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Water and Ice
Students explore the physical properties of water. In this water instructional activity, students observe, measure, and describe water as it changes state. There are 2 extensions for this instructional activity that one can access...
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Habits of Mind
Students study tree leaves to complete the activity, In this tree leaf experiment lesson, students observe, measure, and sort tree leaves individually, in groups, and in relationship to the entire tree.
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Designing a Solar Concentrator
Students design and build a solar concentrator. In this physics instructional activity, students evaluate their design and convince everyone why theirs is the best. They create a presentation and share it with the class.
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Wind Power for Educators
Students explore wind power as a renewable resource. In this wind power instructional activity students build models of wind turbines and experiment with different changes to see if it increases efficiency.
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Sars
Students discuss the Sars outbreak in 2003. In this biology lesson, students research the effect of the outbreak to the world. They create a public announcement about the topic.
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The Beaufort Scale: A Local Model
Students study the Beaufort Scale and use it to study wind in their community. In this wind study lesson, students watch a DVD about climate change and learn about the Beaufort Scale. Students complete a worksheet for the topic.
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The Law of Inertia
Young scholars practice the 4 question strategy to form more questions and develop further experiments. The four questions are engage, explore, explain, and elaborate. They use the 4 question strategy on an investigation involving the...
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Simple Machines
Fourth graders choose a simple machine and write about they way they believe it will work. Students experiment, write down procedures used and record observations. They will find a picture of the machine and add it to their report.
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Measure for Measure: Weight and Energy
Students study the friction of a particular sport. In this weight and energy lesson students choose a sport and us the Internet to research it then present their findings to the class.
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I'm Falling For You!
Third graders are introduced to the concept of gravity by observing different objects being dropped from a high point. In groups, they complete the same activities Galileo did and record their observations. To end the lesson, they...
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Wave Equations
Pupils manipulate a model of a wave in order to solve the wave equation in 1 dimension. By using a model of a wave on a string the student is able to change the tension, length, and mass of the string as well as fix either end of the...
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Solar System: Let's Take a Trip
Third graders consider outer space. In 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 contribute...
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Activity Two Teacher Page: Explosions
Students identify variables that affect the system, and specify which variables are independent and which are dependent.
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Momentum And Colliding Spheres
Young scholars explain that mass times velocity equals momentum. They investigate the impacts of collisions and their results and determine the vector of an incident.
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Airplanes
Fourth graders experiment with gravity and lift by building paper airplanes. In this physics instructional activity, 4th graders compare the falling rate of a crumpled vs. flat sheet of paper. Then after class discussion and...
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Pangaea Puzzle
Students explore plate tectonics and the formations of the Earth's surface and why maps are distorted. In this Earth's surface lesson students complete a lab and answer questions.
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Energy Conversion
Sixth graders study energy conversions. They watch a demonstration of a working engine and make a chart explaining the energy conversions taking place. They build a simple electric motor and research other types of electric generators.
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The Ups and Downs of Weight and Mass
Students explore the concept of mass, and how it differs from weight. They also calculate their weight change as they ride up and down on an elevator. They record the changes in their weight as the elevator moves
graph the collected data.
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Roebling and Suspension Bridges: A Thread of Steel
Students create a model bridge using steel. In this bridges lesson plan, students study John Augustus Roebling and how he created bridges out of steel and the impact it had on society. Then students build their own bridge model.
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Race the Track! Jump the Gap
Students record data of using a track system with variables and how those variables affect a ball used in the track. In this track lesson plan, students design their own track in groups, test the ball's rates of speed, and record their...
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Civil Engineering: Designing Bridges
Students examine the bridges of the United States. They discuss the concept of balance. They draw their own design of a suspension bridge.
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Heat Up the Floating Plates
Eighth graders research the connection between the convection currents within the mantle of the earth and the moving of Earth's plates. A connection to lessons at previous grade levels on the rock cycle and important background...
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Electroscope
Learners examine what an electroscope is and who invented it. For this electrical lesson students build their own Emergency Radiation detector Electroscope.
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Cloud Types
Students examine cloud types. In this cloud lesson plan, students identify cloud types, observe clouds and collect data, and analyze data to identify the most common cloud they observe overhead during the course of a month.