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The Immigrant Experience In America
Students study immigration, Ellis Island, and tenement life from 1890 to 1924. Each student create an identity of an immigrant and write an essay in the first person. Essays describe what they found when they arrived in New York City.
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Keeping Us in Stitches Activity: Whole Cloth Quilt Design
Young scholars examine how decorative motifs are adapted to other types of objects by craftsmen and artists. They examine photos on the Illinois State Museum website, discuss design elements, adapt a motif to a line drawing, and transfer...
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Why Do People Save?
Students identify ways in which they can save and spend their money. They discover why people save money and calculate simple interest. They discuss the costs and benefits of saving.
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Science: How Solids Become Liquids
Second graders discover how matter changes from one state to another by observing melting ice cubes. They decide on means to warm the ice and predict what will happen. Students record how long it takes for the cubes to melt.
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The Same but Different Part II
Third graders experiment with beakers of water and balloons to measure the volume of the gas in the balloon. They determine ways to change the volume of air in the balloon which changes its size but not its physical state. By heating the...
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The Water Cycle
First graders investigate the different stages of the water cycle. They conduct Internet research and complete a water cycle WebQuest. Students identify what happens at each stage of the water cycle, and write about each stage in their...
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Sound
Second graders study how sound is produced by vibrations and is transmitted through matter in all directions. They observe how sounds are produced and identify the ways in which sound travels.
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Atoms, Kinetic Theory, Solids and Fluids
Students identify and describe the building blocks that make up an atom. They also compare the ages of atoms to the ages of the materials they compose,as well as, give examples that illustrate the small size of atoms.
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The Water Cycle and Watershed
Students summarize the steps in the water cycle. For this earth science lesson, students create a skit, song or poem showing the various components of the cycle. They identify the different watersheds in their area.
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Water, Water Everywhere
Students explore water. In this water cycle lesson, students conduct a scientific investigation that requires build a terrarium models of the earth. Students record their observations of the changes regarding water in the terrarium.
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Lincoln and Photography: A Closer Look
Students compare and contrast the Lincoln portraits using a Venn diagram and included analysis tool. In this presidential photography lesson, students write a journal entry and a letter as if they were Abraham Lincoln. Lastly students...
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Carbon Adventures Game
Sixth graders examine the processes and transformations that occur in carbon pools. They play a game to identify paths taken by carbon through the environment.
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Energy Source
Sixth graders work in groups. They are given one type of energy to research. Students look through the different magazines or newspapers to identify pictures that show their type of energy. Students glue their pictures to the...
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Inquiry and the Nature of Science
Students identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations, design and conduct a scientific investigation. They also use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data.
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Every Breath You Take
Middle schoolers explore the nature of the air we breathe by observing petri dishes that have accumulated particulate matter from the atmosphere. Students make mathematical calculations and inferences about the effect of this matter on...
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Periodic Table
Students identify the periodic table trends and predict material properties. They also design and conduct simple experiments and test material properties. Finally, students compare and contrast material properties and that chemical...
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Family Law: Parent - Child Relationship
Students examine the role courts play in family matters and children's rights. They propose a court-ordered plan to resolve conflicts between parents/guardians and children. Students complete worksheets with various scenarios and discuss...
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Acid Precipitation
Students test the acidity of unknown solutions. They use this information to make inferences from data given from recorded rainfall records to identify areas that receive the most acid rain.
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Environmental Voting Records of Legislators
Students collect and record data on the environmental voting record of their local and state legislators using the Internet. They identify examples of environmental problems or endangered species in their state.
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Time Travel
Fourth graders become familiar with the early explorers of our state. In addition, they conceptualize life during the 1800's in relation to their own personal histories and knowledge of 19th century events.
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Diesel Bus Case Study
Students research the diesel retrofit program underway in Norwich, Connecticut and identify the health risks of diesel fumes - in particular the emissions of fumes from school buses. They outline ways of reducing diesel emissions.
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Making Sense of Density
Students identify the concepts of density, mass, and volume that define the property of a substance. They also determine that the properties of materials, such as, density and volume, can be compared and measured by using rulers,...
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Worm Posters Presentations and Worm Box Part 2
Students work in small groups to investigate the topic, make a visual aid, and present to the class. They are given the following four topics: Worms and other decomposers, taking care of a worm box, waster and recycling, and...
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Microscopes and Crystals
Students observe crystals under the microscope. In this science lesson, students compare how the crystal look like using their eyes, hand lens and microscope. They identify the type of crystal based on the amount of light they allow to...