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Wig-wag Physics
High schoolers make observations on the effects of a small, medium and large weight on the movement of a wig-wag apparatus. They use their observations to develop a generalized inference of the effect weight on movement patterns.
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Chameleons
Students read "The Mixed-Up Chameleon" by Eric Carle. They discuss the chameleon's color changes and their ability to catch flies. They read a fact sheet. They view a live chameleon in a natural environment. They write down observations...
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Activity #20 Tear An Aluminum Can In Half
Students observe the chemical reaction between CuCl2 and aluminum. They identify the evidence for a chemical change. Pupils answer the following questions after observing the experiment: How do you know a chemical reaction occurred?,...
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Help Save the Polar Bear
Learners use ice cubes to demonstrate how the polar ice caps are melting and how it effects the polar bears. In this polar bear lesson plan, the teacher explains how polar bears live on the north pole and how they are having trouble due...
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Laboratory - Density of a Material
Students conduct a lab (with water, guar gum and sodium borate) and carefully record physical and chemical properties and changes throughout the session, and experiment with weighing by difference.
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Rain Drops
Middle schoolers examine drops of water on several materials used on the outside of buildings. They make selective observations on and compare plastic, wood, brick, metal, roof tiles and glass.
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Ice Cream Science
Students review properties of matter and discuss how materials change when things are done to them. They observe how materials change as a reaction to temperature by following the procedure to make ice cream and recording the temperature...
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Testing Foods
Pupils perform an experiment using brown paper bags to determine which foods have oil in them. This task assesses student's abilities to make simple observations and inferences from them.
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Making Community Measurements: Which Plant Part?
Students identify a plant in a given community and make a variety of measurements. They determine how a plant meets its basic needs. In addition to identifying plant parts, they observe seasonal change and compare plants within a community.
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Invisible Ink
Students are introduced to the concept of chemical change when they observe the chemical change that occurs between vinegar or lemon juice and heat.
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Making Sense of Unusual Findings
Learners work on the development of observation skills and seeing how they can be used in different contexts. The lesson is good for helping the beginner and novice, along with encouraging and reminding the expert observer of right...
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Birds and Birdfeed
Fourth graders examine the basic survival needs of birds before examining a suet ball as an example of what birds eat. They conduct an experiment with pine cones, bird seed, vaseline, and peanut butter. By observing the birds, they...
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Water and Ice
Learners investigate what happens to solids and liquids when they change from one form to another. The amount od space taken by frozen water begins the discussion and students are led to formulate their own hypothesis to research.
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Food Matters
Fifth graders identify physical and chemical changes. In this science inquiry lesson, 5th graders observe the changes that occur when making bread and butter. Students explain if the product is result of a physical or chemical change.
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Turn on Inventiveness
Students practice visualization through a fantasy trip and test their powers of observation by blindly identifying their own potatoes.
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Bird Research: Your First Investigation
In this bird research instructional activity, students keep a notebook and record their observations every day for a week about the birds they see with discussion questions at the end of the week.
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Wet Dry Ice Lab
In this wet dry ice worksheet, learners read the information about dry ice and phase change. Students perform an experiment in which they observe phase changes of ice. Learners answer analysis questions as it relates to the phase change...
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Striking it Rich with Chemistry
Students identify the composition of different pennies. In this chemistry lesson, students use a post 1982 penny to observe chemical change. They explain how to turn a penny from copper to gold.
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Water Cycle
Third graders observe the changes that occur in the water cycle after doing a water cycle demonstration in a plastic bag. For this water cycle lesson plan, 3rd graders reflect on what they see and identify the stages.
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Roll On
Second graders, in groups, develop models to show how forces such as gravity, friction, equal, unequal forces and change in direction work on marbles.
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Hot Stuff
Students investigate if heat can change the form of matter. In this physics lesson, students use heat sources to observe the changes in an ice cube. Students graph which heat source changed the matter the fastest.
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Look at Those Leaves!
Students observe leaves. In this math and science cross-curriculum leaf lesson, students take a nature walk and collect leaves. Attributes are assigned and leaves are sorted in various ways. Students use non-standard or standard units of...
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Salt is Good On Sunflower Seeds, But What About Cypress?
Students record their observations about growing a cypress plant and putting salt in the plant. In this cypress plant lesson plan, students observe and record what is happening as the cypress plant grows. This gives directions for...
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Climate Watch
Students participate in a national survey of biological indicators of climate change by gathering and submitting data on local plants and animals.