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Solutions and Suspensions
Students explore matter by conducting an in class demonstration. For this liquid mixture lesson, students identify the difference between a solution in which a solid dissolves into liquid, and a suspension where the solid doesn't...
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"Heat Transfer and Ice Cream!"
Students analyze earth science by creating a frozen treat in class. In this heat transfer lesson, students discuss how matter is transformed from solid to liquid and liquid to gas when energy is removed from the equation. Students...
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Indoor Air: What's the Matter?
Students investigate the variety and amount of particulate matter in the air. They locate the general sources of pollution for a specific area and develop some suggestions for improving air quality.
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Marshland Ecosystem
Students classify animals based on their physical characteristics and eating habits. In this animal identification lesson plan, students investigate the life forms shown on a Parisian ceramic basin, and discover ecosystem the artist was...
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Breaking it Down
Students discover how water expands when frozen during a glacier. In this matter lesson, students fill a glass jar with water, leaving no room for air in the jar and place it in the freezer. Students retrieve the jar and notice the...
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Circle of Pong
Students, in groups, use given materials to devise a way to deposit a ping-pong ball into a paper cup that is located in the middle of a 6-foot diameter circle, while standing outside the circle.
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Shape Matters More!
Students investigate shapes as the area changes while the perimeter remains the same. Students demonstrate the shape/perimeter/area relationship using simulations and physical models.
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Water Speedway
Fourth graders observe changes in matter caused by the addition of heat. They participate in a physical education activity where they deal with science concepts. They have a knowledge of how particles act in water when heated.
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One Room School House Reading Lesson
Learners explore schools during the Colonial period. In this American history lesson plan, students participate in a simulation of school days in Colonial America. Learners visit a museum and use the schoolhouse as a setting for their...
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Friction: Friend or Foe?
Using a hands-on approach, learners explore the effect of friction on objects. Learners use toy cars, shoes, wood, metal, and more to experiment with the causes and effects of friction. Afterwards, they conduct experiments in which they...
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The Penny Factory
Fourth graders identify the characteristics of a simple physical and chemical change. They describe objects by the properties of the materials from which they are made and separate or sort items using these properties. Students explain...
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Solids in Bottles
Students use funnels to put the five solid materials into clear bottles with caps. They observe how the particulate materials look, sound, and move when they shake and roll the bottle. Finally, students write "sound and touch" poetry.
Utah LessonPlans
Stomach Chemistry
Students will create a simulation of the chemical reactions that occur during the digestive process. A physical change occurs when the appearance of matter changes, but the composition of the matter does not change.
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Is It There?
Young scholars participate in a lesson designed to illustrate these concepts using simple materials. They use Science process skills to observe, measure, predict, make inferences, and communicate while completing the activity. Proper...
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Melting Ice
Students observe the melting of ice and explore the basic physical changes that occur. They gain information of how different substances change the rate of melting. Students discuss the properties of water and ice, the definition of...
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Freestanding Structures: A Tech Museum Floor Activity
Students attempt to design the tallest structure that they can with the given materials which are wooden dowels and rubber bands. They discuss the physics of their structure and how they would improve it the next time they built a...
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Magnet Circus
Students explore the properties of magnets by designing a device that can move as far as possible using only magnets to move it, and design a machine that will stay in motion for the greatest period of time.
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Exploring Buoyancy
Learners use materials found at a resource table to design simple devices that will house instruments to take water samples from a tub of water. They design 3 instruments, each varying in density so that one will float, one will hover...
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What's the Matter? (Experiments)
Students observe a scientific discrepant event, and are then challenged to create experiments to solve the dilemma.
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Air Pressure
Learners participate in a series of demonstrations about Bernoulli's principle. They explain how air pressure varies with air speed. They write a detailed lab report about the activity. This is a great way to explore this concept.
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Energy At Play
If you can find Tinker Toys™, then this may be a fun assignment for your physical science class. Using the construction set and a few other toys, they examine the forces involved when it they are being played with. For each, they...
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Permafrost: Permanently Frozen Ground
Students explore permafrost. In this 3 states of matter lesson, students identify characteristics of solids and liquids. Students observe water and soil melting and freezing at various temperatures. Students make predictions about a...
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Urban Heat Islands: An Introduction to Energy Transfer and Transformation
Elementary school physical scientists explore kinetic mechanical energy by dropping a golf ball on different surfaces. They discuss how human made materials might react to light differently from nature made materials. This lesson plan...
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Food & Science - How Healthy is Your Diet?
Learners experiment with various foods to determine fat and starch content. They rub jam, peanut butter, bananas, and other foods in a small circle on a piece of paper, and observe the results. If there is a high fat content in the...