Curated OER
Lemon Batteries Revised
Fifth graders investigate how chemical energy in food and batteries is potential or stored energy. They discuss how batteries function, and create a class list of different forms of energy. Students then create a lemon battery that...
Curated OER
Light
Fifth graders sit in their seats with the lights on and then the teacher turns off the lights. After their eyes have adjusted, they vote on what colors of construction paper are being held up. The lights are then turned back on and...
Curated OER
Looking at The Force on a Vehicle
Students build a vehicle following technical drawings. They set up a system to pull the vehicles. Students compare and discuss how the motion of the vehicles changes more or less weight on a string is used to pull them.
Curated OER
Leach Out and Touch Someone
Students discuss how groundwater becomes polluted. In groups, they design and create models of groundwater pollution sources. They demonstrate to the class how the water may become contaminated from local and nonlocal pollution sources.
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How Does Climate Affect Your Environment?
Students access the Global Sun Temperature Project website and research the relationship between the location and climate of a participating school to its building structure. They consider how climate affects the type of structures...
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Rockets on a Shoestring Budget
Students, operating under simulated budget constraints, build pop-rockets and launch them. Working in pairs, they complete budget worksheets and use their "Blast Off Bucks" to pay for the construction. They then redesign their rockets...
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Testing for Vitamin C in Different Drinks and Foods
Students examine the importance of vitamin c in their diets and the sources that it comes from. In this vitamin lesson students complete hands on activities, interpret data and make a bar graph.
Curated OER
Let's Take a Rock Apart!
Learners examine a crushed rock and sort the minerals they find in that rock by color and other properties.
Curated OER
Call to Arms
Students explore how scientists build robotic arms that move similar to humans. For this robot lesson, students examine how scientists make robots. Students design and construct a mechanical arm that moves like a human arm. Students...
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Oil Floats, Right?
Students examine the properties in oil in water. In this mixture lesson, students read about the Lophelia II 2010: Cold Seeps and Deep Reef Expedition and look at images of deep sea ecosystems. They experiment or participate in...
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Parts of a Solar Panel-Part I
Students examine electrical contacts, solar cells, and rechargeable batteries and compare and contrast the characteristics of a solar cell to a rechargeable battery in a hands-on activity. Students complete a worksheet as they...
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Stuck On You
Fifth graders, after completing a K-W-L-H Chart on electricity, discuss and illustrate the four ways lightening can move.
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Zapped!
Fifth graders describe the behavior of static electricity as observed in nature and everyday occurrences.
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Measure Up!
Students examine parallax and angular measurements. In this investigative lesson students calculate distances of objects and map their results.
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Home Electrical Safety
Learners explain the danger of incorrectly wired plugs. In this physics lesson, students construct their own safe plug. They share the finished project in class.
Curated OER
Remember the Egg!
Students investigate how to see, describe and draw faint or subtle features on an object which is thought of by most people as having a smooth, featureless surface. The exercise is important to reinforce skills in making observations...
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iChat AV and iSight Camera
Students interact with science and math classes around the world by doing the same experiment and communicating their results. They use iChat AV and an iSight camera to share relevant information about their area, decide on the...
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Interdisciplinary Approach to Investigating Popcorn
Students conduct a lab experiment using the scientific method. In this interdisciplinary lesson plan, students will test the difference in popping white and yellow corn. Students will write their lab report in their science, math,...
Michigan Sea Grant
Fish Habitat and Humans
Strict habitat requirements are needed for the survival of fish populations and fish variety in the Great Lakes. Young scientists become experts in the basic needs of fish and understand how survival necessities can vary with different...
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Lenses
Young scholars explore vision by experimenting with lenses in equipment. In this optics lesson plan, students define the different technology that enhances vision such as microscopes, telescopes and cameras. Young scholars experiment...
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Diaper Inquiry
Fifth graders carefully examine and investigate the products contained in a diaper. They particularly analyze the crystal sodium polyacrylate, a product developed for use in astronaut diapers. They follow the scientific method, forming...
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Incubation and Embryology
Students examine chickens, eggs and hatching eggs through this series of lessons.
Curated OER
Outdoor Classroom's for the '90s Student
Students relish in experiencing an outdoor classroom. Students sign a contract stating that they will follow the rules of the outdoor classroom. Students help to keep the outdoor classroom clean and up to date with all the needed...
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Rain Forest Adventures
Young scholars discover locations of the world's rain forests. Once they identify the animals, plants, products, and resources located in them, they construct they own rain forest terrariums. By comparing and contrasting the two types...