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Newton Rocket Car
Students observe a demonstration of Newton's third law of motion using a small wooden car. They discuss Newton's third law of motion and what happens to motion if the mass or acceleration is increased, construct their car, and record...
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The Halls are Alive with the Sound of Music
Students discuss physical places in which had good or bad acoustics. After reading an article, they discover the relationship between the physics of sound and concert hall acoustics. They calculate the speed of sound and compare their...
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There's Air in There!
Students attempt to blow a wad of paper into a soda bottle. In this physics lesson, students discover that air pressure inside of a soda bottle prevents new air from going in.
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Communicating Color
Students identify basic colors by their proper names. They explain the process of creating the color wheel and explore the origins and catagories of complex colors.
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Sound/Pitch
Students explore how pitch changes when using instruments that are plucked, blown, and hit. In this sound and pitch lesson, students blow across the top of bottles that are filled with water to create sound. Students use recorders...
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Alexander Calder: Master of Balance
Students build simple mobiles. In this equilibrium lesson, students investigate the functions of three types of levers as they analyze artwork by Alexander Calder. Students then create their own simplified mobiles.
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Matter in Motion
Second graders examine matter, what it is and what the different states are. In this matter activity students view The Magic School Bus Meets Molly Cule and answer questions.
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Create a Butterfly Mobile
Students construct a butterfly mobile. In this visual arts lesson, students use rice paper, watercolors, a coat hanger, and wax paper to create a unique butterfly mobile. Students use photographs of butterflies to construct a realistic...
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How Far... How Powerfu
Young scholars work with a real optical spectrum of a gamma ray burst afterglow taken at the Keck Observatory. They measure the shifts of spectral lines, deduce the velocity of the astronomical object, and then use Hubble's Law to get...
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Car Engines
Students create piston systems and explore the conversion of linear to rotary motion that propels a car. In this motion lesson, students build and test a model piston/crankshift system and discover why there is a maximum limit to how...
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Coasts
Students explain the different types of marine coasts and where they are located in the United States and its territories. They explain and identify some of the life forms that inhabit different marine coastal regions.
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Trash Disposal Choices
Learners determine the differences between reusable, compostable and recyclable trash.
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Groovy DNA Beads
Learners create models of DNA and RNA using string and beads. They use beads representing the four nitrogenous bases of DNA to create a portion of a strand of DNA, and it's corresponding RNA. Then, students examine how many of their...
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Making Recycled Paper
Students explore the advantages of recycling paper. In this environmental lesson plan, students produce recycled paper by ripping up paper and putting it into a blender with water to create a mixture. Students use their recycled paper to...
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Magnetic Fields and Bermuda Triangles
Students map magnetic fields of a magnet using a compass and predict where fields cancel each other to create 'Bermuda Triangles'. In this magnetism lesson, students use a compass to map the magnetic field of a magnet. They explain how...
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Terrific Tastebuds
Students investigate the four taste regions of the tongue. In this biology lesson, students view a diagram of a tongue and identify the four regions. Students perform a taste test with lemons, sugar, and crackers.
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Cake Batter Lava
Students examine how lava flows change the landscape. In this lava instructional activity students complete a lab activity where they create a lava flow using cake batter.
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MASS
Students distinguish between weight and mass. They examine how in oscillations of a mass against an elastic spring--in the absence of gravity, or in horizontal motion--the length of the oscillation period is proportional to the square...
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Airplanes and Airports: How To Take Off Without Ever Leaving the Ground
Students plan an airport visit. In this Airplanes and Airports activity, students observe the people, activity, and machinery at airports. Then students compare the characteristics of their observations at the airport. Students make...
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Gardening in Containers
Students plant a garden. In this gardening lesson plan, students use containers to plant a garden. This lesson plan provides a good source of information for teachers who wish to begin their class's own container garden.
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Growing Up (And Around, and Down...) Exploring Plant Growth
Students build plant growing structures. In this plant growth instructional activity, students plant growth structures such as a garden tepee or a crawl through tunnel. They grow plants that are appropriate for the structure.
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Lesson 5: Untangling DNA
Students extract DNA from split peas. In this biology lesson, students research how chromatin form into chromosomes. They draw the stages and present their work in class.
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Geography: Snow Cover on the Continents
Students create maps of snow cover for each continent by conducting Internet research. After estimating the percentage of continental snow cover, they present their findings in letters, brochures or Powerpoint presentations.
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Biotechnology
Students explore biotechnology through various activities. In this biology lesson, students analyze its pros and cons. They study and read informative articles about biotechnology.