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Basic Circuits
Middle schoolers explain the difference between a closed circuit and an open circuit. They construct simple to more complicated series and parallel circuits. They explain the difference between a series and parallel circuit.
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What Causes the Seasons?
Third graders investigate why the seasons occur throughout the year. They read a traditional wisdom story pertaining to the seasons. They create their own wisdom stories about the seasons and act them out for the class.
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Celebrating the Solstice and Equinox
Fourth graders graph the number of daylight hors throughout the year and examine why day length varies. They discover that seasonal changes and latitude on Earth affect the number of hours of daylight in each day. Students listen to...
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Star Frames
Fourth graders study constellations. In this space science lesson, 4th graders discover what makes stars, how bright stars are, and why constellations were created. Students make their own constellation using Saran Wrap and a frame.
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Exploration to Mars... or Not? An Exercise with Split-Screen Electronic Peer Review
Students use split-screen technology which is utilized for an electronic peer review assignment that has students justify whether humans should continue their investigations of the Red Planet or not.
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Stratospheric Ozone
Students explore about the structure of Earth's atmosphere and about the stratospheric ozone. They discuss how it is produced and destroyed, where it is located, why it is important, and how it is changing. Students investigate about...
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Exploring the Night Sky: Fall/Winter
Students explain how moon phases occur. They explain three ways that the night sky has been used through history. Students locate some of the constellations in the night sky. They discuss stories and myths surrounding stars.
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Just a "Fellow Traveler" in the Human Experience
Students connect the events of early space exploration to their lives today. After viewing a teacher created gallery, they discuss how the launch of Sputnik and how space exploration in general has positively or negatively affected...
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The Great Wall of China
Learners examine the Great Wall of China. In this world wonders lesson, students discover facts about the wall and its construction as they research the landmark. Learners build their own replica of the wall in their classroom.
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The Solar System: Why do we Explore?
Third graders act as scientists. In this property discovery lesson plan, 3rd graders explore the substance "Oobleck" (cornstarch, water, food coloring). They work in groups to investigate the substance and make observations as a...
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Looking Back, Up and Ahead
Students explore how scientists have forecasted the 2002 Leonid meteor shower. They pose their own predictions for peak meteor rates per hour during the 2002 shower and compare their results with actual observed rates.
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What's Out There? Space Shuttle Exploration and Simulation
Students role-play the jobs of space shuttle astronauts, conduct experiments, and research space using the Internet and offline experiments. Student-astronauts hold a "press conference" to share their information with others in a...
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Don't Marry the Mole!
Third graders demonstrate the power of solar energy by completing a variety of activities, including the creation of a Pizza Box Solar Oven.
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Newton Car
Students demonstrate Newton's Second Law of Motion by showing the reaction of a rolling car by increasing its mass and propulsion.
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Is Your Water Clean?
Students compare water quality of different sources. They test water samples for odor, phosphates, pH, bacteria, and dissolved solids. they fill out a data table and answer questions about their findings.
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Space Shuttles in Space
Students use a pencil and paper to practice drawing their own space shuttle doodle. Using new directions, they draw another doodle in which they are allowed to add elements that were not allowed in the first drawing. They paint a space...
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Journey To The Solar System
Third graders engage in a lesson to find different facts and connect them to the concept of the solar system. They conduct research using the technology integration of the internet. Using the information the students create a classroom...
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Converting Units and the SR-71
Students practice solving problems logically. Using the internet, students observe pictures and facts about the SR-71 Blackbird. They convert statistics about the aircraft. Students explore terms of flight and convert them to everyday...
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Rock-a-bye Babies in a Wetland
Students review the way human babies grow and what type of care they need. Using the internet, they are introduced to five different wetland habitat animals and how their babies grow. They discover how they are born and what the...
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Reading to Learn
Students participate in a lesson that reinforces reading skills. Specifically, this lesson focuses on the skill of summarization. This strategy teaches students how to better comprehend written text.
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Build a Bubble-Powered Rocket
In this law of action and reaction worksheet, students build a bubble powered rocket using a film canister, paper and effervescing tablets to create bubbles inside the canister of the rocket. The pressure inside causes the canister to...
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Rocket Activity
Students explore Newton's Second Law of Motion. In this rocket activity lesson, students experiment with Newton's Second Law of Motion as they use a slingshot device to force a car to move.
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Our Space Station Earth
Students discover ways to preserve the Earth's resources. For this natural resources lesson, students investigate how many gallons of water the average American uses per day and then total their estimated usage. Students discuss the...
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Understanding Pi.
Students study the relationship between circumference and diameter to come up with Pi. "In this pi lesson, students measure, record and find the ratio "circumference/diameter" and their average which is an approximation of pi.