Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Carbon: Structure Matters

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars read the Who We Are Section on Calfee Designs Webpage and discuss carbon usage. They work in pairs to look up the minerals diamond and graphite then create a chart on the properties of each mineral then compare how they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water and Ice

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students examine how water changes state, from a liquid to a solid.  In this water lesson students study the water cycle and how temperature and pressure effect it. 
Lesson Plan
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Water and Ice

For Teachers K - 2nd
Learners observe what happens to water as it goes from a solid to a liquid.  For this exploratory lesson students gain an understanding for the water cycle while working in groups observing what happens to water as it changes...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Deforestation

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students study the effects of deforestation. In this environmental lesson, students view a PowerPoint slideshow about the importance of trees. Students read The Lorax and discuss what the characters represent in our society.
Lesson Plan
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Cosmic Rays

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
Students study cosmic rays and the energy behind them.  For this atmospheric lesson students complete a cosmic ray telescope project. 
Lesson Plan
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Bouncing Balls

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students create a polymer ball in the lab. For this chemistry lesson, students identify the different properties of the polymer they created. They explain what type of chemical reaction took place.
Lesson Plan
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Air and Water in the Environment

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders participate in a three part lesson in which they identify and describe forms of moisture in the environment. Part one of the lesson involves the three stages of the water cycle, part two focuses on creating humidity by...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Molecular Modeling Activity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars explore the concept of molecular modeling and differentiate between saturated and unsaturated compounds. In small groups, they identify molecular formulas, complete a chart comparing alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes, and...
Lesson Plan
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What Can We Lose? What Do We Lose as we Gain Force With A Lever?

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders view a demonstration of a teeter totter as a basis for assessing pre-knowledge of a lever. They create a KwL chart. Students work in small groups to conduct a variety of experiments. The first requires students to tie books...
Lesson Plan
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Density Lab Activities

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students participate in several density lab activities in order to clarify the misconceptions that solids sink and liquids float. Students work with triple beam balances to find mass of objects to calculate density.
Lesson Plan
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A Tour in Sustainability

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore two LEED certified green buildings. They examine what is the LEED certification process and what constitutes a green building. They tour via the internet two LEED certified green buildings, while comparing and...
Lesson Plan
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Winter Survival

For Teachers 3rd - 9th
Students examine what animals need in order to survive.  In this investigative lesson students play a "role" of an animal in winter.
Lesson Plan
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Designing A Mythical Creature

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students study mythology and why human cultures require them.  In this investigating myths lesson students design a creature that fits an explanation of a natural phenomena then demonstrate the concept of "myth" and "legend".
Worksheet
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Organic and Biochemical Compounds

For Students 10th - 11th
In this organic and biochemical compounds worksheet, students identify compounds as alkanes, alkenes or alcohols. They compare and contrast the similarities of each. This one-page worksheet contains 6 problems.
Lesson Plan
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The Energy of the Sun

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study energy generation by the Sun, which involves atoms and nuclei.
Lesson Plan
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Graphing Data from the Chemistry Laboratory

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars graph and analyze data using a spreadsheet.
Lesson Plan
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Our Natural Resources

For Teachers K - 12th
Students discuss key terms used to describe ecosystems and how humans are altering natural resources. They listen to the book, Grandfather's Wisdom, and list the renewable and nonrenewable resources they have used or consumed in the past...
Lesson Plan
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What's Up at the Rim?

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students are sent on a scavenger hunt to find as many plants as they can in nature.
Lesson Plan
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Composition of Air: Let us Find Out

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students identify the various components of air as they demonstrate that air is present in the environment.
Lesson Plan
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Canada...a Visual Journey

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students, in groups, research Canada's six natural regions (ecozones). They create a visual representation of each region on a large wall map of Canada and present it to the rest of the class.
Lesson Plan
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The Ocean: A Watery World

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Pupils discuss the proper clothing for the season. They make wind chimes to use as an indicator of movement of the air and observe and identify the various cloud formations. They determine the basic rules of storm safety and discuss...
Lesson Plan
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Magnetic Bookmarks

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students design magnetic bookmarks with healthy living messages. They decide on the shape, length, color, and type of material to use for creating their bookmark. Students write in an "inventor's journal" about their design and...
Lesson Plan
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Who Was Here First? Relative Dating

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students read about and complete question activities for the topic of relative dating. In this relative dating lesson, students read information for the topic and then complete two activities to further their understanding of geologic...
Lesson Plan
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What is a Nanometer?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students develop a concept of the relative size of objects in the nanoscale. They complete an internet assignment using the website,"Scaling the Universe to Your Desktop". Using analogies to common objects they get an appreciation for...