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Biomechanics of Joints
Students examine the range of motion of your knee, wrist and shoulder and observe that these body parts act like different types of mechanical joints.
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Help Wanted: A Lighting Engineer For Popular Rock Group
Students are assigned to groups, and determine each member's role in the group. They will design an experiment to determine a way to produce the three primary and five secondary colors. Students discuss color and mood. They listen to a...
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Proportionality: The X-Plane Generation
Students meet NASA researchers who describe the relationship between force, energy and motion. They discuss how NASA's experimental X-plane is being tested to make space travel more reliable and show how proportionality and ratios are...
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The Dynamic Earth
Learners participate in assessments related to the layers of the Earth. They read chapters of text, answer questions, watch videos, and identify and label continents and oceans on a map. They design posters, create vocabulary cards,...
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Fling It
Students investigate the best design using technology. In this science lesson, students construct a freestanding object with specific materials to be able to shoot a ping pong ball and a marshmallow. They have to adjust and...
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Inertia
Students conduct an experiment to apply Newton's first law of motion. They observe the inertia of an object in regard to its mass. The students record and graph the outcomes of their investigation and present the relationship between...
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Keep It Cool
Young scholars complete a science experiment to study insulation, heat transfer, and permafrost. In this permafrost study lesson, students design and test a soda insulator. Young scholars graph their class data and discuss the results....
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Marble Run
Learners use marbles to conduct experiments on movement of objects and explore Newton's three laws of motion. In this motion lesson plan, students use marbles, tubing, foam, paper cups, and more.
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Jumpy Dolls
Students are challenged to design and construct a jointed figure that moves in a motion something like jumping jacks when a string is pulled.
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Wind Power for Educators
Students explore wind power as a renewable resource. In this wind power lesson students build models of wind turbines and experiment with different changes to see if it increases efficiency.
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Nerve Racking
Fifth graders study the components and function of the nervous system. They investigate how engineers design biomedical equipment to assist the nervous system and explain how the five senses are affected during spaceflight.
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How Far?
Students explore how different textures provide varying amounts of friction to objects moving across them. They build a tool to measure the amount of friction between a note card and various surfaces by measuring the distance that a...
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The Human Organism
Students discuss human emotions and mental health. In this mental and emotional health instructional activity, students write a short story regarding the "think and share" choice. Students include emotion, the connection between...
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Learn to Build a Rocket in 5 Days
Students explore physics by participating in an engineering activity. In this rocket instructional activity, students define a list of scientific vocabulary terms such as "re-engineering" and "trade-off." Students identify the rocket...
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Pendulums
Students construct a pendulums and experiment with what variables change or effect the rate at which they swing through an arc. They are assessed on scientific inquiry including the following skills: observation, data collection,...
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Catapult Unit
Students understand the need for carefully defining the problem before searching for a solution. They understand the need for carefully defining the problem before searching for a solution. Students compare a variety of catapults and the...
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The Egg "Airbag" Lab
Students use what they know about momentum and impulse to construct an effective "air bag" to protect an egg dropped from the top of the football stadium or other tall structure. They complete a final written report of their findings.
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Recycled Racers
Young scholars research automobile operating systems in relation to racing. They design and construct vehicles from recycled material which they race to study the concept of propulsion.
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Snow Day
Eighth graders work in small groups to design and build a snow remover while looking at a snow design brief. They combine 2 or more simple machines to form a compound machine following the design brief in order to meet the required...
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Sky Pictures
Students investigate constellations. In this space science lesson, students view transparencies of constellations and identify the zodiac constellations. Students research the legends connected with the constellations.
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Faulty Movement
Students discover the faults throughout the Earth. They describe the different types of faults and how they are related to earthquakes. They build models of the faults.
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Sound Box
Students make simple observations and identify relevant variables, such as frequency and diameter. They then discuss the relationship between variables. The task assesses students' abilities to make simple observations and make...
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Simple Machines Classification
Students demonstrate an awareness of the types of simple machines and classify common objects in relation to the simple machines involved.
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Cell Cycle Movie
Fourth graders draw on previous knowledge and create hand-held flip books that show a cell going through the motions of the cell cycle. They create a flip book, which illustrates the cell cycle.