Curated OER
Batteries in Series
Eighth graders examine batteries in a series circuit and the associated voltage. They determine, through inquiry and problem solving, that the total voltage of batteries in a series is the sum of the voltage of each battery. They design...
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Getting Started with the TI-Navigator™ System: What's My Rule?
Students explore linear relationships. In this sixth through eighth grade mathematics lesson, students explore the symbolic representation of verbal descriptions of mathematical rules defining the relationship between two variables.
Mascil Project
Parachute Food Drop
Drop a perfect project into your lesson plans. Groups use different building materials to create models of parachutes for food drops. After testing out their prototypes, they make improvements to their designs.
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Consumer Product Testing
Eighth graders watch segments of CBS's Street Cents and discuss approaches used on the program. They create standards for various items and learn why they are important to have. They test different fabrics to explore clothing standards.
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Water Monitoring and Pollution
Students explore the effects of pollution on water supply and how to identify safe drinking water. They test different samples of water over regular intervals and analyze the results to see if they are cyclical or represent a growing...
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How Do The Colors of Light Mix?
Students investigate the mixing of light. They form a hypotheses to reason why color changes occur and they write conclusions and ask new questions arising from the investigation. Students identify the primary and complementary colors of...
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Stratification
Learners study the process of stratification and seed dormancy. In this germination instructional activity students prepare a medium in which to grow seeds.
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Introduction to Scientific Theory
Ninth graders explain how scientists set up investigations. In this scientific process instructional activity, 9th graders review the principles of the scientific method and use these skills to answer an open-ended question about how to...
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Building a Pill Bug Palace
Students make "pets" of isopods (potato bugs) to determine their preferred environment and food sources. They record their results on a bar graph and in a scientific report.
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Limiting Reagent
Students work in small groups with a small set of 8 nuts and 5 bolts to assemble into combinations of 1 nut: 1 bolt, and 2 nuts: 1 bolt. They explore the outcome and discuss. Then a student mixes two clear, colorless solutions together...
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"The Emperor's New Clothes and Mahler's Ninth Symphony" Writing to Explain, Confidently and Efficiently, Even Physics!
Learners combine their study of physics with their study of best practices when writing to inform. They communicate with experts using e-mail before creating a brochure based on their study of universal gravitation.
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Life Cycle of the Drosophila Fly
Students observe the life cycle of the Drosophila fly as well as manipulate large numbers of flies, determine the difference between the sexes, and identify the different stages of the fly's life cycle.
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Exothermic Rehydration of Gypsum
Students observe exothermic reactions in the lab using plaster. In this chemistry lesson, students collect data from their experimental set up every five minutes. They explain the different stages in the hardening of plaster.
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Epidemiology: Graphing and Analyzing Health Data
Students graph data on fetal and infant mortality rates collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They identify trends in the data and propose potential causes for the trends.
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Using Mathematic Models to Investigate Planitary Habitablity
Students examine how the sun's intensity affects the temperature on various planets. They determine whether or not these planets could be habitable. Finally, they factor in the average albedo of the planets to determine whether or not...
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The Last Great Canal
Students read about a cholera outbreak in the 1840's. They read maps, predict how cholera moved throughout the country and participate in a lab activity that demonstrates how disease is spread. They compare cholera through time.
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Lab Report Template
Students write a paragraph (complete sentences) which explains what they did in the lab.
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Changing Rocks
Students shake a box containing Plaster of Paris "rocks", gravel, and sand, to measure the effects of erosion. They work individually during this exercise. This task assesses students' abilities to make simple observations, describe...
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The Blizzard of 1993
Students read and interpret the information from a barograph from a major winter storm. This task assesses students' abilities to interpret and analyze graphs, construct data tables and graphs, generalize, infer, apply knowledge of...
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Acid Rain Research
Students collect samples of rainfall, cloud condensation, and water that trickles through the soil. These samples are tested for pH, conductivity, and the presence of sulfates, nitrates, calcium, and magnesium.
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Flour Beetles
Students observe life stages in flour beetles and graph the results. They write a summary report.
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Rockets and Payloads
Young scholars investigate Newton's Second Law of Motion as they predict the effect of a payload on the amount of energy needed to lift a rocket vertically. The constraints of the weight of the equipment carried to Mars is compared to...
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Unfold the Mystery of Mold
Students research the conditions in which molds thrive. They apply the scientific method to develop a hypothesis, conduct research and test results.
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DOWNHILL DISCOVERIES
Young scholars studykinetic energy, friction, drag and acceleration by relating it to the Winter Olympics. In this physical properties lesson students create tracks and determine how the course conditions affect bobsled, luge...