Exploratorium
Blue Sky
Use a container full of water as a prism and show that as light is bent, the individual colors from different wavelengths become visible. This explains why the sky appears to be blue midday, and why as the sun nears the horizon, it looks...
Curated OER
One Part A Mini Lab: Water Contamination
Students investigate the effects of ground water contamination. In this ground water contamination lesson plan, students create a mini well and simulate ground water flow through the well with a contaminate (food coloring). They make...
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Controlling Nonpoint Source Pollution
Young scholars examine factors affecting water quality. They test water in a local body of water to determine its quality. They collect data and continue monitoring the water monthly. They assess water quality in the home and on the farm.
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"Pennsylvania Watersheds, Many Ways to the Sea"
Students trace a molecule of water through the water cycle including each of its three loops. They describe why evapotranspiration demands the largest portion of total precipitation falling on a forested watershed.
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Wetlands/Watershed Model
Students work together to create a watershed model. They discover the flow of surface water on different topography. They examine how materials originate from miles away and end up in a different wetland.
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Quality of Life
Young scholars discover that people influence the quality of life of those around them. They read the literature selection 'Berenstein Bears, Don't Pollute' and discuss the many ways people have changed the environment by polluting.
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What's Gotten Into You?
Students use models to investigate the process and consequences of water contamination on the land, groundwater, and plants.
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Does Soil Get Soggy?
Study the properties of soil and water absorption with a science activity. Based on a paragraph with background knowledge on sandy soil, silt, and clay soil, third graders choose which illustration represents a bottle full of sandy soil....
DiscoverE
Build a Plankton Net
Give household materials new life by turning them into a plankton net. Scholars design and build a net to collect and filter plankton from water. They test out their creations by using glitter to represent plankton. The nets need to...
Curated OER
Kidney Structure and Function: removing intracellular waste
Your class will learn all about the function of the kidney and how it operates in animals from different habitats. The methods of absorption, filtering and excretion are detailed and pupils will learn of the different...
Teach Engineering
Exploring Capillary Action
Explore capillary action from different perspectives. In the fourth installment of a nine-part series, scholars perform several experiments to observe capillary action. They look at the meniscus of water in a glass, observe capillary...
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Dissolved Oxygen and Respiration
Students are presented with the question, "Do plants that grow underwater use oxygen?" They create an experiment to test the presence of dissolved oxygen in the water using provided materials. Student experiments include a control jar as...
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Tides in the Hudson
Students view an illustration of the Hudson River watershed and identify the bodies of water shown. They discuss what happens when fresh and salt water mix. Students view a teacher demonstration of the stratification of fresh and salt...
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Benefits of Indoor Plants
Students diagram a plant. In this Science lesson, students explore the concept of photosynthesis focusing on the oxygen production. Students calculate the amount of plants needed to filter the air in their classroom.
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All Washed Up
Fourth graders simulate filtration of water containing contaminates to determine how nature cleans water. They make predictions, report observations, and construct reasonable explanations concerning their outcomes. then connect this to...
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Soak It Up
Students examine the various materials that make up their local soils. In groups, they record how each material is different and use cheesecloth to filter them into a bottle based on particle size. They use the soils to determine if...
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Investigating Earth's Materials
First graders compare and contrast water from different sources. After collecting water from various sources, 1st graders create a list of observable properties of the water. Students then pour the water into a filter and observe the...
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Pollution Solutions
Students participate in a hands-on activity to determine how water is polluted and investigate steps in how to treat water. Students try to produce the cleanest water possible using the materials provided.
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Rain Drops
Middle schoolers examine drops of water on several materials used on the outside of buildings. They make selective observations on and compare plastic, wood, brick, metal, roof tiles and glass.
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A Tool for the Environment
In this desalting salt water activity, students will read about three different methods of desalting sea water which includes distilling, crystallizing, and filtering. Students will describe these methods in three short answer questions...
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THE LOST CHROMATOGRAPHY LESSON
Students complete a chromatography experiment, In this chromatography lesson, students complete an experiment similar to one that was to be carried out on the Challenger that exploded. They examine ink spots as the wick on filter paper....
Creative Chemistry
The Preparation of Teraamminecopper(II) Sulphate-1-Water
In this complex salt worksheet, learners create teraamminecopper(II) sulfate · 1 · 2H₂O using copper(II) sulfate, concentrated ammonia, and ethanol. Students determine the formula mass for their product, the theoretical yield of the...
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Water in the Air
Students simulate how clouds block radition and how water in the air condense around containers.
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How Clean Is Our Water?
Students examine samples of water to determine its cleanliness. They visit a waste treatment plant and/or reservoir. Students explore what protects the water supply from contamination by chemical or organize pollution. They trace the...