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Rubber Gardens
Students recycle discarded automobile tires and create gardening sites for limited space areas.
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Please Ex-Planet
Seventh graders create a model of an earth centered solar system and a model of the sun centered solar system. As a class, they discuss why the earlier astronomers believed their model and why it changed when evidence arose that this...
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Meteor Showers!
Young scholars read a story called Orionid Meteors to Shower Earth and answer vocabulary and comprehension questions about it. In this meteor shower lesson plan, students respond to literature by answering questions, view Sky Maps...
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Solar System
Young scholars study space. In this solar system lesson plan, students discover the correct order of the planets and create a diagram showing this knowledge. They listen to the book A New View of the Solar System and then work in groups...
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Planet X
Students select a wide variety of presentation methods to compare Planet X and Earth. Students share these with their classmates. Students select other methods to present their ideas about a livable planet for human life forms. ...
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Understanding Lava Layers
Seventh graders trace the lava flow of an erupting volcano. In this earth science lesson, 7th graders experiment using baking soda and vinegar. They record and share their observations.
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Extra Terrestial Excursions
Fourth graders determine how long it would take to fly to each of the planets in the solar system. They do two calculations: one, if they were using conventional jet, the other if they were using the fastest spacecraft possible.
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Volcanoes: How Safe Are They?
Young scholars explore the most dangerous volcanoes on Earth, plot their locations, and research different volcanic hazards.
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A Cosmic Cafeteria
Students indentify and differentiate between transit and surface food systems. Students measure energy that is released by various foods. Students compare and contrast cooking with solar energy on earth and what they might have learned...
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Lunar Life Support
Students design and build models of nine life support systems which are crucial to our successful settlement of the Moon. Each team must define the requirements of their system, exploring how these requirements are currently being met on...
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Solid Waste/Recycling
Young scholars see that when we throw away garbage, it usually ends up in a landfill. Landfill space is getting increasingly scarce, and every time we throw something away we throw with it the energy, the money, and the raw materials it...
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Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer Satellite Dataflow Demonstration
Students participate in a hands-on demonstration of the communication between the EUVE satellite and a scientist on Earth.
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Make Way for Wild Migrants
Learners discuss the threats facing migratory species and track the seasonal journeys of wildlife in real space and in cyberspace. Once they have gathered information from several sources, they create a portfolio to share with others...
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Deadly Ascent
High schoolers explore some of Earth's extreme environments and the possible dangers they present. They describe some of the potential dangers found in extreme environments around the world. Students discuss ways to deal with potential...
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Scientific Images & Animations
Students view a variety of scientific images and animations. They explore the world of science and visual art. Students enrich their knowledge through animation examinations of thoughts and feelings and awesome color rainbows of...
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Stellar Navigation Curriculum
Students investigate the concept of star mapping and how it is used in space navigation. They conduct various activities to see the effect of mapping. Also the teacher uses models and demonstrations in order to communicate the main...
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The Flat Stanley Project
Students read the book Flat Stanley. In this environmental stewardship instructional activity, students participate in earth-friendly activities based upon the book. This instructional activity includes ideas such as using recycled...
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Three Clouds Activity
Students understand how clouds are formed. In this cloud instructional activity, students participate in three experiments to make clouds. Students complete activity sheets for each experiment.
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Let's Take a Rock Apart!
Learners examine a crushed rock and sort the minerals they find in that rock by color and other properties.
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Phase to Phase with the Moon
Fourth graders study the Moon phases. The lesson includes hands-on activities as well as web-based activities. They use models of the Moon and a lamp to study each of the phases of the Moon, and test their knowlege of the Moon on a web...
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Plate Tectonics: Movin' and Shakin'
Students are introduced to the causes of plate movements and the hazards they present. They plot the location of 50 earthquakes and 50 volcanic eruptions on a map and explore the relationships between plate tectonics, earthquakes, and...
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A Whole New World
Students work in small groups to investigate statistics regarding the solar system and participate in a 'scientific conference'. They explore available information about the extrasolar planet and assess the importance of this...
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soil, Water, and Plants
Students examine the relationship between water retention and plant growth by conducting two experiments. They first compare the water retention qualities of clay, sand and loam soil types. Then they use the data from the first...
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Voyage of Discovery
Students develop a sense of the scale of our solar system by creating a one to ten billion scale model. They calculate the relative sizes and distances for the planets and asteroid belt using a guiding worksheet. To create the model they...