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Oceans
Students become aware of the differences between ocean water and lake water by smelling, tasting and seeing. They distinguish between land and bodies of water on a globe and gain increased awareness of oceans and life.
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Physics Park
Students research and design a playground for a park or school in their community. They explore the physics concepts that are present in the design and, if applicable promote their ideas to city or school officials.
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Introduction, Advance Organizer, and the Problem
Learners describe the three-phrase process for designing and developing energy-efficient buildings. They develop solutions and identify ways to make homes more comfortable and productive in regards to energy.
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Wild About Wildfires
Students conduct a debate. In this wildfire and controlled burning lesson, students watch the video "Legacy of Fire" and discuss the topic of wildland fires and controlled burns. Half of the class researches the arguments for these...
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Warming by Freezing
Ninth graders discover the reasoning behind spraying water on fruit and seedlings in preparation for hard freezes. For this conceptual physics lesson, 9th graders conduct an experiment to measure the heat released when water goes from a...
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The Physics of Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air
Students study hummingbirds and how they use Newton's law. In this motion lesson students complete several activities and view videos of hummingbirds.
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The Birds and the Beaks
Students explore the adaptations that birds have. In this adaptations lesson students view a video and create a concept map of birds and their adaptive traits.
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Eco-Kids: How Students Can Help Save the World
Fourth graders identify the different types of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. In this ecology lesson, 4th graders create models of wind mills and hydropower. They discuss the pros and cons of using alternative forms of energy.
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Evolution of the Virus: Teaching Macroevolution Through Microevolution
Students describe the anatomy of a virus. In this biology lesson, students compare and contrast the characteristics of bacteria and viruses. They discover the genetic adaptations of viruses over time.
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Ocean Habitats:
Students investigate the creatures of intertidal zones. They explore the adaptations species make to survive .
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Airing Our concerns: I Can See Clearly Now
Students research specific answers to questions about air pollution. In this air pollution lesson, students share information to fully understand the causes of air pollution. Students role play individuals from different groups to...
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Dynamic Wetlands
High schoolers construct and observe a model of two different types of wetlands. In this wetlands lesson, students create a model of a wetland with constant drainage and a wetland that maintains a well-saturated soil. High schoolers...
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Marine Protected Areas (MPA)
Ninth graders explain the purpose of MPA's. In this biology lesson, 9th graders identify MPA's in Southern California. They simulate coastal sampling using candy from two buckets. Students analyze their results and share it with the class.
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Energetic Energy: A Child?s Guide to Responsible Energy Use
Students explore how energy transforms into heat. In this energy lesson students create models and find a need for fuel to make a Stirling engine.
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Lesson 5: Designing an Experiment
The intent of this lesson is to introduce young scientists to the steps of the scientific method. To this end, they consider the question, "Which brand of battery lasts longest?" For this case, the experiment is carried out as a class,...
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WATER CHEMISTRY
Students list reasons why water is important and investigate and graph the freezing points of different solutions.
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Ice Cream Chemical and Physical Changes
Fourth graders identify characteristics of a simple physical and chemical change. They describe objects by the properties of the materials from which they are made and that these properties can be used separate. Students describe the...
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The Chemical Nature of Water
Seventh graders simulate a Jeopardy game to examine the chemical nature of water. Among the topics featured are evaporation, water, salt, and temperature. finally, as review, 7th graders answer a battery of questions presented by the...
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Elements And Atoms
Students investigate the concept of elements and atoms. They conduct research using a variety of resources and use the information in order to create a class presentation. The lesson plan includes specific dialogue and steps for the...
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Plate Tectonic - Volcanoes
Students watch and learn the different levels of "viscosity" in liquids to explain molten lava after viewing a video of a Hawaiian volcano.
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BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Young scholars observe and identify characteristics of artifacts and fossils; explain how artifacts and fossils are used to explore the past; and identify ways that Native Americans prepared food and made tools
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Elements and the Periodic Table
Learners are introduced to the elements on the Periodic Table and what is meant by element. Using the Table, they identify the name, atomic mass, number and symbol of each element. To end the lesson, they discover the characteristics...
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If My Configurations are Correct
Students write the electron configuration of elements in the ground state. For this chemistry lesson, students draw how subatomic particles are arranged in the atom. They construct Lewis dot diagrams of valence electrons.