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Oil Spill
Fourth graders watch a video about the types of products made from oil or oil used as energy to produce the product. In groups, they identify the positive and negative aspects of oil and participate in various activities. They use the...
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Bringing Up Birdy
Students explore biology by creating diagrams of animal life cycles. In this baby bird activity, students view video clips of birds being born from incubation to flying on their own. Students utilize the Internet to research birds and...
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Temperature and Enzymes
Students compare the times it takes the milk in each of two cups to curdle. They are told that an enzyme that is added to the milk, rennin, is involved in the natural curdling process of milk. Students are asked to consider what...
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The Water Cycle
Pupils develop a better understanding of the need to conserve our renewable resources. In this water cycle lesson students take notes, complete a guide sheet and illustrate the water cycle.
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The Plant Growth Cycle
Students explain the stages of the plant growth cycle, and create a slide show to chart the stages of growth.
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Fiber Optics
Students explore the uses of optical fibers, are exposed to the principles of refraction and total internal reflection, solve problems relating to the design of fiber optic cables, and compare them to copper transmission lines.
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Cloud Watchers
Second graders read "The Cloud Book" by Tomie dePaola to jumpstart their cloud study. They offer examples of liquids, solids, and gases and chart them. They observe the making of a cloud in a demonstration. They discuss and draw...
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Project Geode
Students predict the appearance of a geode's internal structure based on its mass and density. They form a hypothesis based on the data they collect. They also identify common minerals found in Illinois.
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Dissect with Respect
Students, through exercises and discussions, examine ethics involved in the process of choosing and using laboratory animals, respect for the animal they dissect and how to behave in an ethical manner as they dissect various lab specimens.
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The Synthesis of Some Organic Compounds And Their Representative Structures
High schoolers examine how to represent organic compounds three-dimensionally. They write a synthesis reaction for three demonstrations, and construct a three-dimensional structure using a molecular modeling set.
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A Colorful Rainforest
Middle schoolers are introduced to the various types of birds that make their home in the tropical rainforest. In groups, they use a template of a tropical bird and use color to identify each physical feature. They use the internet to...
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Rusting and the Scientific Method
Pupils observe the oil can scene with the tin man from a clip from "The Wizard of Oz" and answer the question, "What can we learn about rust from this scene?". They take 2 tubes and 2 nails, adding 1 salt packet to 2 ml of distilled...
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EGG-cellent POLYMER PACKAGING DESIGN
Learners investigate the concept of a polymer using an experimental design of protecting an egg in a bookbag. They test the properties of polymers and form an educated solution to the proposed problem. Then they describe the steps used...
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Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD):A Case Study Using the Film
Students study the genetic disorder Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) by viewing the film "Lorenzo's Oil". They complete a summary of the movie and answer questions while viewing the movie. Extensions activities also included.
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Effects of the Southern Pacific Railroad Causeway
Fifth graders describe the appearance of a substance before and after a physical change. They re-create the Southern Pacific Railroad Causeway across the Great Salt Lake. They determine for themselves how the water is exchanged...
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Lesson 6: Resonance
Students participate in a lab activity using three tuning forks of different frequencies and a Resonance Tube Set purchased from Sargent-Welch to take measurements of resonant lengths of the tuning fork frequencies. Students then try to...
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Earth's Hydrologic Cycle
Young scholars examine the water cycle. In this hydrologic cycle lesson, students follow the provided procedures to demonstrate the how water moves around the planet through the dynamics of the water cycle.
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Rain Forest Stencils
Fourth graders explore animals of the rain forest. They create a drawing of an animal in the rain forest. Students research the animal and write a paragraph about the animal. They use a stencil to create a picture of a rain forest animal.
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Solar System: Let's Take a Trip
Third graders consider outer space. For this introductory solar system lesson, 3rd graders complete a KWL chart and listen to the story The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System, by Joanna Cole & Bruce Degen. They will...
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Attenuation of Light in Water
Students explore what happens to light intensity as depth increases using a light intensity logger. They construct a PVC model to hold water and identify what factors could influence the amount of light attenuation.
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Measurement of the Depth of the Ocean
Students comprehend the physical properties of pressure and Boyle's Law by designing a depth gauge. They construct a capillary depth gauge and calculate the calibrated depth marks of the capillary tube. They determine the margin of error...
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Avalanche!
Students explain that when forces on an object are balanced, the motion of object does not change. They describe how an object changes its motion when forces on it are unbalanced. They plan and conduct a scientific investigation to test...
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Pendulum Patterns
Students identify the variables involved in the motion of a pendulum. In groups, they research how each different variable is related to the energy the pendulum produces. They share their results with the class and compare them with...
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Stellar Spectral Fingerprints
Young scholars listen as the teacher introduces Newton's early discovery of the diffraction of light. They use multiple sources of light (fluorescent, incandescent, sunlight, etc) to bend the light. They first use a prism then a...