and pumps work in concert to move blood through the circulatory system.
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Can You "Gas" What's Happening?
Students examine gas production in "soil" samples through hands on activities and class discussions, to determine if the soil samples have contain living or non-living systems.
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Invasive Aquatic Plant Identification
Learners observe aquatic plants and animals and identify their systems. In this plants and animals lesson plan, students compare systems of organisms and orally express how plants and animals rely on each other.
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Mobility: A Green City, Past, Present, and Future
Students explore transportation systems through history. In this transportation lesson, students determine how modes of transportation affect quality of life and design transportation plans for cities.
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The Envelope System: A Partial Solution
Studnet identify examples of conduction, convection and radiation. They develop an example of a building envelope. They also describe how heat transfer mechanisms can affect home energy costs.
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Life Cycle - Human Biology
In this life cycle worksheet, 9th graders complete 3 different procedures that distinguish viruses and bacteria and inherited characteristics. First, they read the background excerpt given about bacteria and viruses. Then, students cut...
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What is the Best Insulator: Air, Styrofoam, Foil, or Cotton?
Students investigate the properties of insulators by attempting to keep a cup of water from freezing, and once it is frozen, to keep it from melting. They conduct the experiment, record and analyze the results, and answer discussion...
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Disorders of the Respiratory System
In this respiratory system, students describe bronchitis, emphysema, and lung cancer by completing 26 fill in the blank statements.
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The Air Up There!
Students create a model of a column of air and discover one of the reasons why low and high pressure systems exist and why low pressure is often associated with bad weather.
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Weather Systems
Fourth graders research weather phenomenon in groups on the Internet and create a slide for the class power point presentation. They include 5 key points (temperature, air pressure, and fronts and descriptions for each type of cloud or...
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Compare Your Air
Middle schoolers will compare the data for different locations that they select and investigate trends over the course of a number of years. This will give the students an opportunity to apply statistical measures (mean, median,mode) to...
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Planetary Weather
Learners are asked what do they recall about weather. They reasearch weather on the other planets of the solar system. Students work in groups and each group is assigned two planets. They create a display showing the weather on each...
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Indoor Air Pollutant Sensing LAB Lead-In: A Canary in a Coal Mine?
Students investigate the causes of carbon monoxide in mines and other common sources of CO. Pupils read the worksheet "Canary in a Coal Mine" before beginning this investigation. They discuss ethical issues regarding treatment of miners...
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Nature's Air Conditioner
Students observe the process of transpiration in leaves. They measure how much water a leaf gives off in a 24-hour period, calculate the volume, and answer discussion questions.
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Air in Soil Administration Procedures
Students study soil and its composition. For this soil composition lesson, students study examples of soil during several days of aeration. Students summarize their data, organize it, and must be able to explain their findings.
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What's the Matter? (Living and Non-Living Things)
Understand how chemical reactions recombine atoms to create the "chemicals of life". An experiment, showing the basic chemical reactions of an iron nail or a match, helps young children start their understanding of permanent changes.
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Making the Classroom Desk a Trading Desk
Create a stock market simulation to motivate pupils and make economic concepts meaningful.
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The Geography - Writing Connection
Students examine and describe the four physical systems of the Earth. Using two of the systems, they practice their writing skills and use vocabulary associated with the different types of landforms. They predict the types of shelters...
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Breathing
When learning about the respiratory system, how do learners know what is important? One way is to use a self-assessment or study like the one found here. While the formatting could use some work, the concepts are solid. Depending on your...
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The Tennessee River: The Tie That Binds
Seventh graders examine the Tennessee River to see why it is still a major transportation artery in lieu of the age of modern transportation such as interstate highways, air cargo, and elaborate railway systems.
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Heat Transfer
Students examine heat transfer using energy efficient houses. In this heat transfer lesson students calculate the heat that is transferred between a system and its surroundings.
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Home: Where the Heart Is
If you're looking for copious background information to support study of the human heart, here it is! You can find photos of hearts, and text about the development, structure, systems, and monitoring that support heart function. Also...