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Pollution Solutions
Learners visit a local park to test the quality of the aquatic environments. They search for sources of pollution and examples of pollution control. Based on their obeservations and experiments, they rate their local environment.
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How Does Your Garden Grow?
Students discover gardening by documenting plants grown on school grounds. In this botany activity, students utilize digital cameras to capture images of plants on photo hikes which are turned into a slide show. Students...
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Let's Create an Ecosystem
Seventh graders discover how an ecosystem works by creating one in class. For this Earth science lesson, 7th graders study vocabulary terms associated with ecosystem and read environment handouts. Students create an...
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Water 1: Water and Ice
Students explore forms that water can take and examine the water cycle. In this hands-on science instructional activity, students participate in activities that require them to change water to a solid and back to a liquid again.
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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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The Radish Experiment
First graders grow radishes. In this Science lesson, 1st graders observe the growth of radishes in both the light and dark. Students discuss what plants need to live.
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West Climate Change
Students read an internet article about hurricanes. For this hurricane lesson, students explain how they form and the damage they bring. They analyze the article and answer questions about it.
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Astrology: Fact or Fiction?
Students explore the topic of astrology and review the beliefs behind it. They read sample horoscopes. Using a portable digital planetarium, they view the night sky and the zodiac constellations. They examine and discuss the science...
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Exploring the Celestial Neighborhood
Ninth graders study the origin and organization of the solar system. They investigate the Earth's place in the system and how planetary motions explain natural phenomena observable from Earth.
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Glacier Climbing
Students discuss glaciers and the current distribution of glaciers around the Earth. They create simulated glaciers using cornstarch, shoeboxes, water, and pebbles.
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Musher Graphing and Probability
Students use the internet to research statistical information on the musher dogs participating in the Iditarod. Using the data, they create three different types of pie charts. They use the charts to answer questions about the dogs. They...
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Agriculture, Weather, Economy and Indiana
Fourth graders, in groups, investigate the role of weather in Indiana's farming economy. They make a prediction as to weather and its effect on the economy of Indiana. They present their data using a media presentation of data...
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Is it Really Winter in Australia? It is June!
The purpose of this activity is to determine how the location of a place on the Earth (hemisphere) determines what season that place is experiencing relative to the Sun's rays. Day one the students will be introduced to the terms...
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Weather Where We Are
Students investigate the reports of local weather. They identify types of weather data and correlate it to the conditions. Using the data students draw a picture of the current weather. They conduct the same investigation for all four...
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Wind Distribution of Weed Seeds
Students investigate how many seasons it would take for wind to disperse seeds one mile downwind from an initial growth of one spotted knapweed plant. They construct and use a wind tunnel as part of their experiment and graph their results.
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Sea Surface Temperature Trends of the Gulf Stream
Young scholars use authentic satellite data to produce plots and graphs of sea surface temperature as they explore the seasonal changes of the Gulf Stream.
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Commonalities and Differences from Africa to Cleveland as Evidence Through the Gullah Community Connection
Students explore Afro-American history. They identify the commonality between African, Carolinian and Cleveland Black culture. Students explore the water cycle, oceanography, hydrology and bio-geochemical processes. They discuss the...
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Roaming Biomes
Students use the Internet to research the capabilities of earth-observation satellites. Using the information, they write a report on how remote-sensing technology is used to measure the impact of climate change. They identify the...
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Predicting the Greening of Spring With Red Emperor Tulips
Learners examine seasonal changes by watching tulip plant growth across the continent utilizing the Journey North website. They develop hypotheses as to why the plants emerge and grow where they do.
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Graphing San Diego Tides
Students observe the tides in San Diego for one month. Using this information, they graph the tides on a chart along with the phases of the moon. They answer questions related to the graph to end the lesson.
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How Does Temperature Vary Over Time?
Students examine the temperature flucuations on the Earth. After defining new vocabulary, they identify the flucuations of the Earth on a map. As a class, they develop a hypotheis on the temperature variation by examining the data.
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Tracking Sunrise and Sunset
Middle schoolers collect, record, and graph the sunrise and sunset times. They explain how the relationship between the tilt of Earth's axis and its yearly orbit around the sun produces the seasons.
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Precession
Students explain how Hipparchus, around 130 BC, used a shift in the predicted location of a lunar eclipse to detect a slight shift in the path of the Sun around the sky. They examine the elliptical orbit in which the Earth travels around...
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Taking Risks: Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Students discuss a video about drug and alcohol abuse and their connection to risk-taking. They answer questions on a risk factor sheet about the use of tobacco, drugs, and alcohol. They discuss long and short term goals and how not...