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Deep Thoughts
Students examine what lies within the Earth. They research and create scale models illustrating the layers of the Earth and write skits advocating a travel plan to send a probe into the Earth's mantle.
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Is There a Doctor in the House?
Students research the answers to their own health-related questions, and evaluate the various sources from which this information comes after read "Teenagers Find Health Answers With a Click."
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Is Anybody Out There?
Students focus on the tremendous public interest in the potential of extraterrestrial life. They read and discuss an article about the search for alien life. They divide into small groups and discuss the issues and implications of this...
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At The Site Of The Quake
Students research and design an educational earthquake Web site, using the current disaster in Afghanistan as a starting point. They begin by reading and discussing As Many as 2,000 Feared Dead in Afghan Earthquakes which is imbedded in...
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Pet-agogy
Students explore interesting animal behaviors and adaptations. They create information sheets about an animal residing in a fictional sanctuary and assess the animal's likelihood of being a good pet.
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Sea No Evil
Students research the characteristics of marine life at different ocean depths. They use their findings as the basis for a classroom 'Life Under the Sea' museum exhibit.
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Fifth graders participate in a variety of math and language arts activities based on chocolate.
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Use Or Abuse?
Learners explain the meaning of "use value" of nature's resources by researching and writing studenT books personifying an aspect of nature. They produce public service announcements regarding use value for their local community.
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Rat-ional Pet Concerns
Learners explore a recent salmonella outbreak in young students linked to pet rodents. They create pamphlets to help assist and inform pet owners about the disease and necessary health precautions.
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Earth Forces
Students use geological techniques such as plate tectonics, mountain building, earthquakes, and volcanoes, in order to explain the earth.
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Invisible Enemy
Students investigate parasites and the diseases they can cause and carry. They read and discuss an article, conduct research, and create a fictional studenT story about the parasite they researched.
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How Electric Current Produces Energy
Fifth graders are introduced to the concept of electric currents. In groups, they develop their own game board to test different circuits to determine if they are complete. They record their observations of the energy transfer between...
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Discoveries of Titanic Proportions
Students analyze various statements on the moon. After reading an article, they discuss the findings about a new moon around Saturn. In groups, they re-create a press conference in which the new findings were released to the public. ...
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The Facts of Life
Students explore the different ways scientists gather information about extinct animals. They utilize these methods to create illustrated story books about a particular extinct animal.
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A Site to See
Young scholars identify the risks and benefits of living next to a volcano. After reading an article, they discuss the behaviors of an active volcano. Using the Internet, they work together to research volcano-monitoring techniques and...
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The Halls are Alive with the Sound of Music
Students discuss physical places in which had good or bad acoustics. After reading an article, they discover the relationship between the physics of sound and concert hall acoustics. They calculate the speed of sound and compare their...
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Altered Genes
Learners describe the economic relationship between farmers, consumers, and food companies. They examine the issues regarding the reactions of consumers in this country and other countries to the use of gene-altered crops in food...
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The ABC's of DNA
Students describe genetics as if they were explaining it to a young child. After reading an article, they discover new discoveries in the human genome project. Using the internet, they research a pair of genetic terms and develop a...
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Red Tail Ridge Wetland Study Project
Fifth graders use a real life scenario of the wetlands to gather information on creatures of the habitat. In this wetlands lesson plan, 5th graders research the interdependence of organisms in a healthy habitat. Students collected...
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Life and Death Decisions
Students defend contrasting perspectives concerning the purpose of medicine and the issues surrounding euthanasia.
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Does Soap Float?
Students form hypotheses and carry out an investigation in order to answer a central question: Does soap float? The focus of this lesson is on scientific inquiry, but it incorporates scientific topics such as sinking and floating.
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I Wonder What the Manduca Life Cycle Looks Like
Students create their own insect, build a model of it and explain its life cycle.
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Camp Expedition
Students select an animal to research that lives in the camp environment. Students spend time using books and the Internet to research their animals, including size and appearance. Students create a mural to depict the environment and...
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The Water Cycle
Fifth graders identify organisms and processes involved in three cycles: the water cycle, the carbon cycle, and the nitrogen cycle. They produce a pictorial or abstract water cycle, and appropriately place life forms onto an existing...