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On Jupiter
Middle schoolers tour Jupiter. In this scenario based lesson, students examine the size of Jupiter and make models of the other planets in the solar system to show how large Jupiter is compared to the other planets.
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Exploring Magnetism
Students participate in several activities that allow them to better understand magnetism. In this exploratory lesson students take part in different activities to help them to better understand magnetic fields, circuits and...
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The Big Bang
Students explore our universe. In this solar system lesson, students gain knowledge about the solar system, galaxy, the universe and the Big Bang Theory. Students watch videos and view a slideshow.
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My Angle on Cooling: Effects of Distance and Inclination
Learners discuss what heat is and how it travels. They discover that one way to cool an object in the presence of a heat source is to increase the distance from it or change the angle at which it is faced.
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An Alien Periodic Table
High schoolers construct a periodic table based on the physical and chemical properties of elements. In this chemistry lesson, students share their work with the class and explain why they classified the elements that way.
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Sky Watching
Middle schoolers explain how our knowledge of the sky has been enhanced by telescopes. They make their own night-sky observations, diagram and describe what they see, and examine pictures taken by telescopes.
University of Colorado
The Jovian System: A Scale Model
Jupiter has 67 moons! As the seventh in a series of 22, the exercise shows learners the size and scale of Jupiter and its Galilean moons through a model. They then arrange the model to show how probes orbited and gathered data.
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Destination Outer Space
Fourth graders use effective writing skills, their imagination, and their knowledge of the nine planets as they create travel pamphlets of the solar system.
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Look At Those Leaves!
Students observe, measure and sort leaves. In this leaf lesson students divide into groups and observe the different kinds of leaves.
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Sky Watching
Learners examine telescopes and understand how they have helped us better understand the sky. In this astronomy activity students complete a worksheet and a lab activity.
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Rolecards Sheet 1
In this science and environment worksheet, students answer short answer questions about different science and environment topics on these role cards. Students complete 16 questions.
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Hello, Anybody Out There?
Students understand that people believe there may be life in other solar systems. In this communication with other solar systems lesson, students analyze our planet and write things they want to communicate to other solar systems.
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Bringing the Solar System Down to Earth
Students develop a scaled down model of the solar system. In small groups, they calculate the scaled-down diameters of the planets and the sun, the scaled-down distance of the planets from the sun, complete two charts, and create a...
University of Colorado
Great Red Spot Pinwheel
The great red spot on Jupiter is 12,400 miles long and 7,500 miles wide. In this sixth part of a 22-part series, individuals model the rotation of the Great Red Spot on Jupiter. To round out the activity, they discuss their findings as a...
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Heavens Above
Students study the stars and their positions. In this astronomy lesson students see how scientists can predict the positions of the stars and can tell how they would have appeared in the past.
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Measure the Earth's Circumference
Students explore geometry by conducting a science experiment. In this circumference measurement lesson plan, students review the Greek geographer Eratosthenes who first discovered the circumference of our planet. Students utilize...
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Earthquakes
Students observe the melting of ice. In this phase change instructional activity, students observe ice as it melts. They discuss the process and create a Venn diagram comparing water and ice.
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Robots
Students play the parts of robots and their controllers. In this robot lesson plan, students learn about robots, and use verbal commands to simulate how a robot would command to it's controller.
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Timing the Tides
Students collect data and describe how and why the high and low tides change from day to day. In exploring tides lesson students study tides by taking notes, recording data and analyzing their findings.
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Antarctica
Students explore why Antarctica is so important to the planet. They investigate the physical characteristics. Students create their own unique treaty of governance for Antarctica and discuss how laws are enforced in Antarctica.
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Navigating a Spacecraft
Students work with a partner to plot the trajectory of a spacecraft traveling between Earth and Mars in the 2018 and returning in 2020. They examine the key factors when planning a mission to and from Mars such as travel time, distances...
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Determining the Age of Fossils
Students examine the concept of radioactive dating. In this radioactive dating activity, students investigate how to determine the ages of fossils and rocks as they learn about half-life radioactive decay.
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Sensing the Invisible
Students study visible light and explain why we want to use infrared radiation to study Mercury. In this sunlight instructional activity students construct a device to measure the presence of infrared radiation in sunlight.
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Earthquake Preparation and Survival Strategies
Pupils examine the different ways that earthquakes have been predicted. In this earthquake instructional activity students plan ways that people can prepare for earthquakes.