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Forensic Detectives: Who Did It?
Students explore forensic science and its uses in criminal investigations. They solve a fictional crime by identifying and analyzing the fingerprints, strand of hair, and thread samples for evidence. After completing charts for each,...
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Soil Examination
Learners examine soil. In this science lesson plan, students recognize different populations in a soil sample, demonstrate and observe water and wind erosion, and construct a levee flood control technique.
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Observing Compost Invertebrates
Second graders examine compost piles and what invertebrates help decompose the organic matter. In this compost invertebrates lesson students collect invertebrates found in a compost pile and examine them.
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Magnify It!
Students explain that there are limits to what the eye can see and that a magnifying glass can help extend those limits. They examine an object with the magnifying glass and draw the size and shape of what they see as accurately as they...
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Do Different Colors Absorb Heat Better?
Students work together to test how the color of a material affects how much heat it absorbs. They make predictions and take notes on their observations. They discover how engineers use this type of information.
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Matter
Third graders are introduced to the topic of matter. As a class, they brainstorm what they already know about matter and its properties. After completing a worksheet, they participate in an experiment in which they observe matter in...
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Shells on the Mountain Top?
Students work in groups to remove fossils from sediments, classifying as many organisms and parts of organisms as possible into major groups. They study the data from each formation and make conclusions about the types of organisms and...
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Fish Parasite Survey
Young scholars survey and dissect as many fish as possible. They count nematodes, cestodes and crustaceans on the fish, fill out autopsy reports, and transfer data to a chalkboard data table. Students graph the results of the entire...
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Introduction To Insect & Spider Body Parts
Students inspect several different specimens of insects and spiders to determine characteristics that are similar and different between the two groups. They identify the basic body structure of spiders and insects and then predict where...
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Dry Forest: Flowers
Students explore botany by examining diagrams. In this plant reproduction lesson, students define a list of plant vocabulary terms and identify plant anatomy from a diagram. Students complete several plant activity worksheets and study...
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Fish Parasite Survey
Young scholars count nematodes, cestodes and crustaceans on approximately one-hundred and fifty fish. They fill out autopsy reports for external and internal parasites then complete and discuss guide questions to make inferences about...
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Hormone-Induced Plant Propagation Lab using Carrot Root Cultures
Students evaluate the importance of hormones in living things. In this biology activity, students experiment on carrots to differentiate how humans and plants reproduce. They collect data from experiment to answer analysis questions.
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Microorganism Multiplication
Seventh graders complete two experiments to learn about harmful and helpful microorganisms. In this microorganisms lesson, 7th graders read background information about fungi, yeast, and club fungi. Students then complete two experiments...
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Hey, Look Me Over!
Students make observations about mealworms using hand lenses, rulers, and cotton swabs. Students complete their own mealworm observation chart, then they share their observations with the class. This is one station out of five in an...
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Determination of Overall Water Quality Using a Quantitative Macroinvertebrate Survey
Students examine water samples from a local stream. They identify various types of macroinvertebrates found in that water ecosystem and perform a quantitative macroinvertebrate survey to determine the stream's water quality.
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Origins: Earth is Born
Students collect and identify micrometeorites from space. Students create collection devices and retrieval methods for matter. They prepare slides and view particles found. Students discuss where the identifiable particles originated...
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Galloping Who?
Third graders do an Internet search to find out about Galloping Gertie and what caused the bridge to fail.
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The Difference is the Truss
Students use a computer to simulate building and testing bridges with various types of trusses.
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Decomposers at Work!
Students design and conduct investigations that illustrate the process of decomposition. After a lecture/demo, students simulate the process of soil composting in the classroom. They closely chart the decomposition of their soil.
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Bioremediation
Students design and conduct investigations that illustrate the effect bioremediation has on organic matter and determine environmental applications. They, in groups, present their findings to the class.
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Beach Sands of the World
Students examine a variety of sand samples from throughout the world. On an index card, they write the characteristics of the sand and draw what the grains look like to use during the activity. Using a map, they practice plotting...
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Food Chemistry: The Chemistry of Sweeteners
Students investigate the properties of sweeteners. In this chemical property lesson, students examine the unique properties of sweeteners by performing several experiments. They will analyze the data to form a conclusion about the...
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Dissolved Oxygen in an Aquatic Ecosystem
Students explain why dissolved oxygen is important in aquatic ecosystems. They evaluate the optimal dissolved oxygen levels for living organisms.
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How Animals Meet Their Needs
Fourth graders research the Internet for facts relating to the animal of their choice. They use information from their Internet search to complete their animal project. TLW use his or her own words when writing their report.