Curated OER
The Magic School Bus Goes Upstream
Pupils participate in an experiment that shows them how to use their senses to find their way "home." This experiment is based on the video that shows how salmon find their way to their home stream.
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Is It Hot in the Light?
Third graders make observations about the temperature of items in direct sunlight. In groups, they discuss why asphalt, brick and cement are warmer than items surrounding them. To end the lesson, they examine how heat transfers energy...
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Destination Outer Space
Students investigate space travel. In this space travel lesson students examine space exploration history, engineers and scientists involved in space exploration, and Newton's third law of motion. Students make rockets.
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Wasting Energy at Home
Students act as energy conservation engineers and identify the ways energy is conserved or wasted. They also discover many ways to personally conserve energy everyday. Students discover how engineers perform home energy audits to...
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Potato Power
Students light a LED clock or light bulb using potatoes. They examine how a battery works in a simple circuit. They determine how chemical energy changes to electrical energy while experimenting with potato powered circuits.
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So, just how hot am I?
Students design a lab demonstrating the scientific method. In this earth science activity, students investigate different materials for their heat absorbing property. They report their findings in class.
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Friction and Inertia
Students study friction and inertia, make predictions, and compare data. In this investigative lesson students view a demonstration on friction, divide into groups, and complete an activity.
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Aqueducts
Learners explain the different aspects of aqueducts. In this aqueduct lesson students complete an activity and fill out a worksheet.
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Electrical Circuits And Switches
Students design and draw circuits with batteries, small light bulbs and common household conductors. They build and test the circuit then modify it so someone who couldn't use their hands could turn the circuit on and off.
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Air Pressure is Powerful
Students construct a barometer and collect data on the changes in air pressure. They work is small groups using plastic tubing, corks, and green food coloring. They then use a formula to convert inches of mercury to barometric pressure...
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Water Quality and Temperature
Students evaluate the effects of temperature changes on the metabolic rate of a clam. Conclusion questions are addressed which help students to process and articulate their experiences.
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Rain Making - Understanding the Formation of Rain
Students read and conduct and experiment to learn about rain formation. In this water forms lesson, students read about the formation of rain and its purposes. Students then complete a rain experiment activity.
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The Letter P Popcorn Balls
Students examine the letter and the sounds of P. They are read a book about popcorn and make treats for an activity. They identify other words that begin with P as well.
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Sorting
Students examine Library organization. In this logic lesson, students watch a Between the Lions episode and consider how the library has been organized. Students each list their 3 favorite book titles and how they would classify them....
Teach Engineering
Photosynthesis—Life's Primary Energy Source
Wouldn't it be great if you could produce your own food? Scholars learn about the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in plants. They consider how to use photosynthesis as a model of an efficient system and how to apply...
Teach Engineering
Energy Basics
Power up your lessons with an energetic resource. Scholars learn about work, force, energy, and power. They consider the relationships between these quantities through hockey puck scenarios and make calculations using formulas.
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The Magic School Bus Kicks Up a Storm
Young scholars learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students discover small updrafts by making wind spirals.
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Conductivity
Students work together to create a simple conductivity tester. They discover the difference between conductors and insulators. They test different types of materials for their conductivity as well.
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Fuel Mystery Dis-Solved
Students describe how temperature and surface area exposure affect the rate at which fuel is consumed. They explain why engineers want to know about the properties of a fuel when designing rockets. They create a bar graph of result data.
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The Benefits of Biodiversity
Students examine the concept of biodiversity. They toss coins to determine what traits mouse parents have and the babies traits as well. They predict what would happen to the baby mice if the traits of the parents were different.
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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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Passive Solar Design
Students study what passive solar design is for buildings and structures. In this solar design lesson students identify passive solar design techniques.
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Go With the Energy Flow
Students explore energy and nutrient flow. In this science instructional activity, students diagram the flow of energy through food chains and food webs. Students discuss the importance of energy flow in Earth's ecosystems.
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Making a Basic Clay Animal Sculpture In-The-Round
Students create a three dimensional animal sculpture. In this sculpting lesson, students use white art clay, gloss glaze, brushes, and wooden tools to create an animal sculpture.