Curated OER
Major Ocean Surface Currents
Young scholars investigate wind driven surface currents and prevailing winds by playing a card game. The cards are sorted by north or south and Atlantic or Pacific. They then predict where the two currents are found and what their...
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Periodic Table
Students identify the periodic table trends and predict material properties. They also design and conduct simple experiments and test material properties. Finally, students compare and contrast material properties and that chemical...
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Solar Energy: Become a Sun Chef!
Young scholars design and construct a solar cooker. They use the Internet to research solar collectors and the process of changing light energy into heat energy.
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The Sun, Earth's Angles, and the Seasons
Students determine if the angle of light bombardment is a factor in heat absorption. They correlate these findings to the tilt of the Earth and the seasons. Students fold a pice of black construction paper in half, lengthwise. They tape...
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How the Amount of Solar Energy Absorbed by the Earth is Dependent Upon the Earth's Position
Pupils investigate the angle of light and how it faces the earth. They conduct a series of investigations with the following two objectives. Students determine if the angle of light is a factor in the absorption of heat. They correlate...
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Air Expansion and Contraction
Students observe that air exerts pressure, that heated air expands and that cooled air contracts. After the demonstration, students engage in a question and answer session about what they saw.
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It's a Gas! Or is it?
Learners discover the principles of solubility and phase state and their influence on chemical phenomena observed around deep-sea volcanoes. They describe the effect of temperature and pressure on solubility of gasses and solid materials.
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The Same but Different Part II
Third graders experiment with beakers of water and balloons to measure the volume of the gas in the balloon. They determine ways to change the volume of air in the balloon which changes its size but not its physical state. By heating the...
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Secret Agents of Dissolved Oxygen
Students determine the changes in different types of water in a sealed container over time. They investigate how to measure dissolved oxygen, temperature, and carbon dioxide with calculator or computer probe-ware. Students determine the...
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How Does Climate Affect Your Environment?
Young scholars access the Global Sun Temperature Project website and research the relationship between the location and climate of a participating school to its building structure. They consider how climate affects the type of structures...
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Population Dynamics of Growth of Drosophila
Students experiment with Drosophila to determine if density of female flies, food sources, temperature and light affect the population dynamics of growth. Students graph their data and compare their results to the number of human...
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Which Colors Absorb the Most Energy?
Students measure the temperatures over time of different colored envelopes in order to explore the different rates at which each color absorbs energy from a heat lamp. They record their data and graph their results.
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The Sun
For this space science worksheet, students learn 4 facts about the sun. Students also read a short passage about the sun to gain more information.
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What a Can Can Do
Students explore properties of cans (including aluminum and steel) as they rotate through stations. They experiment with magnets, weight differences, resistance to corrosion and temperature conductivity.
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Boy, Is That Buoyant!
Fourth graders see that salt increases the density of water and creates a condition wherein objects are more buoyant than would be expected under normal conditions. They describe the relationship between heat energy, evaporation and...
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Hopping For Candy
Young scholars explore recipes online for different types of candy, and simulate process of making candy to explain how candy makers rely on varied temperatures and basic chemistry to produce perfect sweets.
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How Oceans Affect Climate
Learners draw conclusions about how the ocean affects temperature. In this weather instructional activity, students use the Internet to gather data to help them come to a conclusion about how the climate in a certain region is directly...
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Magnetism
Middle schoolers experiment with the concept of magnetism. Working in small groups, students design an experiment to test the magnet attraction of various substances. After completing their experiments, middle schoolers research...
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The Energy Debate - Stoichiometry
Students determine crude oil can be separated into useful fractions by a process of fractional distillation. They write a balanced equation for the reaction between a hydrocarbon and oxygen.
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Life Processes and Water
Explain the properties of water. Identify the properties of water that make it a polar molecule Describe hydrogen bonds and how they differ from covalent bonds Discuss the differences between hard water and soft water Compare the heat of...
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Hot Air Balloon Design Lesson Plan
Sixth graders discuss what they know and what they want to know about hot air balloon using a KWL chart. They then use a wide array of materials to design a hot air balloon that will lift successfully in cooperative groups referring to...
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My Car Has Potential
Seventh graders investigate how changes in the mass or height of a ramp can affect the change in potential energy. They discuss the concepts of work and energy, then using the four question strategy, they design an experiment that...
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Chemistry: Energy Resources and Transfers
Students explore the concepts of energy resources and energy transfers. In this chemistry lesson, students examine renewable and non-renewable energy sources as they view classroom demonstrations and discuss the concepts as well as their...
Teach Engineering
Weather Basics
Weather — there's more to it than meets the eye of the storm. With this resource young meteorologists learn about the basics of weather, including information about the factors that influence the weather, common weather vocabulary, and...