Curated OER
Facts, Feats and Folklore: Spiders
Students review and discuss a variety of sayings, folklore and superstitions about spiders. They discuss this information and choose either an interesting fact or appealing foklore tradition to illustrate.
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How Things Fly
Students, by drawing on their own experiences, discuss and examine the basic physics of flight. They participate in a variety of activities regarding flight.
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Spy on a Spider
Students view slides or live specimens to name and describe the distinguishing features of groups of arthropods, especially spiders and insects. They complete worksheets, observe webs and then search for and record where spiders can be...
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Geographic Information Systems
Students examine the concept of geographic information systems (GIS) and its basic components. They explore an application program using GIS technology and list the various uses for GIS.
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Best of the Solar System
Students visit a site which provides images to be analyzed. Notes are taken and planets are named based on observed features and observations. Using peer review, they try to determine the identity of the planets. They are free to browse...
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Planting A Garden On Campus
Students investigate the school campus area in order to plan the best spot for a class garden. They create a map of the school and research the different types of soil that exist in order to find the best spot. The class takes the...
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"To Terraform or Not to Terraform?"
Learners analyze an article written by an engineer at NASA proposing colonizing Mars with human explorers on the fastest track possible. They are invited to react to the article through several activities.
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Oregon Rainshadows
Students brainstorm list of possible highest locations in Oregon, identify and label places from list on map using color code, and discuss and identify causes of a rain shadow.
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Gravity - The Glue of the Universe
Students explore physics by conducting a class experiment. In this gravitational force instructional activity, students define several scientific terms associated with force. Students utilize a styrofoam cup and marbles to simulate a...
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Greenhouse Effect: Pop Bottle Experiment
Students explore global warming by conducting a weather experiment. In this greenhouse gas lesson, students define the greenhouse effect and the impact on our ozone layer. Students utilize a soda pop bottle, floodlight bulb, thermometers...
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Download and Analyze
Students download information from a NASA website into a database. They transfer it to a spreadsheet by completing the information and analyze the information. They determine temperature averages, mode, and graph the results. They write...
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Temperature High and Lows
Young scholars gather high and low temperature readings through email. In this temperature graphing activity, students use a spreadsheet to input data for a graph. young scholars interpret the graphs to compare and contrast the data from...
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Keep Your Eye on the Sky
Students examine the different types of satellites, cloud formations and weather patterns. In this weather lesson students use the Internet to research weather satellites, then write an article and create graphs.
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Flight Direction
Students are introduced to NASA's Connect Series and Flight Direction programs. They explore the world of aeronautics and their missions. Students receive a front role set to the concepts and skills involved with the various NASA programs.
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Following Directions
Students explore the way astronauts practice and train to improve their efficiency in completing challenging tasks. They time and graph how long it takes to follow a list of directions. Also, they determine how practice and repetition...
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Aqua-Thrusters!
Students construct their own rocket-powered boat called an "aqua-thruster." These aqua-thrusters will be made from a film canister and will use carbon dioxide gas - produced from a chemical reaction between an antacid tablet and water -...
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Action-Reaction! Rocket
Young scholars construct a rocket from a balloon propelled along a guide string. They use this model to learn about Newton's three laws of motion, examining the effect of different forces on the motion of the rocket. They measure the...
Channel Islands Film
Restoration Channel Islands Debate
Introduce learners to the debate format with an activity that uses the National Park Service's controversial Channel Islands restoration program as a topic. Class members learn how to generate provocative debate questions, how to prepare...
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The Case of the Mysterious Red Light
Students investigate why some sunrises and sunsets are unusually bright red.
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Endocrine Excitement!
Students are divided into a group of hormones and a group of receptors. The hormones have to find their matching receptors, and the pair, once matched, perform a given action. This activity helps students examine the specificity of...
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The Measurement of All Things: Atmospheric Detectives
Students identify the characteristics of aerosols. Using remote sensing, they participate in an experiment in which they determine how the sun's radiation and elements in the atmosphere interact with one another. They also research the...
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Constructing a Spectroscope
Learners construct a simple spectroscope. They observe the emission spectrum produce by a source of light.