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Integrating Math and Science
Student understanding of math concepts improves when math is integrated with science!
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Ocean Circulation
Students view and analyze buoy, satellite, temperature vs depth data to study about ocean circulation and how is related to atmospheric circulation. They read and interpret satellite image data related to: Surface wind speeds, Wave...
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Perkin' Through the Pores
Students investigate how organic matter increases the amount of water soil will hold. In this water soil lesson plan, students use soil and measure water amounts using organic matter. Students measure the water holding capacities.
Reach Out!
Paper Clip Sailing
Students explain that some things can float on top of water because of what we call "surface tension." They see that if something happens to disturb these water molecules from tugging on each other, the skin-like surface breaks up.
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Strength of Water
Students perform experiments using flexible bottles of water and eyedroppers partially filled and placed in the bottle. They record what happens when they tighten the bottle lid and squeeze the bottle.
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Ocean Currents
Young scholars discover the geography of Earth by analyzing water currents. In this oceanography lesson, students create visual references on a map of the globe where and why major ocean currents are moving water. Young...
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Earthquakes
Students observe the melting of ice. In this phase change lesson, students observe ice as it melts. They discuss the process and create a Venn diagram comparing water and ice.
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Our Water Resources
Students build a model aquifer to study groundwater zones and water table formation. Students use the models to measure the movement of polluted groundwater.
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How Many Drops?
Seventh graders hypothesize about the number of drops of liquid that can be placed on a penny before it spills over. They examine both the concept of devising a hypothesis and the idea of surface tension. They determine the difference...
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Make An Egg Float!
Students analyze density. In this density lesson, students experiment with floating an egg. Students discover that salt added to water changes the density of the water allowing an egg to float.
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Journey of a Raindrop to the Chesapeake Bay
Students explore the water cycle and the path a single drop of water would take if it traveled from their schoolyard to the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia.
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Water Quality
Students use a microcomputer connected to a conductivity probe to measure the total dissolved solids in local area water samples. Students then compare their measurements with others in their class as well as other standard measurements.
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Lesson: Sand and Water
Students review background information about water tension and adhesive forces on sand. In this sand science lesson, students visit a beach and have a sand building competition near water and away from it. Students discuss water tension...
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What is a Wetland?
In this Tyson Lagoon wetland instructional activity, students record their observations during a field trip to a constructed wetland area. They make observations at 6 stations, trace the water flow through the ecosystem and examine the...
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Ocean Impacts of an El Nino Event
Students study sea surface height and temperature and other characteristics of an El Nino. In this ocean impacts lesson students examine the factors that influence an El Nino or La Nina.
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Heat it Up!
This demonstration of solar ponds can be used in an earth, environmental, or physical science setting. Lab groups set up a solar pond and model how it is able, due to a salt concentration gradient, to maintain heat for future use.
NOAA
Currents
Learn how ocean currents are vital to humans and marine life. The eighth installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program, focuses on ocean currents and how they affect global climate. The...
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Anchialine Cave Species
Ever heard of a stygofauna or a stygobite? How about an anchialine cave? Set your young biologists on a quest to find information about organisms that live in and have adapted to life in caves located near the water. Class members then...
NOAA
Ocean Zones
How can organisms light up in water? Bioluminescence is light produced in a chemical reaction that can occur in an organism's body. First, learners determine what happens to light/color as you move into the deep ocean. In groups, they...
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Remote Sensing and Landsat Satellite Imagery
Students comprehend how satellites use remote sensing to produce images. They use supervised classification with Landsat images. Students recognize that the earth's surface has different basic land surfaces that reflect/emit different...
Space Awareness
Ocean Acidification
Learn the science behind ocean acidification and its effects on ocean wildlife. Young scientists conduct a laboratory investigation that monitors the acidity level of water. While burning a candle, learners capture the carbon dioxide in...
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Agents of Erosion
Fourth graders observe and identify the effects of geological activities and weathering on Earth's surface. They also take a look at reports of events such as storms, earthquakes, floods, and volcanoes. There is a hefty hands-on activity...
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Coral Bleaching in the Caribbean
Students practice analyzing images, maps and graphs from Internet-based educational resources. They explore the correlation between sea surface temperature and coral bleaching. Students comprehend that coral reefs are collections of tiny...
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Regolith Formation
Students explain the difference between regolith formation on Earth and the Moon. In this space science lesson, students model the different factors affecting regolith formation on Earth. They identify the different types of weathering.