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Ice Melting
Students design investigations to test various materials to prevent heat gain in frozen water. The task assess students' knowledge of scientific inquiry including the following skills: observation, data collection, measurement,...
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Introduction to Scientific Theory
Ninth graders explain how scientists set up investigations. In this scientific process lesson, 9th graders review the principles of the scientific method and use these skills to answer an open-ended question about how to set up a...
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Exothermic Rehydration of Gypsum
Young scholars observe exothermic reactions in the lab using plaster. In this chemistry lesson, students collect data from their experimental set up every five minutes. They explain the different stages in the hardening of plaster.
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Newton's Three Laws of Motion Lesson Plan
Young scholars explore Newton's three laws of motion using a variety of activities. For this physics lesson, students calculate the average speed of a vehicle they constructed using distance and time information. They identify and draw...
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Making a Water Filter
Fifth graders draw a plan that they think will clean the sludge in a jar. Students construct the treatment system they designed, take a bottle of sludge to the system and try it out, writing down what happened.
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How Does Altitude Relate To Density?
Students demonstrate an understanding of the properties of matter by applying them to density, pressure, and temperature. The educational software program, "Foilsim" is used in this inquiry.
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Reading Trees: Understanding Dendrochronology
Learners examine tree-ring dating and discuss the lack of water the settlers in Jamestown faced. They create paper tree rings, simulate rain patterns, and describe the history of construction paper tree sequences.
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Disassemble a Click Pen
Young scholars dissamble and analyze the spring system of a click pen. They analyze a cross-section worksheet, dissamble the pens, fill in the missing parts of the cross-section diagram, and write a description of how the pen works.
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Insulators
Students design and carry out an investigation to test which materials is the best insulator: they predict which way heat energy flows in a system and analyze the flow of energy in a system from one point to another and from one form to...
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Pond-water Populations
Young scholars design and conduct and experiment on algae, for a two week period, to answer the question "In your investigation, how does changing one factor affect the growth of organisms?"
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The effectiveness of Antacids
Pupils design and conduct a scientific experiment to test which of four antacids would be most effective for neutralizing acids. They rank the antacids in order from most effective to least effective and explain how they determined the...
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That's the Way the Ball Bounces
Students investigate and compare the bouncing ability of the materials from which four different balls are made. They determine which material performs the best for use as a basketball. After collecting data in a small group they...
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Rate of Cooling Experiment
Ninth graders measure the insulation properties of different fabrics by immersing cans of water covered with fabric "socks" in an ice bath and measuring temperature changes. They then calculate heat loss and graph the data individually.
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The Nutritional Content of Food
High schoolers are given three unknown samples and must perform two chemical tests in order to determine if the samples contains protein and/or starch. Students work with corrosive or toxic reagents.
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Electromagnets
Students are introduced to the relationship between electricity and magnetism. Using a compass, they observe and record the effects of placing the object near magnetic fields and electric currents. They also experiment using a steel and...
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Marshland Wonders
Students review the characteristics of wetlands and list their benefits. After viewing short videos, they identify the organims that make their home in wetlands and how they have adapted. They compare and contrast the characteristics...
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Selecting Soil For a Sports Field
In this science worksheet, students take part in a laboratory exploration looking at different types of soil. The soil is evaluated in order to fill the role of becoming a sports field.
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Tree Growth
Students fill in a diagram. In this tree growth instructional activity, students view a model of a tree, learn how trees grow and explore the layers of a tree. Students complete a diagram where they label the layers of a tree.
PBS
America's Infrastructure: Miller Center National Discussion Debate Series
Junior high and high school learners study infrastructure and its relationship to the current economy. They review handouts, watch a PBS clip, and review case studies in order to answer provided questions and role play over...
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Friction Restriction: Creating a Design Plan to Redesign the Tread of Tennis Sneakers to Increase Friction
Students evaluate the friction of tennis sneakers and redesign them to increase friction. In this physics lesson, students calculate starting, sideways and forward stopping friction. Using quantitative data, they prove that redesigning...
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How Do You Move Along the Earth?
Students determine their own walking and running velocity. In this physics lesson plan, students calculate velocity using distance and time information. They compare human and animal speeds.
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Sequence Alignment
Students explore the uses of sequence alignment. In this DNA lesson students complete several experiments on sequencing and algorithms.
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Water-holding Capacity of Earth Materials
Students design and conduct an experiment to test their ideas about how to speed up or slow down the rate of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. They have access to an array of physical and chemical factors that might influence enzyme...
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Barometer Investigation
Students construct a barometer to use in an experiment that they design to measure the air pressure on a daily basis. These observations of air pressure allow students to determine how weather is affected when a storm is approaching and...