Curated OER
Mystery Polymers
Students examine how some natural substances are polymers. In this polymer lesson students complete a lab and give examples of a physical change.
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Fallout!
High schoolers plot the locations of fallout from two disasters that polluted much of the world's air. They plot the ash fallout from the 1980 Mt. St. Helen's eruption to see what the wind patterns in the United States look like overall....
Curated OER
Where My Peeps At?
Learners conduct a series of activity that demonstrates Charles' and Boyle's Law. In this chemistry instructional activity, students determine the relationship among pressure, volume and temperature. They solve problems using...
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Making Paper
Learners explore how natural earth materials are processed into a human-made product. They simulate a manufacturing process by making paper. Students review the importance of recycling in preserving our natural earth resources.
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Blood, I Presume?
Learners explain the value of blood in trials. In this DNA instructional activity students work together to collect and share information and ideas that they come up with after learning how to distinguish blood from other...
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Dissolving Salt
Fifth graders, in groups, complete an experiment/activity in which they dissolve salt in a cup of hot water and then observe what happens as the water evaporates over the next few weeks.
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The Interactive Periodic Table of the Elements
High schoolers study the different types of metals. In this investigative instructional activity students watch a demonstration on the effects of temperature on atoms and take a tour through baone matter.
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Energy Defined
Fourth graders complete activities to study the sources of energy and forms. In this energy lesson, 4th graders discuss the origin of energy and define it. Students participate in several experiments to further study energy including a...
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Urban Impact on Chollas Creek (California): A Field Study
Students, in groups, take samples from a creek and keep a field journal on their samples. They also perform tests on their samples.
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Let's Settle It!
Students investigate and record data about sedimentation rates. They make a sedimentation bottle using aquarium gravel, sand and potting soil. They discuss the sedimentation rates that they see in their bottles.
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The Awful Eight Lesson Plan
The pupils list major air pollutants, what causes them, and their effects on people and the environment. Students list ways they can prevent or reduce the types of air pollution mentioned in the play.
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Sea Ice Research
Students study sea ice and its importance in climate and climate change. They discuss sea ice as a presence of a food source for marine animals in the arctic and complete a lab activity. After completing the lab, they watch a video...
Virginia Department of Education
Electricity and Magnetism
Take charge of your class and provide them with an electrical experience! Individuals investigate the basic principles of electricity and magnetism by creating a model to test electric current and the amount of electricity generated....
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Lady Liberty
If you're looking for a fantastic cross-curricular lesson on the Statue of Liberty, then this lesson is for you! Learners watch a Reading Rainbow episode which focuses on the Statue, then gather facts about the creation, construction,...
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Urban Heat Islands: An Introduction to Energy Transfer and Transformation
Elementary school physical scientists explore kinetic mechanical energy by dropping a golf ball on different surfaces. They discuss how human made materials might react to light differently from nature made materials. This lesson plan...
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Unknown Element Project
Students work with a partner to determine the identity of an unknown element based on given descriptions. Groups use classroom textbooks, encyclopedias, and science internet sites to identify their unknown element then write a report as...
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Convection Activities
Students conduct a series of hands-on activities to demonstrate that heated air expands and that warm air rises because it is less dense.
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Energy Source
Sixth graders work in groups. They are given one type of energy to research. Students look through the different magazines or newspapers to identify pictures that show their type of energy. Students glue their pictures to the...
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Atmospheric Cells
Students recognize that the sun is the source of energy driving atmosphere cells. They relate the motion of the atmospheric cells to mantle convection cells. Students recognize that the function of atmospheric cells is to move heat from...
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Acid-Base Titration
Students determine the concentration of an unknown solution. This task assesses students' abilities to state hypothesis, develop procedures for investigation, plan for recording and organizing observations and data, collect data, create...
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Paper Chromatography
Small groups of learners perform paper chromatography to separate food dyes into their component colors. Students perform the experiment and collect, organize, and represent their data to form an explanation of their outcomes. Learners...
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Root, Root, Root for the Nutrients
Students observe the growth of a seed, predict what will happen when seeds are planted without soil, and conduct an experiment using a hydroponics system.
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Chromatography
Students study about chromatography, a process used to separate mixtures.
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Classifying Materials
Students collect data and make observations on how given element samples respond to the field of a magnet and they calculate the density of the samples by finding the mass and volume.