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Ocean Color
Students examine NASA's SeaWiFS Project Web site to explore how the SeaWiFS Project monitors environmental and climatic changes in the oceans and atmosphere. They answer questions and write a summary in support of continued funding for...
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Primary Producers
Students examine the role of carbon in the oceans and how phytoplankton determine the levels present. In groups, they practice measuring primary productivity using two methods. They use the internet to research the role of phytoplankton...
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Do You See What I See?
Second graders view a teacher-created terrarium, and complete a KWL chart. They discuss what they can see, Students go on a nature walk and compare the schoolyard to the terrarium, discussing the roles of rocks, plants, soil, and water...
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Rocket Me into Space
Students engage in a lesson that reinforces rockets as a vehicle that helps us explore outside the Earth's atmosphere by using the principles of Newton's third law of motion. Also, the principles that engineers deal with when building a...
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Nitrogen Cycle
Students identify the main concepts and ideas of the nitrogen cycle.
They review key concepts covered up to this point in ecology including food chains, food webs, energy pyramids, and bio-geochemical cycles.
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Hurricane Frequency and Intensity
High schoolers examine hurricanes. In this web-based meteorology lesson, students study the relationship between ocean temperature and hurricane intensity. They differentiate between intensity and frequency of hurricanes.
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Mighty Oaks from Little Acorns
What does it mean to grow? To germinate? For the plan detailed here, class members investigate the growth process of an oak tree while focusing on the beginning stages of planting and germination. They plant seeds and record observations...
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Specific Heat
In this specific heat learning exercise, students are given examples to find the specific heats of substances and to use the specific heats to find the changes in temperatures of substances. Students solve eighteen problems using what...
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Meteorites
Students model how meteors fall to the surface of planets. In this space science lesson, students identify different types of meteorites using an interactive online website. They investigate the relationship between a meteorite's size...
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Acid Rain
Learners understand the dynamics of acid rain and its impact on the living and non-living environment. They hypothesize how acid rain affects water pH levels in two lake systems with differing watershed features.
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Using Vegetation, Precipitation, and Surface Temperature to Study Climate Zones
Young scholars begin their examination of the climate zones found around the world. Using a software program, they identify the relationship between the vegetation, climate and temperatures of the different zones. They also plot...
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Cold Front Characteristics
Students study weather characteristics of a cold front passage. They view animations of several atmospheric variables (e.g., temperature, rainfall) during a cold front passage and locate the front, determine its direction of movement,...
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Vapor Pressure
In this vapor pressure instructional activity, students use a given graph of the vapor pressure of four liquids to answer eleven questions. They compare and find boiling points and vapor pressures of propanone, ethanol, water, and...
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Magnetism
Students experiment with the concept of magnetism. Working in small groups, students design an experiment to test the magnet attraction of various substances. After completing their experiments, students research magnetism and it's...
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Rain and Rainbows
Students explore the weather system by analyzing water properties. For this precipitation lesson, students review weather related vocabulary terms and discuss how rainbows are created by light hitting droplets at the right time. Students...
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Radioactive Isotopes
Students describe an isotope and radioactive isotope in a written essay. They describe how a specific country or region was affected by radioactive contamination and attempt to sympathize with those affected by these radioactive...
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Watch Me Grow
Students observe that plants need air, food, light, and water to survive. In this plant biology lesson, students observe the growth and development of two plants, one is the control plant and the other is denied either air, water,...
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Conditions at Sea
Students examine wave formation. In this wave lesson, students discover how waves are formed and how the weather at sea is predicted. Students study ocean vocabulary and understand the Beaufort Wind Force Scale.
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Non Native Species: English Ivy-Landscape Plant or Deadly Killer?
High schoolers study the impact that invasive species have on biodiversity and more natural areas.
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Local Weather And Location
Students explain how uneven heating of Earth affects wind and water currents. They describe the limits on current technology in predicting weather and how the Water Cycle is related to local weather.
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Connection to Fine Arts: Carbon-Dating Masterpieces
In this carbon dating instructional activity, students read about how carbon-14 is used to date historical paintings. They answer questions about carbon dating and its importance.
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Build a Psychrometer
Young scholars understand that a psychrometer is a weather instrument used to detect humidity. In this psychrometer lesson, students build a psychrometer. Young scholars use their psychrometers to measure humidity activity.
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Convection and Wind
Learners use water, beakers, hot plates, paper dots, and goggles to participate in a hands on activity where they see how a convection current creates wind. In this convection current lesson plan, students participate in a hands on...
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Ecology Vocabulary Exercise: Wetlands
In this ecology vocabulary exercise: wetlands instructional activity, learners read the definitions of 8 words, then categorize a species found in a wetland in their region. This page has numerous links to helpful web resources.