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Conceptualizing an Experiment
Students work together to design an experiment. They discover the origin of a family artifact. They analyze the data and discuss the results. They determine if the experiment is the best way to find out this type of information.
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Twisters
Young scholars differentiate between the terms 'tornado watch' and 'tornado warning' and simulate the conditions that produce tornadoes. They read "Night of the Twisters" by Ivy Ruckman and conduct an experiment using two-liter plastic...
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Sun and Earth
Students explore the sun, its structure, how big it is and how far away it is. In this solar system lesson students complete a lab activity on dew point and weather.
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Take Charge!
Students induce an electrical charge on various objects, and experiment with electrical repulsion and attraction. They define related vocabulary, play Bingo and complete a take-home quiz.
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The Monarch Butterfly Watch
Students explore monarch migration through the Journey North web site. In this butterfly lesson, students use the internet to identify a butterfly's migration pattern. Students write in electronic journals.
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Energy Activities
Students conduct a variety of experiments related to solar energy, heating, cooling, gravity, physical insulation and wind. They consider how the experiments relate to energy and the consumption of energy and then participate in a class...
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Meteorology
Fourth graders study how atmospheric conditions change while naming the things that make the weather change. They investigate the affects of air masses, weather fronts and high/low pressure by looking at weather maps from newspapers.
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Schoolyard Field Guide
Fourth graders observe, plan, research, and create a field guide for the trees that are in their schoolyard. In this trees lesson plan, 4th graders make careful observations of what they see around their school and create a guide.
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Demonstrating Erosion in Action
Students easure and record volume of water, then measure and record mass of soil. They explain the effects of the following in controlling erosion: Contouring, cover crop, strip cropping, reforestation, inter-seeding.
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Meteorology Madness
Students probe the dynamic weather changes through several hands-0n activities in this seven lessons unit. The hydrologic cycle, clouds, atmosphere, air movement, fronts, and forecasting form the components presented in this unit.
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Bodyworks
Students study about the different parts of their body and the names of bones as well. They gain an understanding of the function about the parts. Students follow along as the teacher guides them and points out various parts and their...
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Fahrenheit vs Celsius
Students construct a thermometer and convert Fahrenheit temperature into Celsius temperature. In small groups, they construct a thermometer, write a paragraph describing how to make a thermometer, and convert temperatures.
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Understanding Cloud Formation
Students view a demonstration that simulates cloud formation. They read a poem about clouds, participate in a class demonstration using warm water and ice and write a paragraph summarizing their observations.
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Weather Patterns
Fourth graders collect and chart weather data over the course of the school year either using tools at school or media resources. They agree on weather terms to use in their observations and write them on the assigned sheet. Finally,...
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Thunderstorms
Fourth graders examine the attraction between two different charges to investigate lightning in a thunderstorm. They complete an experiment and a worksheet.
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Dew Point
Fourth graders investigate saturation conditions and measure the dew point. They conduct an experiment, record data on a worksheet, and measure the dew point in the experiment.
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Weather Predictions
Students record weather data and create a five day forecast. Students investigate the roles of meteorologists and identify symbols used on a weather map. After gathering weather data for a week, students will create a five day forecast...
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Properties of Air
Students conduct investigations to demonstrate and learn that air takes up space, and puts pressure, or pushes, on everything around it. They conduct experiments to learn about feeling air pressure and measuring air pressure. Prior to...
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Encouraging Inquiry-Based Research
Students categorize questions they generate in preparation for pursuing answers that expand their existing knowledge. They create KWL charts and respond to journal questions to enable them to inquire to their fullest capacity.
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The Coral Reef
Fourth graders discuss life in a coral reef, and view photographs and a computer program about coral reefs. They design and create colorful watercolor, ink, and crayon drawings of coral reefs.
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"For The Birds" [part II]
Students examine how Chinese and Japanese artists used different kinds of birds
as representations of ideas that were important in both cultures and create their own birds using the technique of origami.
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Got Biodiversity?
Students examine the concept of biodiversity. Using the internet, they complete small activities in which they work together. Using the information they collected, they create a class book, make murals and write in their journals.
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Ya' Gotta Have Heart
Fourth graders study the parts of the human circulatory system and how they function. They design a flow chart of the circulatory system and use data to construct charts and graphs.
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Where Will It Go?
Students predict the path of a ball bouncing off an object. In this physics instructional activity, students conduct the rolling ball experiment to test their prediction. They perform several trials for accuracy.