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Energy for You
Students investigate the energy sources used in student's communities. They explore where the energy comes from, how it is transported, and the uses to which it is put. They review the meanings of vocabulary renewable and newable resources.
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Magnetism
Students examine the concept of magnetism by doing several activities using magnets and compasses. They explore poles and polar repulsion and attraction.
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Clouds
Students explore clouds. In this weather lesson, students identify the steps in the water cycle, define condensation and evaporation, and relate this information to cloud formation. Students perform a cloud experiment,...
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The Solar System: Go Green with the Sun!
Third graders learn how to use solar power. In this sun, technology and energy lesson, 3rd graders learn how the solar power from the sun can give off energy, learn about solar panels, discuss their uses and benefits, and design a...
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Earth's Orbit Lesson
Tenth graders devise a computational model to explore how the orbit of the Earth might change if its velocity were different. Using accurately recorded data, 10th graders defend a scientific argument.
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Swinging on a String
Students explore how pendulums work and why they are useful in everyday applications. In a hands-on activity, they experiment with string length, pendulum weight and angle of release.
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Earth Movers and Shakers
Students explore how the centuries-old invention of the lever led to today's applications in mobiles and crowbars. They watch a video on the lever, then utilize worksheets imbedded in this plan to guide their experiments.
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3RC (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Compost)
Young scholars examine the effects of packaging decisions and the engineering advancements in packaging materials and waste management. They observe biodegradation in a model landfill.
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Virus and Bacteriophage
Students examine the differences between a virus and a bacteriophage. They explore various websites, identify the parts of a virus and a bacteriophage, and construct a model of a virus or bacteriophage.
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In-Line Inertia
Students practice calculating the moment of inertia when discussing a skater and the position in which it is best to spin. After class discussion, students practice calculating inertia on their own.
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Snack Attack: Food Packaging Activity
Students design and create packaging material for food. For this snack attack lesson, students design a package to protect a food item from heat and water. Students consider costs of materials, design, and test the package to see if it...
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Cruising the Mantle
Learners explore the plate boundaries of the earth. Through the use of video, internet and hands-on activities, students examine the types of plate boundaries. They create a model to illustrate the movement and interaction of the...
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Simple Machines
Students investigate simple machines. In this simple machines lesson, students construct two simple machines and describe what they do. Students show that simple changes help machines do work with less effort. Students use a paper clip...
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Human Machine
Students explore the human body by conducting an exercise in class. In this human anatomy lesson plan, students view a diagram of the human body and identify the specific bones and joints that allow us to perform specific exercises like...
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Ice Floats
Students explore the changing density of water. In this physics lesson, students investigate how an object's density determines whether it will float or sink in water. They explain why this unique property of is important to living things.
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Magnetorheological Fluids
Students conduct a series of experiments on magnetorheological fluids. In this physics lesson, students explain how these fluids behave in varying magnetic field strength. They give practical applications of magnetorheological fluids.
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Cosmic Ray Momentum
Students describe how cosmic rays achieve high kinetic energy via conservation of momentum.
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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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Characteristics of Energy
Fourth graders view a video and create a KWL to identify energy sources. For this energy sources lesson, 4th graders explore the meaning of energy, kinetic energy, potential energy, thermal energy, radiant energy, and electrical energy....
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Principles of Flight: Gyrocopter and the Scientific Method
Students explore the concept of the scientific method. In this investigative lesson, students investigate which direction the blades will spin on a gyrocopter. Student will practice using the scientific method to complete the investigation.
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Truss Strength
Students are introduced to the design of Old Faithful Lodge at Yellowstone Park including its use of trusses. They work in groups and use straws and modeling clay to design and test a variety of building supports.
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Earthquake Proof Structures
Eighth graders build a structure that is able to withstand a simulated earthquake. They research earthquakes, earthquake measurement, and society's preparation for and reaction to them. Pupils build models and present them to the...
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Magnets
Students explore how the earth is a magnet and that magnets have two "poles". In this magnetic instructional activity students complete an activity by designing their own compass.
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Go Car, Go!
Learners design and build their own car. In this physics instructional activity, students collect data to determine the speed of the car. They plot the data on the graph analyze the relationship between variables.