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Planets in Our Solar System
Second graders research climate and landforms on nine planets in our solar system, choose one planet to visit, gather information about their chosen planet's climate and landforms, and "invent" space suit that would enable them to...
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Earthquakes
Students inspect the causes and effects of earthquakes and examine how seismic waves travel. In this earthquake activity, students determine where earthquakes happen and why, before determining how to build an earthquake resistant...
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The Great Heat Escape
Students observe a demonstration on the role of thermal conductivity in heat transfer. In this thermal conductivity lesson plan, students design and conduct an experiment to compare the thermal conductivity of four substances. Lesson...
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How can my breakfast help the birds?
Sixth graders design farms with a bird's habitat in mind. For this farm lesson plan, 6th graders research how sun grown coffee destroys a bird habitat, and then they make their own farm with a bird's habitat being preserved. They then...
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Extra! Extra!
Learners describe how plants and animals depend on each other. They see how living and nonliving environments change over time. They identify ways in which humans have changed their environment and the effects of those changes.
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Galaxy Mapping
Young scholars research the constellations and discuss their findings. Then they construct their own maps of the galaxy using paper, black paint, aluminum foil, etc. They make a 3-D map of their chosen constellation.
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Capturing the Sun's Warmth
Students explore the variety of ways to use solar energy. They investigate the thermal energy storage capacities of different test materials to determine which to use in passive solar building design. They explain how passive solar...
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Air Is All Around Us!
Students design an instrument to show that air is all around. In this air lesson plan, students research, construct, and present a design that proves that air is all around, even though they can't see it or touch it. A teacher and self...
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Stars and Constellations
Ninth graders investigate how ancient cultures viewed their world in terms of astronomy. They read and discuss an informational handout, construct an astrolabe, and locate stars and constellations using star charts.
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Insects
Second graders brainstorm and identify several types of common insects. They play bug bingo, building bugs and an insect tree, observing real insects in the classroom and examining some of the things insects make.
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Cookie Mapping
Students study the components of a bedrock geology map through a hands-on activity involving a cookie and graph paper.
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Coral Reefs
Learners research an inhabitant of a Caribbean coral reef using a list of common organisms that live on or near it. Students then write a description of their organism and draw a picture or a 3-D model of it. Eventually they all work...
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Build An Earthquake City
Middle schoolers work together to build an earthquake city. They simulate the shaking during an earthquake to discover if their structure is built well enough. They discover how engineers complete these types of tests to develop better...
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We All Need Trees
Students complete a guessing game. In this tree products instructional activity, students view various household items and try to determine if they were made from trees. They discuss their findings and then read books about trees.
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Indiana Ice Investigations
Fourth graders create a model of the formation of Indiana by glaciers. Working in groups with appropriate materials, they create a model documenting how glaciers moved through the land and formed the geological structure and land masses...
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Solar System
Second graders create planet mobiles in order to reinforce concepts such as planet size, position in relation to the sun, and planet names.
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Charting Diversity
Students organize different species of plans and animals according to various characteristics. Students then determine what characteristics enable them to survive in their habitat. Game ideas and activities are included.
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Investigation 2 - Classifying Rocks
Fourth graders identify basic properties of minerals and rocks. They access websites and utilize worksheets imbedded in this lesson to further their understanding of rock classification.
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Formation of Rain
Students sequence the steps leading to the formation of rain, and design a model to represent these steps. This task assesses students' abilities to classify, generalize, infer, interpret and communicate data, and construct a pictorial...
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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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Water Pollution
Students study four samples of "rain water". They asked to determine the pH of the samples and then to neutralize them. Students are asked to predict any negative effects which might be associated with water having a low pH and to...
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The Day an Egg Solved the Mystery of the Cell
Students conduct an experiment comparing human cells to chicken cells. In this cells lesson plan, students conduct an experiment to see how nutrition moves through cells and how to better take care of their bodies.
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Formation of Wind
Students correctly sequence the steps leading to the formation of wind, and describe the cause and effect relationships involved in the formation of wind. This task assesses students' abilities to classify, generalize, infer, interpret...