American Museum of Natural History
Solar System Scavenger Hunt
Scholars go on a hunt to locate objects that best fit the measurements to create an eye-catching scale model of the solar system.
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Build a Straw Bridge
Build teamwork skills while building a bridge. Scholars work together in groups to create a bridge out of 20 straws and tape. There is a minimum span length of 25 centimeters, but otherwise, let creativity run wild.
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Dayna Lykins, Leanna Prater
Fourth graders compare and contrast gliding flight and true flight. They investigate the basic principles of aeronautics. The class participates in activities to observe lift and the effect of air. Students design and fly their own...
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Warped Space-Time Model
students observe a teacher demonstration that models a space time continuum warping caused by gravity.
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Forces and Acceleration Unit
Students investigate that an unbalanced force, acting on an object, changes it speed or path of motion or both, and know that if the force always acts toward the same center as the object moves, the objects path may curve into an orbit...
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Erosion
Students study various types of erosion. The purpose of these activities is to increase students awareness to the point where they can make intelligent decisions on proper land use.
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The Solar System and the Forces Behind It
Sixth graders discover why planets stay in orbit. In groups, they use everyday materials to examine the effect of gravity of objects and calculate how mass changes based on gravitational pull. To end the instructional activity, they...
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Crashed On the Moon
Students compare/contrast the environments of our moon and earth, and examine examples of how these differences would affect their daily activities on our moon. They develop lists of emergency supplies to bring if their spaceship crashed...
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What's it Like Inside the Sun?
Students perform experiment in which they model convection as it occurs in our Sun. They also explain that convection acts where the effect of gravity and heat are present (low density fluids can rise and cool, and high density fluids...
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The Dinosaur Body
Students investigate how body design affects balance. They make simple models of dinosaur bodies using straws and marshmallows. Before making their models, they discuss the effects of gravity and the importance of balance in body shape.
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Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Sixth graders discuss the effect of gravity on objects. In groups, they participate in different activities in which they observe the effect of motion on objects and how energy is transferred between objects. To end the lesson, they...
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Don't Crack Humpty
Students investigate the engineering design process and the relationship between distance, time, and speed. Using a generic car base, small groups design a device that will protect an egg on or in the car as it is rolled down a ramp at...
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Circuit Diagrams: Switching Circuits
Use a lab sheet on circuit diagrams in your electricity unit. Fifth graders draw two series circuits with diagrams, based on two examples. A science experiment prompts learners to use 3x5 cards to illustrate the way a series circuit works.
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Milky Way Galaxy
Students simulate stars in the Milky Way Galaxy using newspaper prints. In this space science lesson, students compare the number of 'stars' on their page to familiar things. They calculate how many pages they need to have the same...
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Projectile Motion
Young scholars observe projectile motion and calculate the speed of a baseball based on the time and distance traveled. They record the time, measure the distance, and draw the path of the ball's travel on a data table.
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Exploring the Night Sky: Summer
Students explain how moon phases occur. They describe and explain at least two common misconceptions that people have about the moon. Students explain what a star is. They explain 3 ways that the night sky has been used throughout history.
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Care to Canoe?
Young scholars experience to balance with another student and maneuver in a two person canoe on still water. They analyze important aspects of canoeing including putting in, portaging and weight distribution. Students discuss the...
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Clay Boats
Seventh graders are given the opportunity to use model-building as a way to help comprehend the forces and phenomena at work in the world around them. They use both successful and unsuccessful models to make inferences, refine...
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THE FLIGHT PLATFORM
Students examine forces that effect flight. In this flight instructional activity students answer questions that are asked of them and the ones that they ask themselves.
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Introduction to Hardware
Students are introduced to the process of building a tankbot. They create a tankbot using a minimun number of parts. Students identify the Lego parts needed to create the tankbot.
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Working in Space
Students design and build one of three engineering problems dealing with living and working in space.
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Exploring the Night Sky: Fall/Winter
Students explain how moon phases occur. They explain three ways that the night sky has been used through history. Students locate some of the constellations in the night sky. They discuss stories and myths surrounding stars.
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Comparing The Earth And Moon
Third graders engage in a lesson that compares the Sun and Moon. They conduct research using the websites included in the lesson plan. Students read literature in order to make a connection with the new information. The plan includes...
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The Water Cycle
Students are introduced to the components and importance of the water cycle. They are shown how groundwater moves using a model. Students list 9 places on earth where water is found. They define the terms cycle and water cycle.