Curated OER
Properties of Useful Carbon Compounds
Nine action-packed organic chemistry exercises are contained in this mini-unit on carbon containing compounds. Examples include constructing models of alkanes, producing aromatic esters, and preparing pigments for paint and dyes....
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Identifying and Explaining Reactions
Introduce high schoolers to chemical reactions with this series of activities. In a little over an hour, scientists observe four gas-producing reactions: the combination of hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide, placing pasta in...
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Fossils and Lithologic Units
Practicing paleontologists map the geologic time scale, simulate the formation of sedimentary rock, and analyze fossil data. Instructions for four activities and five assessment choices are provided for the teacher. This comprehensive...
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Measures of Circular Motion
Physicists become Olympians in a competition using centripetal force. They ride a bicycle to comprehend relationships between linear and rotational motion. If you have an old-fashioned record player, it can be used to help pupils...
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Qualitative Aspects of Rotational Dynamics
Explanations for six different physics lab activities and five suggested assessments are contained in this resource by the National Science Teachers Association. Any combination can be used to open learners' eyes to rotational motion....
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Understanding Behavior of Gases
If you want your young chemists to fully grasp the behavior of gases, here is an all-inclusive lesson plan. It provides handouts of detailed instructions for three laboratory activities, assessment reccomendations, and a list of...
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Air Resistance and Friction
Physics learners experiment with three laboratory activities to learn about air resistance and friction. First, they use a hair dryer to move different sized spheres to determine the relationship between cross-sectional area and air...
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Qualitative Examples of Conservation of Mechanical Energy
Instructions for series of six activites, a reading of scientific literature, and a choice of six assessments await you in this physics resource. Well-written plans guide you in guiding your pupils to experiment with levers, pulleys,...
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Heat Energy Released or Absorbed in Chemical Reactions
Chemistry whizzes test the change in water temperature produced by a burning candle and the change in acid temperature produced by magnesium metal. With these two laboratory activities they explore heat produced during chemical...
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Coulomb's Law and Induced Polarization
Engage your aspiring physicists in a series of lab activities directied at demonstrating the behavior of electric force. In completing these exercises, learners will explore Coulomb's and Gauss's Laws. Well-written directions to four...
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Wave Phenomena and the Electromagnetic Spectrum
Science learners scrutinize shadow size and quality, and experiment with diffraction. They model superposition of electromagnetic waves, and experiment with interference. These activities are action-packed and challenging for your...
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The Periodic Table, Electrons, and Chemical Bonds
Four activities immerse beginning chemists into the world of elements. They examine the periodic table, use cobalt hydroxide to learn about chemical formulae and valence electrons. Also, they name binary compounds and examine the...
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Carbon Bonds in Chemistry
Venture into the world of macromolecules with three exciting, distinct laboratory activities. Young chemists examine the forms of carbon and discover how they are associated with atomic arrangement, construct models of carbon-containing...
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The Watson-Crick Model of DNA Structure
Junior geneticists construct models of DNA to discover sequencing and pairing of nucleotides. They use the models to simulate protein synthesis and then translate the codes into physical traits. Finally, they use the traits to create a...
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Cellular Organelles
Wow! Separate organelles from the cells of dried peas. Observe vacuoles in beet cells. Watch protists in action. Examine SEM photographs. Beginning biologists get a complete exposure to the structure and function of cell organelles. Two...
PBS
Baker's Gold
Students examine art of the California Gold Rush. In this visual arts lesson, students analyze the photography and art of Isaac Wallace Baker. Students also conduct further research about the miners of the era in order to create...
Indian Land Tenure Foundation
Relationships to Places
Young historians take a look at how the Indian tribes of California promoted a mindful relationship between people and the land. They begin to understand how the Indians were champions of conservation, and at preserving the natural...
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Fossil Formation
A fossil is worth a thousand words! Individuals craft their own amber fossil of an insect in addition to molds and casts of seashells. A third activity takes the instructional activity a notch higher: Learners measure stride lengths...
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Limiting Factors for Populations
The "Bottled Bacteria" activity instructions are a bit unclear, but the remaining activities investigating limiting factors in ecosystems are well-written. Learners model the exosystem of a bear and a herd of deer. They set up a...
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Classification Schemes
Junior biologists journey through the hiearchy of living things with these activites. Using a dichotomous key, they identify common algae, plants, and fish. They design their own key for a mixture of seeds and a collection of...
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Variations in Living Things
Biology beginners observe traits in a collection of plant parts to realize the tremendous amount of genetic variation within a species. They consider rules of nature and discuss what would happen if they changed. They also examine data...
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Adaptations to Niches and Habitats
Life science learners measure and record traits of seeds, leaves, and their own hands and then graph the data to find a continous distribution curve. They compare and color diagrams of seven different animals' forelimbs (not included),...
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Structures That Reveal Common Ancestry
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, check out wing shapes for common ancestry! Beginning biologists compare wings as analogous structures and discover that environment influences evolution of adaptations. A third activity relies on...
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Topographic Maps
Your choice of hands-on topographic mapping tasks is provided in this resource. From actual map-making to viewing and interpreting stereographic photos, the activities are sure to succeed. To make the most of this lesson, you will need...