Smithsonian Institution
Watching Crystals Grow
Amazing science can sometimes happen right before your eyes! The class gets cozy as they watch crystals grow. They use Epsom salts, rocks, and food coloring to create crystals. They'll observe the entire process, documenting every step...
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Revolutionary Money
Examine paper money from the American revolution! Historians study the paper bills and discuss the history of money. How has money changed over the times? Activities are included.
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Labor Markets
Students examine labor markets by participating in an employer/employee simulation and in group discussions. They discuss mandated employee benefits and predict the effect they have on various parties.
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Interplanetary Travel Guide
In groups of six, middle school space scientists create an imaginative travel brochure for attracting visitors to the planet Mars. Information must include surface features and atmospheric conditions. Although time-consuming, this is a...
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Basic Subtraction Fact Worksheets to 20
Print this worksheet and have your helper pass it out. The class can use it to practice subtracting single and double-digit numbers up to 20. Some borrowing is required.
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Insulation: Keeping Heat In or Out
Students compare different materials on their ability to insulate. They identify the best materials for keeping heat in and keeping heat out. They also examine the importance of insulating homes.
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Window Treatments for Energy Savings
Students participate in an activity in which they determine which rooms are the warmest and coldest and explain why that is the case. They identify the types of energy saving window treatments and list their advantages and disadvantages.
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The Formation of Fossil Fuels
Middle schoolers participate in an activity in which they explain the difference between renewable and nonrenewable sources of energy. They discover why the supply of fossil fuels is limited and practice using new vocabulary.
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What Does It Cost to Use It?
Students investigate how electrical usage is counted. In this electricity lesson, students research an electric bill and define terms such as watts and kilowatts. Students calculate the average electricity cost per year by using a...
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Non-living Things
Very young scientists circle the things on the worksheet that they think are living things. Most of the pictures are of non-living things. A handy worksheet to use during any initial discussion about living vs. non-living things.
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Plants are yummy!
Is it a fruit or a vegetable? Youngsters place an F next to each fruit they see and a V next to the vegetables. Corn is tricky. It is a grass, so it's actually not a fruit or a vegetable, but a grain!
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For Your Eyes Only
Students complete several activities in a unit related to the eye. In this eye instructional activity, students work in groups to research information about the human eye and create a multimedia presentation. They research anatomy of the...
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UV Beads
Students recognize preventitive measures that can be taken to reduce the risks associated with exposure to solar radiation. They explain why solar radiation can be harmful. They utilize beads that turn color when exposed to UV rays. Good...
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Growing in Communities, Kids on the Grow
Students participate in an after school program that promotes concern for others, recognizing differences, accepting differences, leadership roles, mentoring, self-responsibility and personal safety. They explore the diversity of their...
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Plants and Animals: Partners in Pollination
Students describe the complementary relationships between pollinators and the plants they pollinate, identify adaptations that flowers have developed to "encourage" pollination, and create and draw their own "designer" flowers.
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Mineral Scavenger Hunt
Students complete a scavenger hunt worksheet as they find examples in their classroom, at home, etc., of minerals. Excellent worksheet!
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Create a Classroom Exhibit: Rocks and Minerals
Students bring in rocks and minerals from home. They observe them and describe them carefully, completing a worksheet. Finally, a classroom exhibit is created.
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Letters from the Japanese American Internment
Learners examine letters of Japanese-American children during internment in World War II. They discover what it was like in the camps and how they were treated once they were released. They also view photographs of the camps.
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Lakes and Ponds
Students describe and recognize the difference between a lake and a pond. They name six ways in which a lake or pond can be formed. They describe the importance and act of evaporation on a waterway.
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Problem Solving In Genetic Disorders
Young scholars explore the causes and effects of genetic disorders. They examine the phenotype and genotype of individuals and predict the recurrenence risks. Students generate a Punnett square and construct pedigree charts.
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Companion Animals
Students identify ways companion animals are used to assist humans. Students identify zoonoses and list several types of. Students identify several aspects of responsible companion animal ownership. Students design, distribute, and tally...
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Plants and Animals, Partners in Pollination
Students participate in multiple hands-on activities to explore reproduction and pollination. In groups, using a cotton swab and powder, students simulate being pollinators and plants. They name the parts of the flowers and the function...
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4-H Veterinary Science Activity Page- Life Skill
In this veterinary science activity page instructional activity, students focus on the life skills associated with ethical decision making. They describe their favorite pet animal, how to care for their pet based on its needs, complete...
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Rocks and Minerals
Learners bring rocks and minerals from home to investigate in the classroom. In this rocks and minerals lesson plan, students observe all the rocks and minerals brought into the class and answer 7 questions about the features of the...