Curated OER
Water and Ice: Part 1
Students observe the state changes in water. In this matter lesson, students observe, measure, and describe water as it changes state. Students explore how water can change from a solid to a liquid then back again. They journal their...
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Water Wonders
Students explore hydrology concepts. In this environment and biology lesson, students identify and describe macroinvertebrates using a variety of pictures and resources. Students observe and write about a classroom aquarium in which...
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Rain Formation
First graders investigate the different water formations by conducting an experiment. In this water properties lesson, 1st graders examine jars filled with ice, rain water, air and snow in their class. Students predict what will happen...
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How Am I Supposed to Eat THAT?
Students explain nutritional strategies of benthic organisms.They describe nutritional strategies of benthic organisms and describe these physical characteristics.
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Solar Sweet Tea
Students study the sun. In this heat energy lesson, students use the sun's warmth to make tea. They place a few jars with tea bags and water in the sun and discuss what the sun is doing to the water while they wait for the tea to brew....
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Physical Changes to Matter
Pupils explore matter by conducting an in-class experiment. They experiment with water's various forms by melting and freezing water, identifying its new shape. These observations are recorded to supplement later discussion. They also...
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Be a Watershed - Create a Living River
Students investigate water ways by conducting an experiment with classmates. For this natural resources lesson, students define a watershed and identify where large ones are located within the United States. Students utilize cups,...
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Science: Identifying Properties of Matter
Students observe a demonstration of the the three forms of matter - air, water, and solids - in plastic bags. After discussing the properties, they transfer them to a Venn diagram. Finally, students identify five items in the classroom...
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Solids and Water
Students investigate mixtures made of water and familiar solid materials. They observe and discuss the changes that occur immediately and set the mixtures aside for a day. Finally, students observe the mixtures, note changes, and graph...
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Properties of Waves
Third graders observe and investigate wave properties and compare the properties of particles and waves. They fill a pie pan half full with water, place a toothpick in the center of the pie pan, then drop a marble into the pan and...
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Water and Ice
Students explore water and ice. In this 3 states of matter instructional activity, students work with a partner to observe, illustrate, and describe the characteristics of an ice cube in a cup. The ice cube is observed again in 15...
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Is the Hudson River Too Salty to Drink?
Students explore reasons for varied salinity in bodies of water. In this geographical inquiry activity, students use a variety of visual and written information including maps, data tables, and graphs, to form a hypothesis as to why the...
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Oobleck
Students explore "matter." In this literacy and three states of matter lesson, students listen to Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss, then work in groups to explore "oobleck" (cornstarch and water mixture) with their five senses....
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Wateropoly: Life in the Desert
Learners explore water properties by participating in a drought related board game. In this water conservation lesson, students play a game titled "wateropoly" which is based on the classic board game Monopoly. Learners utilize cards and...
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Gas Laws and Alka-Seltzer Rockets
Students investigate the Ideal Gas Law. In this three states of matter instructional activity, students create Alka-Seltzer rockets using film canisters. Students record observations and data according to the scientific method and...
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Why Do Ice Cubes Melt?
First graders investigate water properties by participating in a hands on experiment. In this ice formation instructional activity, 1st graders examine real ice cubes in a bowl and identify the reasons why certain cubes melt faster than...
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Slippery, Slippery Ice
Students investigate how salt affects ice by experimenting in class. In this water properties lesson, students utilize a penny, salt and pans of ice to examine the sliding ability of a penny across a layer of ice. Students then place...
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River Research
Students use the internet to research the streams and rivers found in Illinois. Using the information, they identify and describe the rivers and streams along with the physical characteristics of a river ecosystem. They share what they...
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Physical Properties Of Coal
Learners examine and identify the observable properties of coal. After a lecture/demo, students perform a simple experiment. They observe samples of coal and record data in an organized manner.
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Scientific Method
Young scholars explore the steps in the scientific methods. Through activities, students discover the scientific is a tool for solving problems of any kind. Young scholars will fill out a scientific method chart, and determine what...
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Fire Triangle in the Forest
Students investigate the physical properties of fire by creating storyboards. For this elements lesson, students view a video clip of forest fires and identify the cause. Students create large storyboards defining the three elements...
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Piece Like a River
Students investigate water formations by creating a puzzle. In this water properties activity, students create a giant river puzzle by drawing on large butcher paper as a class, then dividing the image up into many pieces. Students...
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Microbiology Design Challenge
Young scholars discover dangers to human health by researching what's in our drinking water. In this water purification instructional activity, students discuss the conditions of water in undeveloped countries and why it is unsafe to...
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Life Cycle of the Plant - The Pumpkin
First graders access prior knowledge about pumpkins and read the story Pumpkin, Pumpkin. They will sequence the life cycle of the pumpkin through the use of picture cards and then sing a song about the life cycle of the pumpkin and plant...