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Water: The Liquid of Life
Sixth graders complete a lesson on the properties, types and amounts of water on Earth. In groups, they travel between stations to identify water resources in Illinois and pollution sources. They complete the lesson with a field trip...
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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...
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Sunlight and Heat
Students brainstorm about the sources of heat. They discuss that sunlight is one of those sources. Students complete a lab about cold water and warm water. They record the temperatures from each thermometer and discuss which container...
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The Seasons
Students determine the effect of the earth's tilt on the amount of incoming solar radiation throughout the year. They simulate the earth's orbit around the sun using a light bulb and a globe to simulate the seasons. Assessment questions...
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Stellarium
Students explore the rotation of the planets from various locations on Earth
Using planetarium software, they will make observations, and explain how the rotation of the planets varies based on ones location on the Earth. Students...
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Solar
Students study solar energy. In this renewable energy instructional activity students complete several lab activities using different controls and variables.
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Dishing the Dirt Part 1
Students create a soil center on their school grounds. They begin to write in their science journals. They participate in an experiment that helps the community begin their own gardens.
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DRY UP BABY ! ANHYDROBIOSIS (freeze drying)
In this lab, students explore how organisms are able to survive the extreme environmental conditions found in the Polar regions. Students observe and draw active living rotifers and Tardigrades, design and perform experiments to collect...
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Glacial Geology in the Field
Pupils examine the origin of glaciers, how glacial sediments are deposited, and what sedimentary records of glaciation provide about source and process of glaciers in a field lab.
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Floodplains in the Field
Students measure a topographic and geologic cross-section across a floodplain using simple surveying and auguring techniques in a field lab. Students also reconstruct the history of a river system.
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Weightlessness Demonstration
Middle schoolers explore the concept that free-fall eliminates the local effects of gravity. They discuss what an Earth-orbiting spacecraft experience is like as well as the terminology of weightlessness. Their lab experiment commences.
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Earthquakes and Seismic Waves
Students investigate the Richter scale and seismology in a teacher-led lab in which they are introduced to the concept of seismic waves and epicenter location. They further investigate the inner workings of a seismograph and practice...
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Weightlessness Demonstration
Students investigate gravity. In this weightless lesson students complete a lab activity about how a free fall might effect how one perceives gravity.
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Measurement: When Degrees Matter
Eighth graders record the temperature change of the beakers. For this general science lesson, 8th graders create their own data table for recording observations. They discuss experimental results and cite real life applications.
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Ecosystems
Sixth graders perform various labs, create presentations, and do hands on activities to explore the ecosystem.
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Understanding Salinity
Students discuss why the ocean is salty. They discuss what salinity is. Students are told that is they want to know how much salt is in a body or water, they would use a special scientific tool. They complete an Estuarine Layers science...
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Living in Extreme Environments
High schoolers explore the living conditions needed to grow bacteria. They develop an experiment that will test the ability of bacteria to survive various temperature extremes. In addition, they complete a lab reprt to share their results.
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What Shape Is It?
Young scholars predict the shape of an unknown object by bouncing a ball on it. In this physics lesson, students relate this activity to how dolphins use echo-location to navigate. They analyze their lab result and discuss findings.
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Water Layering and Circulation
Students examine relationships and interactions between different types of water. They experiment with colored water of different temperature and salinity and discuss how the results relate to real ocean currents.
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Mining Simulation
Eighth graders put their knowledge of rocks and minerals into perspective by seeing how minerals can be mined and the difficulties and costs of mining. They explore the environmental impacts of mining.
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Introduction to Scientific Method
Students investigate safe laboratory procedures, classroom management guidelines, and group roles and procedures. They study a set of safety guidelines with their parents, and to sign a contract stating that they understand the...
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Water Pressure Experiments
Students perform experiments measuring water pressure. They record their observations after poking holes in plastic bottles filled with water with the lids on and then off. They discover the role gravity plays in the water flow.
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Water Filtration Competition
Students design water filtration systems. They draw sketches and write paragraphs about their systems. After presenting their systems to the class, each group then builds their system and determines its effectiveness for purifying...
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Sunspots
Students examine what a sunspot is and how it is produced. In this sun lesson students locate and measure sunspots then view them through a camera.