Curated OER
Insulators
Students design and carry out an investigation to test which materials is the best insulator: they predict which way heat energy flows in a system and analyze the flow of energy in a system from one point to another and from one form to...
Curated OER
Density and Buoyancy Experimental Design
Students must plan, design, and conduct an experiment that answers the scientific question: "Come up with a question that addresses the factors (variables) of the water and its effect on whether an object floats or sinks."
Curated OER
Pond-water Populations
Young scholars design and conduct and experiment on algae, for a two week period, to answer the question "In your investigation, how does changing one factor affect the growth of organisms?"
Curated OER
Stimulus/Response in Invertebrates
Students design and conduct and experiment to determine how invertebrates react to an outside stimulus such as light and other stimuli. Student must develop a clear plan of action, collect data in an organized manner and analyze their...
Curated OER
Water-holding Capacity of Earth Materials
Students design and conduct an experiment to test their ideas about how to speed up or slow down the rate of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. They have access to an array of physical and chemical factors that might influence enzyme...
Curated OER
Barometer Investigation
Students construct a barometer to use in an experiment that they design to measure the air pressure on a daily basis. These observations of air pressure allow students to determine how weather is affected when a storm is approaching and...
Curated OER
Anolis Lizards of the Greater Antilles
Students "take a trip" to the Greater Antilles to observethe Anolis lizards. They study the body structures and habitat of different species, then plot this data on a map to look for patterns in their distribution. From the patterns they...
Curated OER
Choosing the Greatest American
Fifth graders identify great Americans to nominate as the "Greatest American Who Ever Lived." They examine several sources, print and non-print. Students use gathered information to explain why some sources are used more than others....
Curated OER
A Scientific Approach to Teaching about Evolution
Middle schoolers examine fossils and analyzing their significance in relation to theories of evolution. Hand-outs are provided. This instructional activity could be supplementary to a broader unit on evolution or geology.
Curated OER
Weather Proverbs
Students investigate various concepts related to weather. They conduct historical research to see how the study of weather originated and the application of the latest technologies in the field. Students summarize the information with...
Curated OER
Peak Flow Meter Exercise
Students investigate the concept of lung capacity. They use flow meters to measure the maximum capacity of themselves and others. The data is collected in order to make some conclusions concerning the mean of individual lung capacity....
Curated OER
Asthma "Outbreak" Exercise
Students investigate numerical data on a possible asthma epidemic. Using statistical information, students graph and figure ratios of the epidemic. They evaluate the mortality rate from severe smog in the 1950's in London.
Curated OER
The Hmong and the Storycloth: How traditions and cultures are transmitted through folklore and art
Fourth graders understand how families, communities, and countries preserve tradition through art and recognize that the Hmong of Southeast Asia use storycloth as a medium to pass down their tradition and history.
Curated OER
The Hmong and the Storycloth
Students understand how families, communities, and countries preserve tradition through art. They recognize that the Hmong of Southeast Asia use storycloth as a medium to pass down their tradition and history.
Curated OER
Scenario Introductory Menu Exercise
Seventh graders engage in a lesson that investigates the sources of Food Borne Illness. The practices of prevention are covered in the lesson. Various foods are looked at for the nutritional value and evaluated for the practices needed...
Curated OER
Seeds and Similarities
Students use the scientific inquiry method to identify the changes in a plant's life cycle. In groups, they plant different types of plants and use a chart to compare and contrast their growth rates. They share their conclusions with...
Curated OER
Beaks To Survive
Pupils discuss and identify the types of adaptations that are made by different organisms in order for them to survive. In groups, they describe the features of beaks and discuss how it affects their chances for survival. They share...
Curated OER
Our Landfill Future
Students use the internet to research articles on garbage, landfills and the environment. In groups, they identify ways to conserve or recycle materials found in landfills and determine the future of a local landfill. They share their...
Curated OER
EARLY COLORADO ADVERTISING
Students investigate the history of advertising in Colorado.They analyze newspapers and advertisements putting them into different categories. Students question the content to develop higher order thinking skills.
Curated OER
Investigating the Compost
Students are introduced to the concept of biodegradability. In groups, they use the internet to research the types of materials that affect the process. They collect materials from their local community and develop an experiment to test...
Curated OER
Weather is Cool, Hot or Somewhere In-Between
Students access the Internet to record data on weather. They use email to answer a younger classes' questions about the weather.
Curated OER
OUtside Influence
Students identify factors that are important for brain functioning of learning. They observe the impact of interaction in mice. They also create their own experiment dealing with the mice. They analyze and share their results.
Curated OER
Get Your Butt off the Beach!
Students participate in a Beach Field Study in which the analyze the affect pollution is having on beaches and the animals that live there. Students focus specifically on the damage cigarette butts are causing on the environment.
Curated OER
World's Most Dynamic Force
Young scholars explore the Earth's forces. They review an assessment task and its accompanying rubric. They classify ten items as long-term or short-term interactions of the Earth's components and rank the destructive impact of the...