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Climate Patterns across the United States
High schoolers articulate differences between climate and weather using examples in a written statement. Using climate data from across the country, they describe climate patterns for various parts of the United States on a map. Students...
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Sustainable Development
Twelfth graders explore the difference between natural and man-made environments. In this renewable resources lesson students evaluate the economic importance of resources.
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Earthquake Epicenters and Magnitudes
Pupils work on a virtual earthquake to increase their understanding of seismograms, earthquake epicenters, Richter Magnitude and triangulation when finding the epicenter of an earthquake.
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Using the Very, Very Simple Climate Model in the Classroom
Students study the relationship between the average global temperature and carbon dioxide emissions. In this weather lesson students develop a test scenario using a model then read and interpret graphs of data.
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Floods: Rising Waters and You
Students examine the relationship between human-made structures, flood waters and the increasing population through video clips, websites and a lab experiment.
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Watch the Sky for Lightning
Young scholars identify lightning in pictures from the provided Internet site. They study a definition of lightning as a form of heat energy that can be dangerous. They state and illustrate a minimum of three lightning safety rules.
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Exploring the Dynamic Nature of the Sun
Students compare and contrast images of the sun taken at different times and viewed at different scales. They record their observations in a journal and create a graphic organizer to help analyze their observations.
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Pop Rockets
Students work together to design and build a paper rocket. They place a propellant in the contraption to make it fly. They discover Newton's third law of motion.
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The Ups and Downs of Weight and Mass
Students explore the concept of mass, and how it differs from weight. They also calculate their weight change as they ride up and down on an elevator. They record the changes in their weight as the elevator moves
graph the collected data.
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Strawkets and Thrust
Learners investigate the effect of thrust on rocket flight. They construct two paper rockets, one with a smaller exit nozzle, and compare/contrast the distances traveled by the rockets.
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Warm and Toasty
Students are introduced to the concepts of specific heat and heat capacity. In groups, they design an experiment to test these two topics on various fabrics. They compare and contrast the amount of heat loss on the different materials...
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Travelers for Trade and Global Peace
Students explore the resources in other countries. In this communities activity, students examine characteristics of their community to those of other communities. Students examine Canada, El Salvador, and India and their natural resources.
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Generate an Accurate Landscape Profile from a Topographic Map
Young scholars enerate an accurate landscape profile from a topographic map. They determine the correct interval needed to accurately graph the change in elevation on a single piece of graph paper.
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Demonstrating Erosion in Action
Students easure and record volume of water, then measure and record mass of soil. They explain the effects of the following in controlling erosion: Contouring, cover crop, strip cropping, reforestation, inter-seeding.
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Solar Power
Students discover how engineers use solar energy to heat buildings. They investigate the thermal properties of different materials. They evaluate the usefulness of each material.
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Visual Opacity
Students discover the difference between transparent, translucent and opaque. They use those descriptions to classify clouds. They create a presentation in which they show the different types of clouds with their descriptions.
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Fahrenheit vs Celsius
Students construct a thermometer and convert Fahrenheit temperature into Celsius temperature. In small groups, they construct a thermometer, write a paragraph describing how to make a thermometer, and convert temperatures.
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Learn to Build a Rocket in 5 Days or Your Money Back
Students discover the entire process that goes into designing a rocket for any customer. They study important factors such as supplies, ethics, deadlines and budgets. Also, students explore about the Engineering process, and recognize...
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Waterwheel Work
Students investigate the history of the waterwheel and common uses for water turbines today. They construct an experimental waterwheel using a two-liter plastic bottle, measure the rate of revolution of a waterwheel, and complete a...
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Apply Scientific Inquiry and Scientific Habits of Mind
Learners review the components of the scientific inquiry method. In groups, they develop hypothesis on a variety of different topics and design an investigation or experiment to test it. They share their conclusions with the class and...
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Weather Predictions
Pupils play the role of weather personalities by making five day forecasts based on data gathered from observations, weather instruments, and weather maps. Each day a small group makes a class forecast for the next day and reviews the...
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Jell-O-Shakin
Students design a tower made of jell-o. In this science lesson, students investigate what it takes to build a jell-o building that will not fall when shaken. They discuss what causes earthquakes and how it is controlled.
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Our Amazing, Powerful Sun
Students examine where energy comes from and how it can be used. In this solar energy lesson students explore different aspects of the sun.
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Solar History
Using the sun's light as a source of energy is not a new concept. Give your environmental studies, engineering, or physical science class this list of how humans have used solar energy throughout history. Assign groups a certain time...