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Taxonomic Keys
Seventh graders create their own dichotomous key. In this biology lesson, 7th graders classify animals based on their observable features. They explain how to use their dichotomous key.
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Is it Alive?
Students watch a demonstration using Duco glue and water and try to determine if the "monster" shown is alive. After the demonstration, they discuss what characteristics make an organism "alive". They participate in a card sorting...
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Categorization
Second graders participate in a teacher led bead sorting activity in which they describe different ways the beads can be grouped. Next, they participate in activities in which they sort and resort themselves into groups according to...
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It Takes All Kinds!
Students view video clips and observe similarities and differences between animals. They sort animals into groups for a zoo. They make a graph of their observations and review scientific classifications.
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A World Of Matter
First graders complete a variety of experiments with solids, liquids and gases. They read books about matter, identify the characteristics of solids, liquids and gases and the sort and classify a variety of matter. Students make...
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Plastics and Rubber: What's the Difference?
Students observe how to classify things into groups based on physical properties. In this plastic and rubber lesson students group and sort items to help them to better identify properties.
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Color Dots 3
Students make simple observations, test mixtures, and make generalized inferences from their observations. They observe bleeding of colored inks with water.
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Yellow Pod
Young scholars use appropriate skills to design and conduct scientific investigation. They sort and classify various ingredients and analyze their investigation. Finally, students describe the observable states of matter, bot solids and...
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Grain Seeds and Food
Students observe the characteristics of different seed types. They classify, sort, name and write about the seeds.
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Up, Up and Away
Third graders are presented with the problem of: Do all liquids evaporate at the same rate? The lesson contains adequate background information for the teacher. They participate in a lab experiment in order to test the scientific...
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Investigating Earth's Materials
First graders compare and contrast water from different sources. After collecting water from various sources, 1st graders create a list of observable properties of the water. Students then pour the water into a filter and observe the...
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Newton’s Laws of Motion
Eighth graders explore the three laws of motion. In this physics lesson, 8th graders observe teacher demonstration and explain what happened in terms of Newton's Laws. They complete worksheet at the end of the lesson.
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Classifying Rocks
Students classify rocks into groups after they observe the rocks and identify properties that can be used to divide them into groups. They then identify other properties that could be used to classify other objects into groups.
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States of Matter
First graders break into groups of five students and are given 15 different objects and 3 posters. They group the objects into 3 different families with all the objects in each category placed on one of the posters. They choose whatever...
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Five Senses
Students listen to the book "My Five Senses." They work together to classify fifteen objects by the sense that they affect. They discuss the sense organs and complete a chart. Finally, they sort mystery items from a bag which the teacher...
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A Worm World
Students maintain a compost bin and build a worm observatory. They design experiments relating to worms and record observations in a worm journal.
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Grouping and Changing Materials
Students feel and observe different types of materials. Using the internet, they sort objects based on the materials they are made from and justify their reasons for putting it in a certain category. They identify objects that could...
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Solids in Bottles
Students use funnels to put the five solid materials into clear bottles with caps. They observe how the particulate materials look, sound, and move when they shake and roll the bottle. Finally, students write "sound and touch" poetry.
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Bears
Students complete a variety of bear-related activities. They sort and graph teddy bears, distinguish between real and non-real bears and research bear life cycles and habitats.
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Construct with Solids
Students discover which properties of solids lend themselves to building a tower through hands on trial and error and observation of others as they are building. They write down the steps it took them to build the tower and label an...
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What Makes a Kite Fly?
Ninth graders compare the nature of forces of gravity, lift, thrust, and drag. They select proper materials for making a kite and attach a proper tail. Students interpret and summarize the observations made during the flight of the kites.
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What's Going to Happen at Any Given Barometer Reading?
Fourth graders brainstorm a list of words associated with weather. In groups, they sort the words into categories and observe the weather in their area for a month. To end the lesson, they compare the barometer measurements for a...
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The Penny Factory
Fourth graders identify the characteristics of a simple physical and chemical change. They describe objects by the properties of the materials from which they are made and separate or sort items using these properties. Students explain...
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Learning From Leaves: Adaptation Scavenger Hunt
Young scholars participate in an adaptation scavenger hunt at. They obtain various plant specimens, and sort the plants based on whether they came from a desert, tropical rainforest, or wetlands.