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Rockets on a Shoestring Budget
Students, operating under simulated budget constraints, build pop-rockets and launch them. Working in pairs, they complete budget worksheets and use their "Blast Off Bucks" to pay for the construction. They then redesign their rockets...
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Get into the Flow with an Interactive Volcano
Students research the structural elements of a volcano. They make a PowerPoint slide that contains five facts which will be added to a whole class slideshow. They add an interactive table of contents using action buttons.
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What a Bohr!
Students define, identify and illustrate the parts of an atom, and investigate the Bohr atomic model. Students watch a multimedia presentation to understand an atom's parts and their functions. In groups, they create a model of an atom...
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Radioactivity Experiments
Learners study the difference between types of ionizing radiation and how elements are transmuted. They determine that radiation is normal and surrounds us. They calculate the amounts of alpha, beta and gamma radiation emitted from a...
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Global Warming: Life in a Greenhouse
High schoolers examine the evidence that scientists have used to support the existence of global warming and the greenhouse effect. How the concepts have been developed and evaluated form the focus of this lesson.
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You Are Here
Students determine the relative size and distance of the planets in the solar system. They use ratios in their mathematical calculations to make models of the planets after discussing the relative sizes of the planets. They keep a...
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Stick To It!
Students compare different types of pressure sensitive adhesive tapes. They fevelop and carry out tests for variables affecting the force needed to peel tape off a surface. Students analyze the time needed to peel the tape with different...
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Acceleration, Drag, Gravity, Motion, Forces, and Friction
Eighth graders build and run mousetrap cars in order to measure distance, time, and mass for their cars. They use these measurements to calculate average speed and kinetic energy, then create a slide show to visually explain how the car...
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Let's Take a Rock Apart!
Students examine a crushed rock and sort the minerals they find in that rock by color and other properties.
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Honing in on Hummingbirds
Students explore ruby-throated hummingbirds. In this cross-curricular hummingbirds lesson, students listen to the book The Mystery of the Missing Hummingbirds and choose related topics to research with a partner. Students draw or...
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Call to Arms
Students explore how scientists build robotic arms that move similar to humans. In this robot lesson, students examine how scientists make robots. Students design and construct a mechanical arm that moves like a human arm. Students...
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Simple Machines - Graphics, Experiments, Animation
Twelfth graders display simple machines through the use of graphics, experiments, and animation. They apply problem solving and design and skills.
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Galaxies
Tenth graders explore the structure and content of galaxies. Through discussion, lab, and hands-on activities, they discover the general structure of the three types of galaxies as well as the effect they have on the structure and...
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My Wet Robot
Students design an underwater vehicle. For this engineering lesson, students will design an underwater robot that includes specific systems for it to function properly. Each group will present their prototype to the class.
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Oil Floats, Right?
Learners examine the properties in oil in water. In this mixture lesson, students read about the Lophelia II 2010: Cold Seeps and Deep Reef Expedition and look at images of deep sea ecosystems. They experiment or participate in...
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Puzzle of the Plates
Students research tectonic plates and their movement. In this plate lesson plan, students describe the motion of these plates and the boundaries between them. They look into the San Andreas Fault and explore the earthquakes associated to...
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When Plates Collide
Students investigate tectonic plates. In this geology and geography lesson plan, students construct convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries using oobleck, foam, and tile. A large amount of background information and...
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Drought Threatens Huge Man-Made Lake
Students locate Lake Mead, then read a news article about Lake Mead drying up and how that would effect water and power supplies to the region. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a map and vocabulary...
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Parts of a Solar Panel-Part I
Students examine electrical contacts, solar cells, and rechargeable batteries and compare and contrast the characteristics of a solar cell to a rechargeable battery in a hands-on activity. Students complete a worksheet as they...
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Electricity and Magnets
Fifth graders find examples of magnets in or around their homes and make a list. They discover that some motors use magnets and make a simple motor using magnets, a battery and copper wire. They add to their magnet list.
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Stream Table
Learners explore channelization, riparian habitats and soil erosion to find out about the aquatic habitats in Iowa. In this aquatic habitats lesson, students define important terms and read an article about pollution. ...
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MEDIEVAL SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Seventh graders examine the area of medieval Sub-Saharan Africa through eyes of travelers in the company of one of history's greatest travelers, Ibn Battuta. The project has been structured to include all the State standards for this unit.
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Mixed Media Landscape Design
Seventh graders create mixed media representations of landscape designs in Africa and Asia. The lesson is great for cross-curricular projects with the Social Sciences and/or Literature, or can be used as a self-contained project. ...
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Conditions at Sea Data Activity
Students study how to forecast sea conditions. In this oceanography lesson students complete a class activity on wave making.