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American Chemical Society

Flame Out

For Students K - 5th
Add a little heat to your science lesson. Young experimenters work to understand the chemical reaction taking place when a candle burns. They experiment with both oxygen and carbon dioxide to make conclusions about the reaction.
Activity
Serendip

Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How does energy from the sun make plants grow? Scholars move step by step through the processes that promote plant propagation during a detailed lesson. The resource illustrates ADP production and hydrolysis, then allows learners to...
Activity
Colorado State University

What Makes a Gas, a Greenhouse Gas?—The Carbon Dioxide Dance

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Investigate a heated topic in environmental science. Scholars team up to play the parts of gas molecules in the atmosphere. As the teacher moves about, acting as the electromagnetic wave, learners react as their molecules would to the...
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2
2
It's About Time

Photosynthesis, Respiration, and the Carbon Cycle

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Provide your class with the opportunity to view our carbon cycle close up. Young scientists research the cycle of oxygen as it completes the tasks of photosynthesis and respiration. They explore the importance of carbon in an ecosystem...
Activity
Serendip

Using Models to Understand Photosynthesis

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Is your class in the dark about photosynthesis? Shed some sunlight on an important biological process with a thoughtful activity. After answering questions to help determine their level of knowledge, learners work with chemical equations...
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NOAA

I Didn’t Do It…Did I?: Make Your Own Greenhouse Effect

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
How do greenhouse gases affect the climate on Earth?  Pupils explore the concept by first building their own apparatuses to model the greenhouse effect. Then, they record data to measure temperature change and determine...
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Baylor College

About Air

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Give your class a colorful and tasty representation of the components of the mixture that we call air. Pop a few batches of popcorn in four different colors, one to represent each gas: nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and carbon dioxide. The...
Activity
Colorado State University

How Do Long and Short EM Waves Interact with the Earth's Atmosphere?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Things are about to heat up in your classroom! A kinesthetic lesson asks learners to play the part of the gases in the earth's atmosphere and interact with the sun's radiation. The focus is to learn the impact of the increasing...
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Serendip

Where Does a Plant's Mass Come From?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Where does the mass for a growing tree come from? Scholars consider a few different hypotheses and guess which is correct. They then analyze data from different experiments to understand which concepts science supports.
Lesson Plan
Lake Science Collaborative

Blood Circulation Simulation

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Act out the circulation of blood in the body with an innovative activity. Kids act as either body parts or blood, and carry necessary nutrients and waste throughout different stations to represent the way that oxygen circulates. 
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Serendip

How Do Biological Organisms Use Energy?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
When an organism eats, how does food become energy? Young biologists follow glucose through the process of cellular respiration to the creation of ADP using a discussion-based activity. The resource also highlights conservation of mass...
Activity
Serendip

Using Models to Understand Cellular Respiration

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Energize biologists with colorful images in an activity that captivates the imagination while demystifying the subject of cellular respiration. Participants build comprehension skills and access core content knowledge by analyzing text...
Lesson Plan
Forest Foundation

The Nature of Trees

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Young botanists examine the different parts of tress and then draw parallels between the functions of these parts and the function of parts of the human body. 
Lesson Plan
Kenan

Respiratory System

For Teachers 5th Standards
Explore the respiratory system with a model. First, pupils build a set of lungs to experiment how they inflate and deflate. Then, they delve deeper into the topic with a web quest to discover new information about the nose, trachea, and...
Lesson Plan
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Texas Heart Institute

Anatomy: How Does the Cardiovascular System Work?

For Teachers 6th Standards
How can the circulatory system compare to a city map? Pupils distinguish the "roadways" and "vehicles" of the cardiovascular system, compare the anatomy and function of veins and arteries, and review different types of blood cells with...
Activity
Re Energy

Build Your Own Biogas Generator

For Students 8th - 12th
What is biogas and how is it made? After examining background information about the sources of biogas and biogas generators, class members follow the provided information and build a biogas generator that can be used in the...
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Serendip

How Do Muscles Get the Energy They Need for Athletic Activity?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Every muscle movement requires energy, but where does that energy come from? Scholars answer this question and more as they complete a worksheet. By following the directions, completing research, and discussing it as a class, they begin...
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Texas State Energy Conservation Office

Investigation: Chemical Models

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Science teams make models of four different hydrocarbon compounds that we commonly use for fuel. Then they demonstrate chemical reactions that result when energy is produced. This can be used as an enrichment when your class is studying...
Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Lab 1: Nanocatalysts Clean Your Car Emissions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
What a big job for such a small particle. Young scientists learn about the role of nanoparticles in catalytic converters for cars. They conduct an experiment to create alginate-MnO2 catalytic spheres. 
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Effects of Exercise: Changes in Carbon Dioxide Output

For Students 9th - 10th
Everybody knows that your body needs oxygen to keep going, and that you breathe out carbon dioxide as waste. What happens when you exercise? You've probably noticed that you breathe faster, and your heart beats faster. What triggers your...
Activity
National Geographic

National Geographic: Sources, Sinks, and Feedbacks

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students will learn about how the Earth's carbon cycle works, as they examine the relationship between levels of carbon dioxide and water vapor in the atmosphere and the temperature of the ocean's surface. Includes online student...
Activity
Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments: Photosynthesis and Respiration

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students use the gas sensors to measure the amounts of oxygen and carbon dioxide consumed or produced by a plant during respiration and photosynthesis. They also determine the rate of respiration and photosynthesis in a plant.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Dinosaur Breath

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Through discussion and hands-on experimentation, students learn about the geological (ancient) carbon cycle. They investigate the role of dinosaurs in the carbon cycle and the eventual storage of carbon in the form of chalk. Students...
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TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Lasers, Let's Find 'Em!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students research particular types of lasers and find examples of how they are used in technology today. Teams present their findings by means of PowerPoint presentations, videos or brochures. The class takes notes on the presentations...