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Starlight, Star Bright
First graders read books and use the Internet to identify several constellations and stars in the night sky. They make star pictures and write a class report about the night sky including a title, complete sentences and a cited reference.
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Interplanetary Distance and Travel Time
Students are introduced to the challenges involved in understanding the space travel distances and the time involved to do so through the use of an interactive fable. The modeling and comparisons deal with specific distances at different...
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Sky Watching
Students complete night-sky observations to understand how our knowledge of the sky has been enhanced by telescopes. Students complete a timeline worksheet giving the history of telescopes. Students then then make their own observations...
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Satellites and the Radiation Budget
Students engage in a prelab discussion about the earth's radiation budget and global warming. They use "trading cards" to find specific websites to research radiation budget questions.
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Air Quality Issues
Students identify the different layers of the atmosphere. They examine the different types of air pollutants. They also discover laws in effect that work to protect the environment.
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HABITAT for the other 90%
Learners examine the connection between the habitat needs of endemic species to the habitat needs of humans. In this habitat lesson students research the habitat requirements of a given family then develop an idea to improve the...
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Lesson 4 Activity 1: Mapping the Third Dimension
Learners work in pairs to construct a simple stereoscope.
Virginia Department of Education
Hurricanes: An Environmental Concern
Hurricanes, typhoons, and tropical cyclones are the same type of storm, but their names change based on where they happen. Scholars use a computer simulation to learn about hurricanes. Then they hypothesize ideas to prevent hurricanes...
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Solar Matters II
Students research solar energy. For this solar energy lesson, students construct a KWL chart and research solar energy through various websites and related readings. Students complete a science journal page as an assessment.
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Microbial Influence on Earth's Systems
Students identify the different biogeochemical cycles on Earth. In this biology lesson, students observe microbes under a microscope. They compare and contrast respiration and photosynthesis.
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View of a Comet from Earth
Students investigate comets. In this space science lesson, students study overhead transparencies of the orbits of Earth and a comet. Students identify various locations and times where comets would be visible from Earth.
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Weather
Students recognize that carbon dioxide's role in the greenhouse effect. They research the greenhouse effect to design and create a greenhouse structure to measure the changing temperatures over a 24-hour period. In addition, they write a...
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Lunar Lollipops
Students simulate the phases of the moon using a lamp and styrofoam balls. In this lunar phases lesson, students stand around a lamp and act as Earth. They hold styrofoam balls and rotate to show the phases of the moon.
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Sucking Students into an Understanding of Air Pressure and Vacuums
Students develop and test their ideas about air pressure and vacuums by conducting several investigations into the movement of fluids in tubes.
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The Life Cycle of a Star
Learners investigate the life cycle of a star through research. Once research is complete, students prepare posters and present findings to class. Flash animation is included to help learners visualize life cycle of star researching.
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Demonstrating the Distances of Stars
Students examine the distance from Earth to stars. They create a model to show the arrangement of constellations. They also identify the importance of the parallax effect.
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Winter Season
Students recognize the relationship between Earth's tilt and the Winter season. In this Winter instructional activity, students work in pairs to complete make frost and design snow goggles. Students experiment a hand lens to study the...
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Earth's Magnetic Field and Magnetosphere
High schoolers investigate the magnitude of Earth's magnetic field using PASCO. In this physics lesson, students describe the features of the magnetosphere. They explain how atmosphere layers protect the Earth.
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Sweet Candy Comets
Fourth graders use candy to make a comet. In this instructional activity, 4th graders examine the role comets have played throughout history, students watch NASA videos about comets and complete the instructional activity by making an...
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Matter, Matter
Learners define vocabulary related to the parts of the atom. In this matter instructional activity, students navigate the web to find the structure and the forces that affect atoms. Learners complete an experiment with...
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Extraterrestrials
Young scholars discuss the possibility of intelligent life in space. In this space science lesson, students decipher a radio message electronically transmitted in space. They create their own extraterrestrial welcome greeting.
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Today's Weather on Mars
Students investigate the temperature and wind data locally, nationally, and internationally and compare these conditions to those on Mars. Conclusions are drawn about the differences of these conditions and the causes for the variance...
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What is a greenhouse?
Students experiment to gain understanding of how a greenhouse retains heat. In this greenhouse lesson, students work with soda bottles and simulate a greenhouse. Students compare data from a vented and intact bottle. Students...