Lesson Plan
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What is a Karst

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students investigate landforms by holding a class experiment. In this topography lesson, students define the word "karst" and discover why sinkholes are created on the surface of the Earth by completing worksheets. Students create a...
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Gilligan's Island

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students investigate topographical maps and match actual landforms to them.  In this topographical maps lesson students create "Gilligan's Island" to scale then answer questions about it such as what the highest elevations is and...
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Dinosaurs Were Real!

For Teachers Pre-K - 3rd
Students investigate the history of dinosaurs, as real animals. In this dinosaur lesson plan, students examine basic concepts that help them understand the history of all life. Included in this article is information on the world of the...
Lesson Plan
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Seasons of the Year

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students explore season change. In this season change instructional activity ,students investigate weather events, Earth's movement and celestial events. Students watch videos and list weather events that happen in winter, spring,...
Lesson Plan
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I Know Where You Are!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers study what a GPS is and use it to challenge themselves and find positions on a map.  In this investigative lesson students find various points on a map using a GPS system and answer questions on a worksheet. 
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It's a bright and beautiful day...Protect Yourself!

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars investigate the cause and effect of skin cancer. They complete worksheets, view presentations and discuss the various types of ultraviolet rays and their impact on human health.
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The Oceans Below

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students investigate the geological characteristics of the ocean environment and create a labeled drawing of the ocean floor's geography. Students view videos and conduct Internet research about the ocean's floor and then create their...
Lesson Plan
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Can You Get A Charge Out Of Matter?

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students observe and demonstrate how objects can be charged positively and negatively and how static electricity works. They observe a teacher-led demonstration, and in small groups rotate through various static electricity activities,...
Lesson Plan
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What's in My Water, and How Did it Get There?

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Learners analyze water samples to see the contaminants and then use the Internet to find the sources of the contamination.  In this investigative water lesson students analyze water and work together to solve the mystery of...
Lesson Plan
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Do You Want to Risk it?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the history of natural disaster events for a given county, discuss the impact of population and the risk from natural disaster events.  In this hurricane activity students use a geographic information system to...
Lesson Plan
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Sun Friendly Homes

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students design and build a model solar energy home. In this technology lesson plan, students test the efficiency of their model houses by measuring temperature at regular intervals. They analyze data and share results with the class.
Lesson Plan
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Exploration to Mars... or Not? An Exercise with Split-Screen Electronic Peer Review

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students use split-screen technology which is utilized for an electronic peer review assignment that has students justify whether humans should continue their investigations of the Red Planet or not.
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Open-Ended Scientific Method Lab

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students inspect a given problem and come up with a hypothesis. In this investigative lesson students come up with a hypothesis for a problem, test each hypothesis and evaluate how successful each one was. 
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Ancient Hunters of the Great Lakes

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students describe theories on how the first humans came to America and show the evidence that supports it.  For this investigative lesson students study given material and prepare written or oral reports in their groups. 
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Mystery of the Alaskan Seamounts

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study seamounts and the processes that form them.  In this Gulf of Alaska lesson students interpret data and investigate a hypothesis.
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Let's Start Growing

For Teachers K - 5th
Young scholars investigate how a tree grows from a seed. In this plant biology lesson plan, students use potting soil, tree seeds, and a paper cup to observe seeds growing into plants. Young scholars record observations in their science...
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Energy Efficiency at Home: An Interdisciplinary Module for Energy Education

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students examine energy efficiency and how they use energy at home.  In this energy conservation instructional activity students complete several science activities that give students a better understanding of energy.
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"Heat Transfer and Ice Cream!"

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Learners analyze earth science by creating a frozen treat in class. For this heat transfer lesson, students discuss how matter is transformed from solid to liquid and liquid to gas when energy is removed from the equation. Learners...
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The Energy Game: Finding Energy Resources

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students participate in a game in which they investigate energy resources, environmental consequences, and prices of resources.
Lesson Plan
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Getting Physical with Estuaries

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study estuaries and how the physical factors change over time.  In this investigative lesson students use a website to gain knowledge of estuaries then in groups they create and present their charts.
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Saving the Bay

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students investigate water pollution prevention. In this ecology wastewater lesson, students activate prior knowledge about sewage, then view a video explaining the waste water sewage system used in the San Francisco Bay area. Students...
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Distances to Stars

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students explore the idea of parallax. For this astronomy lesson, students study the distances of stars. They investigate how parallax can be used to determine these distances.
Lesson Plan
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Milestones in Human Spaceflight

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars investigate the history and goals of NASA and human spaceflight. In this space science instructional activity, students answer questions about one of seven manned space programs and print pictures from the...
Lesson Plan
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The Big Blow

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers identify and explain factors that contribute to extreme storms in the Great Lakes.  In this investigative instructional activity students study the weather systems in the Great Lakes and compare cyclones to tropical...