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It is a Crash Test, Dummy
Students research air bags on the Internet and use the information to design their own version of an air bag. After exploring the benefits and dangers of air bags students perform a chemistry lab in which they mix baking soda and vinegar...
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What is Life?
Students investigate the characteristics of living things. For this life science lesson, students examine several living and non-living specimens. Students determine which things are living and non-living.
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Physical and Chemical Change
Students study the differences between physical and chemical changes. In this physical and chemical instructional activity students complete several labs to help them to see the differences between these changes.
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CO2 and Mass
Students determine if carbon dioxide has mass. In groups, they use a standard set of materials to test the carbon dioxide. They answer questions on their lab sheet and discuss them as a class.
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Vinegar Experiment
Fifth graders mix vinegar with different substances and explore the reaction. They record data from the experiment. Students examine chemical change, reaction, physical change and physical reaction.
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Conserving Land, Water and Air
Young scholars take a hands on approach to learning about conservation. For this conservation lesson students divide into groups and complete several demos, view a PowerPoint presentation and complete a handout.
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Bringing The Greenhouse Effect Down To Earth (CO2 experiment)
Young scholars compare 4 different form of carbon dioxide and discuss the role that carbon dioxide has in the Greenhouse Effect. They then understand that the Greenhouse Effect is a naturally occurring event.
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Marine Habitats of Galveston Island
Four lessons introduce elementary ecologists to salt marsh and sandy beach habitats. In the first instructional activity, they place shells and other materials in vinegar to determine if they contain calcium carbonate. In the second...
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How Can You Tell One Clear Gas From Another?
Fifth graders perform experiments to determine the identity of an unknown gas sample. In this chemistry lesson, 5th graders fill balloons with air, oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. They use mass and reactivity to identify the gases.
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Air, Air Everywhere! Lesson 2: Acid Rain
Middle school environmentalists record the pH of four different liquids, including two aerosol cleaning products. They liken the products to acid rain and speculate in writing which might affect the human respiratory system. Although...
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Digestion Simulation
Students study the human digestion system and the functions of the stomach and small intestines. In this digestion lesson students view a demonstration on the process.
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What is Life? Demonstrations & Discussion
Display seven items for your biologists to consider. Are they living or non-living? How can you tell? This is a simple outline of what you can display and questions that can be discussed as this topic is explored. One way to use this...
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A Volcano Model with Pizzazz
Students create a volcano replica. In this volcano lesson plan, students construct an erupting volcano from a list of materials and instructions. Students read or listen to volcano stories during the eruption.
Science Matters
Forms of Energy
The amount of energy Americans use doubles every 20 years. The first lesson in a 10-part series teaches scholars about different forms of energy. They rotate through five stations with hands-on activities or experiments at each in order...
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Soda Bottle Boat
Learners explore chemical reactions. In this chemical reaction lesson, students conduct an experiment observing chemical reactions.
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Mini-Volcanoes!
Students define volcanoes and why they erupt. Using baking soda, vinegar, and soap detergent, students create and observe their own volcanoes erupting. A brain-pop video can be used to follow-up the activity (found on website).
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Understanding Lava Layers
Seventh graders trace the lava flow of an erupting volcano. In this earth science lesson, 7th graders experiment using baking soda and vinegar. They record and share their observations.
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Bouncing Popcorn
Third graders meet a teacher challenge to work like chemists. They investigate with baking soda, water, salt, sugar, vinegar, and sprite to move a popcorn kernel from the bottom of a cup to the top. They experiment with different...
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The Nature of Chemical Change: Acting Out An Example
Young scholars illustrate the molecular nature of matter and show that chemical change involves alteration of molecules.
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Chemistry in the Kitchen
Students, in groups, combine given materials from an everyday kitchen until a chemical reaction occurs and record the reaction time.
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Observing Reactions
Students use the scientific method to complete to experiments that have visible reactions. In this visible reaction lesson, students participate in an experiment with melting ice and one with inflating a balloon. Students record their...
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Sampling Carbon Dioxide
Learners perform an experiment to determine which source of gas (their breath, exhaust from a car, or the air in the classroom) has a greater concentration of carbon dioxide. Students compare the colors of BTB solutions after...
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Car Engines
Students create piston systems and explore the conversion of linear to rotary motion that propels a car. In this motion lesson, students build and test a model piston/crankshift system and discover why there is a maximum limit to how...
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Understanding Volcanoes
Learners create a model volcano in groups, and discuss what each part of the model represents as they go along. In this volcano lesson, students come back together as a whole group and discuss what group did the best work,...