Channel Islands Film
Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island: Lesson Plan 4
Imagine being stranded all alone on an island for 18 years. How would you survive? Class members are challenged to makes necessities out of natural materials that would likely be found on an island.
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Crash Course in Flight
High school physicists demonstrate Bernoulli's Principle by blowing on different items and finding that they do not move in the expected direction! They apply Bernoulli's equation to the flight of an airplane. This well-organized lesson...
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The Shocking Truth About Fruit
Looking for a great lesson on circuits and conductors of electricity? Take a look at this one! In it, 6th graders create circuits out of pennies, washers, alligator clips, fruit, and LED’s. Learners use voltmeters to analyze the circuits...
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Pizza Farm Activities
Students identify the food groups and agricultural sources of pizza ingredients. They construct a construction paper pizza, identify the crops grown for pizza ingredients, and make and eat English muffin pizzas.
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Pavement or Dirt?
What are the pros and cons to having either permeable or impermeable materials for building? How do they affect the environment? Use this role-play and the extension activities to get your environmental scientists thinking about the...
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Conscientious Catalyst
Young scholars access prior knowledge to list careers working with the environment. In this environmental careers lesson, students create a want ad for environmental jobs. Young scholars complete job applications for specific...
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Who Works for Nonprofits?
Students identify jobs in the nonprofit sector. In this career education instructional activity, students use the Internet to research nonprofit jobs in their community. Students complete a resume for employment at a nonprofit organization.
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The Scientific Method (Senior, Science)
Student's recall from memory the steps in the scientific method. TSWBAT describe in detail the various steps of the scientific method. TSWBAT analyze a problem or situation and apply the steps of the scientific method to it.
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4th Grade Life Science Unit: Animals
Fourth graders classify animals. In this animal kingdom lesson, 4th graders research animal habitats and behaviors. Students connect to a zoologist via SKYPE and learn about animal classification. Students blog about preserving animal...
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With Liberty & Top Soil for All
Middle schoolers compare the basic needs of plants to the basic needs of democracy. In this democracy comparison lesson, students complete a worksheet on what happens to a plant that's not nourished. Middle schoolers draw a correlation...
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Forensic Files: A DNA Dilemma
Seventh-graders come in to science class to find a file on their desks detailing a crime to be solved! As a demonstration, you simulate the restriction of DNA samples and separate them by electrophoresis. From the gel, learners can...
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Teaching About Simple Machines
Students identify six different simple machines. They investigate the difference between the ideal and actual mechanical advantage. Students calculate the actual mechanical advantage for several simple machines.
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Water Filtration
Middle schoolers demonstrate the four of five procedures that municipal water plants use to purify water for drinking. A water filtration system is designed by a student and their partner. A data chart is made to record all observations...
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Talking Trash
Define vocabulary related to global waste. Creative thinkers review and illustrate terms for the Global Garbage Picture Dictionary. They play a vocabulary game in which co-operative skills among players in encouraged. A great way to...
Learning to Give
Start Cleaning the Air
Advocate for the environment! With the short story included, learners are prompted to think about radon (the odorless and colorless gas) and possible ways to get donations or raise money to purchase detection equipment. The plan spans...
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Acid Rain
Create a simulation of acid rain in your classroom with lemon juice and bean plants to help kids study the effects of pollution on plants. In addition, learners will listen to a story and write responses based on guiding questions.
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Sun and Shadows
Why do shadows look different in the summer than in the winter? What causes day and night? How can a sundial be used to tell time? Answer these questions and more through two engaging lessons about light and shadows. Fourth and fifth...
Aquarium of the Pacific
States of Matter: Making Ice Cream
Who knew that learning about the states of matter could taste so sweet? This fun hands-on lesson plan captures the attention of learners as they use what they know about solids, liquids, and gases to create their very own batch of ice...
US Department of Agriculture
Sink or Float?
Will it sink or will it float? Learners predict the outcome as they drop random objects into a container of water. Then, they keep track of the results and record the data in a t-chart to draw a final conclusion.
Acoustical Society of America
Anatomy of a Wave
Pair physical science learners up, and have one describe a transverse wave while the other blindly attempts to draw it. Then reveal an actual diagram and explain the different parts of the wave: crest, trough, wavelength. Though most of...
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Who Works for Nonprofits?
Young scholars explore career opportunities in the nonprofit sector.  In this character development and career lesson, students identify job opportunities in a nonprofit organization and research the necessary skills needed for these...
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Weathering and Erosion
Students perform experiments to simulate weathering and erosion. In this earth science instructional activity, students view a PowerPoint presentation that includes weathering, erosion, and the Dust Bowl. Students conduct a series of...
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You are Uniquely You
Young scholars compare and contrast simple machines and their functions.  In this cross-curriculum science simple machines lesson, students observe examples and read about simple machines, then use body movement to demonstrate how...
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Peanut Calorimeter Paper
Seventh graders respond to key questions about a science inquiry in groups. In this Peanut Calorimeter paper instructional activity, 7th graders recall information from a science inquiry and answer questions that will be part of a...