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Food Safety Lab
Learners use the scientific method to investigate the role of temperature in microbial growth. In this food preservation lesson, students set up an experiment with fruit in room temperature and in a refrigerator. They record the...
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The Climate Change Skeptic's Argument: Natural Solar Cycles or Human Activity?
Teachers explore patterns in sunspots and total solar irradiance to understand the counterpoint to the human effect of global warming. In this professional development tool, teachers work through a lesson on the sun's natural...
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The Frog Experiment
Your science class reads a silly story in which a mad scientist makes absurd conclusions about an experiment that he conducted. One at a time, he cuts off a frog's leg and commands it to jump. With three, two, and one leg, the frog...
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Gallery Walk Questions on Weathering and Mass Wasting
A set of questions on weathering and erosion are found in this resource. Some of them can be used as discussion topics or lecture guides. There are also suggested activities such as the examination of topographic quadrangles and the...
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Lesson 5: Designing an Experiment
The intent of this instructional activity 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?" In this case, the experiment is carried...
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Making Paper
Students read about the history of paper production and make their own recycled paper. In this paper making lesson, students follow the directions to make paper from recycled paper. Students also learn about making paper from live plants.
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Olympic Line Graphs
Sixth graders examine how to make line graphs. In this Olympic line graph lesson students make line graphs and search the given Internet sites to find data on their summer Olympic Game.
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Journal of the Stars
Students receive balloons representing the "Life Cycle of the Stars." As the attached script is read, students follow the directions for the color of balloon they are given. Students chart the results for their star. They plot data from...
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Earth Science: The Sun-Earth Relationship
Students examine the sun's impact on the Earth. They read online articles, explore various websites, and answer questions using information found on the Internet.
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Sugar and carbohydrates, protein, fat and water - that's what little plants are made of!
Young scholars identify photosynthesis as the mechanism by which plants convert sunlight energy into a usable energy source for plant processes. They identify photosynthesis as the mechanism by which plants create a molecule that can be...
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Biodegradable Plastics
Students prepare a type of biodegradable plastic. They design method(s) to compare its properties with some common plastics that are readily available in the market. They later advance to identifying variables in an experiment and fair...
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An Investigation into Effects of Rhizobium Soil Bacteria on Nitrogen Availability
Young scholars identify the control and the variables in the experiment. They describe the growth of plants with and without nitrogen fixing bacteria, then name the bacterium responsible for making nitrogen available to the plant.
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Bungee M&M's
Science is exciting - and delicious! Pairs of learners set up a bungee cord type of experiment. They use buckets filled with M & M's, a meter stick, and a Slinky spring (as the bungee) to conduct their experiment. A good activity...
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Water, Water Everywhere!
Learners brainstorm on ways they use water, and where water comes from. They view video, Down the Drain, to gain specific facts about water use, properties of water, problems of water and the water cycle. They perform a lab activity...
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The Class Trip
Mrs. Moore's class is trying to earn money for a trip to the science museum, but how much more do they need? Solve this problem with your own class as they develop their ability to model real-life situations algebraically. As an added...
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Going...Going...
Students investigate equilibrium in erosion and deposition by predicting effects of moving water on soil; modeling an erosion simulation; observing results of a test; inferring causes and effects, and hypothesizing about erosion variables.
Foundation for Water & Energy Education
How is Flowing Water an Energy Source? Activity A
Here is a fun little exploration of the potential energy potential of falling water. Learners drop water from various heights using a straw, and they analyze the diameter of the splash. Pair this with two more activities of the same...
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Rational Exponents
Investigate rational exponents in this math lesson. Scholars make conjectures about the relationship between rational exponents and radicals. They then use their Ti-Nspire to simplify rational exponents.
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Combined Gas Law Problems
In this gases worksheet, students use the combined gas law to solve nine problems for the unknown variable at the new temperature, pressure or volume.
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Freshman Project-Part 6-Final Written Report
In this project worksheet, students complete a formal write up of their experiments. This includes a rationale, a purpose, a hypothesis, their experimental design, materials, procedure, data tables with variables, graphs and a concluding...
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Quantitative Research
In this science activity, students find the words that are related to the design of experimental research and the answers are found at the bottom of the page.
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Stars and Slopes
More of a math lesson than physics or space science, high schoolers take a set of data and plot it on a log-log coordinate system. The write-up for day two was never completed, but day one, "Stars and Slopes," is complex and cohesive....
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Friction
Students review what force. In this science lesson, students determine which surfaces are rough and which are smooth by observing how an object moves on each surface.
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Apply Scientific Inquiry and Scientific Habits of Mind
Students review the components of the scientific inquiry method. In groups, they apply this method to various experiments they are given to complete. They also use the correct scientific habits of mind when researching different concepts.