Curated OER
Water and Ice
Students explore water. In this water lesson, students explore the physical properties and states of water. They observe how water changes states and document what they see.
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How Do We Know?
Students investigate the history of astronomy and how the study of constellations has evolved since the dawn of ancient civilization. They conduct research using a variety of resources. The teacher uses demonstrations to model how the...
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How Do We Know...?
Students identify and explain how various inventions and astronomers have improved our appreciation of the universe. Students identify at least two constellations in the sky and discuss how they were used in ancient times to tell time...
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What Color is Chlorophyll?
Students observe the interactions of chlorophyll and light. They develop and form their own testable hypotheses. Students predict the color of chlorophyll in various types of plants.
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Identifying Clouds
Eighth graders research and present to the class information about cloud categories. They observe clouds and describe the characteristics of their cloud observations. They take a cloud identification quiz.
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Identifying Clouds
Students work in groups to research and prepare a report on cloud types. They present their findings to the class and take a group quiz competing for points. Students go outside and determine which type of clouds are visible on that day.
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A Look At Sunspots
Young scholars research how the development of new technology has increased our knowledge of how the sun works. This lesson is part of a three-part series aimed at showing students how our knowledge of the universe must be inferred...
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Start the Space Flight Time Line
Young scholars research space flight exploration and technology. In small groups, they research a significant event from early time until the start of the space age. A class time line is created from the research groups.
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Chandra X-Ray Observatory
Young scholars tour Chandra's top galactic X-ray images. In this Chandra X-Ray Observatory lesson, students play games and complete puzzles based on the Chandra Mission and X-Ray Astronomy. Young scholars listen to pod casts, question an...
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Sensing the Invisible
Students study visible light and explain why we want to use infrared radiation to study Mercury. In this sunlight lesson plan students construct a device to measure the presence of infrared radiation in sunlight.
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Physical Principles in Living Systems
Seventh graders experiment with white light, plane mirrors, and curved mirrors in order to demonstrate the physical principles of living systems. In this physical principles lesson plan, 7th graders take 3 days to discover what happens...
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Twisted Vision
Learners investigate the vision adaptations in marine animals in their environments. In this life science instructional activity, students use polarized filters and make observations. Learners explain how the adaptation of polarized...
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To See or Not to See
Students identify and discuss key factors that determine how effective color camouflage is in certain habitats. For this investigative lesson students divide into groups and study light.
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Luminous Efficacy (Efficiency)
Students examine the basics of luminous efficacy and why it is used. In this light source lesson students test energy efficiency and the luminous efficiency for babies.
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An Overview of Solar Radiation
Learners examine the Stefan-Boltzmann Law. Students compute basic radiative "constants" of the sun-Earth-atomosphere system. They examine the wavelength of maximum radiation emission.
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Climate And the Greenhouse Effect
Students demonstrate the greenhouse effect. They recognize that relatively small changes to our environment can stimulate significant climate changes. They determine that the "scientific method" is a process of testing hypotheses and...
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Physics- global warming
Learners discuss the concept of global warming and view a multimedia clip on the global warming phenomenon. They statistically analyze mean temperature data and compare a given set of data. Data on atmospheric CO2 is done then they...
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You, Me and UV
Students explore the validity of claims of UV protection. Students research UV rays and the cancer danger presented by these rays. Working in groups, they perform tests on sunglass and sunscreen products to determine if their claim of UV...
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The Universe in a Different Light
Students become aware of some of the objects studied in, and concepts associated with, high-energy astronomy. They do this by participating in card games that teach and review these concepts.
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Day and Night
Students using experiments try to demonstrate how observations can be affected by the cycles of night and day.
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Wavelength and Energy
Students using a rope and other materials explore wavelengths and frequency. If time permits, more experiments can be tried.
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It's All In The Surface: The Effects Of Color & Texture On The Ability Of A Surface To Absorb Solar Energy
Ninth graders examine how dark surfaces absorb more light than light surfaces. They perform an experiment that compares various surfaces abilities to absorb heat, then record and analyze the results.
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Seeing The Sun In A New Light
Students examine the observation of "coronal holes," by x-rays, also about related fast streams and moderate magnetic storms that recur at 27 day intervals. They study NASA'S great observatories.
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Color Recognition
Students envision how space observatories make use of monochromatic filters to collect data on the color of objects in space. They see the actual colors of objects when they are in monochromatic light.