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Scientific Inquiry
Middle schoolers make inferences about what activities occur at different places in school. They form a hypothesis as to how space is used. They simulate how archeaologists explore past people by designing and conducting a research project.
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The Wildland/Urban Interface Dilemma
Students examine all sides of the issues surrounding wildland fire. Groups assume the roles of different people who must decide what to do about a fictitious wildfire. They have a discussion to analyze the issue. A good, real life lesson!
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The Things We Do
Fourth graders conduct a literature study in order to investigate the concept of change and how it occurs in the environment. The teacher uses the method of concept development for investigation.
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Come to Mommy
Fourth graders participate in a simple experiment to illustrate the concept of mother bats identifying their young. They sniff stickers in order to imitate the behavior of mother bats in the wild.
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Hunting For Bats
Fourth graders investigate the adaptations that occur in bats. The benefits of adaptations are discussed with them and the probability of survival is measured. The specific adaptations are written and defined.
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Hyperstudio Solar System Review: Technology, Study Skills
Students use Hyperstudio to review important points before taking a test at the end of a study unit on the solar system. This concept could easily be switched to many different topics.
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Geographic Information Systems
Students examine the concept of geographic information systems (GIS) and its basic components. They explore an application program using GIS technology and list the various uses for GIS.
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The Teaching of Biology and Difference
Seventh graders pretend they were Anton looking through the microscope for the first time. They describe the way he felt when he observed tiny moving objects in the sample of pond water. They look at their own samples of pond water,...
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Acid and Bases - Alien II
Eighth graders determine which of two solutions is more acidic by adding each to a given base. Students have to apply this analysis process to a problem scenario involving an alien creature.
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Facts into Action
Young scholars role play chosen scenario about smart decision making. In this drug awareness instructional activity, students discuss the danger associated with drug abuse. They practice how to make careful choices when faced with a...
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Classification
Students work in groups of 4-6 for the experiment/activity part of this exercise. They classify ten animals using the information on the picture to group the animals. Students develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models...
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Fishkill
Students analyze data to determine the effect of thermal pollution on a certain species of fish. They graph temperature and dissolved oxygen and make inferences on the impact a change in temperature could have on the fish. As a class...
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What Must Be Done To Achieve Equality?
Students evaluate various statements about what must be done to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons, students consider the responsibility they have to end discrimination. They also explore the relative...
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Electromagnitism Applications
Students experiment on magnets and electricity. In this physics lesson, students determine what factors affect the strength of a magnetic field. They design an experiment to determine how electromagnetic field strength varies with distance.
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Solar System (Lesson 2)
Eighth graders identify the objects that make up the solar system. They define new vocabulary and practice using them. They discover that the sun is a star.
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Biomes
Eighth graders use the Internet to research biomes and how animals adapt. They describe habitat's features and factors that are unique to the biome they are researching. They also participate in activities.
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Peru's Earthquake
Students identify the patterns of earthquakes by mapping USGS data and comparing it to mapped tectonic plates. They discover the relationship between earthquakes and the moving plates of the Earth's crust.
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So -- What's Happening Here? On this Old Christmas Tree Farm
Young scholars take a field trip to an old Christmas tree farm near their school. In groups, they gather data at the site and analyze the data in an attempt to discover what happened to the area. They identify human activities that led...
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Activity 4: Alvin Dive, A Mysterious Encounter and Change Over Time
Young scholars receive copies of the Time Series Observations to use for note-taking. They work in small groups to discuss what they see when the outside lights of Alvin are turned on, and off, where the bacteria may have come from. They...
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On the Surface
Students draw and label the 15 major rivers in Texas. They then draw and label another map with the major lakes and reservioirs of Texas. Students use the maps and locate and label the location of the following major Texas cities:...
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Sea Ice Research
Students study sea ice and its importance in climate and climate change. They discuss sea ice as a presence of a food source for marine animals in the arctic and complete a lab activity. After completing the lab, they watch a video...
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Where Are the Dinosaurs?
Students explore what the dinosaurs were like. For this dinosaur lesson, the teacher peaks student curiosity about dinosaurs. This lesson would be a great starting point for a dinosaur unit since it primarily engages student interest and...
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The Largest Volcano on Earth
Students create time-lines of tow major eruptions and use this information to determine what happens during an eruption. In this volcano lesson students read information about previous eruptions and create a time line.
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Is There Really Life on Mars?
Young scholars examine the work of scientists and determine how they test their theories.