NOAA
What Little Herc Saw
See the underwater world through a different pair of eyes! Middle school marine biologists identify deep-sea organisms by examining images taken by an ROV from the Okeanos Explorer. After determining what creatures lie beneath the...
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Modeling Shadows
Learners demonstrate understanding of shadows by creating a physical model of concepts taught.
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Water and Ice
Students participate in various air experiments to understand that air is all around us. In this states of matter lesson, students focus on the role of air in the water cycle. Students understand that air is densest near the ground....
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Cicada Invasion
Students consider how some animals, periodical cicadas, survive well in a particular environment due to the species' life cycle. They have a discussion about life cycles and how a particular species' life cycle helps it to survive....
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Anatomy of an Element
Learners discuss matter and atoms using this resource. First, they look at a website describing atoms. Then, they learn about the periodic table and discuss how it is organized. Finally, they create a comic strip to display their...
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Life on the Moon
Students study the physical properties of the Moon. In this life on the moon lesson students describe the ways life on the Moon would be different than on Earth.
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Food Packaging
Students identify the functions of packaging food and how the designs work. In this food packaging lesson students identify the changes that occur in different types of materials.
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Soil Investigations
Middle schoolers examine the basics about soil. In this soil lesson students describe the physical properties of soil and explain what soil profile is.
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Work and Power: Waterwheel
Students investigate a waterwheel and the physical properties of energy. In this waterwheel lesson students create a model waterwheel and calculate the amount of power produced.
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Where Are the Dinosaurs?
Young scholars explore the concept of extinction by studying dinosaurs. In this extinction lesson, students watch dinosaur video clips or complete a puppet finger play about dinosaurs. Young scholars may then complete a dinosaur diorama...
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Carbon Cycles
Students examine the carbon cycle and how carbon atoms travel through it. In this energy cycles lesson students describe how human activities affect the carbon cycle.
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Agriculture in Canada
Students examine various elements in the physical environment and their relationship to agriculture in Canada. Using the ArcCanada CD-ROM, they analyze maps, and interpret relationships between the physical environment and land use.
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Levers and Pulleys
Seventeen pages of material leave you well-prepared to carry out this lesson on levers and pulleys. Photos and diagrams make the instructions clear; resource links provide additional information. The missing aspects of this teacher's...
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Dinosaurs - Physical Characteristics
Pupils describe the physical characteristics of dinosaurs, compare and contrast the evolution of land, and they explore the extinction of dinosaurs.
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Survivor!
Students play a game in physical education class to examine how a deer survives. Using nature as a guide, they discover how it is constantly changing due to weather, food, water, pollution and predators. They discuss the characteristics...
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River Research
Students use the internet to research the streams and rivers found in Illinois. Using the information, they identify and describe the rivers and streams along with the physical characteristics of a river ecosystem. They share what they...
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Great Rivers 2: The Ups and Downs of River Flooding
Second in a three-part instructional activity on rivers, this instructional activity focuses on the flooding that occurs in riparian locations. First, learners take a look at facts about the Amazon River. They read online materials and...
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Physics Around the School: Simple Machines In and Out of the Classroom
Students explore different machines and the components that encompass the science of physics. In this physics lesson students explore how things move.
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Physical Differences
Students examine physical differences amongst themselves. In this diversity lesson, students read the book We're Different, We're the Same. Students name things about their appearance that is different from the person next to them.
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Physical or Chemical- That Is the Question!
Young scholars differentiate physical and chemical changes. In this chemistry instructional activity, students give examples of each type of change. They take the review quiz at the end of the instructional activity.
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Sunburns and Sore Muscles: Working to Save the Farm During the Great Depression
Fifth through eighth graders engage in a lesson in which they study working class people during the Great Depression. They work to develop an understanding of the economic developments in Arkansas during the 1930's. Learners access...
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Where Are the Dinosaurs?
Students explore the concept of extinction by studying dinosaurs. In this dinosaur lesson, students distinguish between extinct creatures and those that still exist.
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Urban Ecosystems 2: Why are There Cities? A Historical Perspective
Second in a series of five lessons, this lesson encourages preteens to consider cities as urban ecosystems. First, they keep a food diary for a few days. They visit the Natrional Agricultural Statistics Service website for current data...
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Urban Ecosystems 4: Metabolism of Urban Ecosystems
Cities are compared to living, breathing, metabolizing organisms. Fourth in a five-part series of lessons, this one focuses on the flow of materials through a city. Links to interesting websites and images make your delivery of...