Curated OER
Disaters!
Students read a fiction and nonfiction accounts about different types of disasters. The class uses iChat AV and iSight camera to interview students in a different part of the country about natural or manmade disasters in their area....
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Matter in Motion
Second graders examine matter, what it is and what the different states are. In this matter lesson students view The Magic School Bus Meets Molly Cule and answer questions.
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Bombs Away!
Students design and build a device to protect and accurately deliver a dropped egg. They review and study a number of vocabulary words that are associated with this instructional activity. They work in a small group in order to develop...
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Tornado Damage!
Young scholars explore tornadoes, the damage they cause, and how to rate tornadoes. They will investigate the Fujita Damage Scale of tornado intensity, and use it to complete a mock engineering analysis of damage caused by a tornado....
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Designing an Earthquake-resistant Structure
Students attempt to design and build the most stable "earthquke resistant" structure. They create model buildings and test them on a shake table to see which design holds up the best.
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The Earth Moves Under My Feet
Middle schoolers study earthquakes, monitor seismic activity using the Web, and plot real-time activity. They examine movement of the Earth's tectonic plates. They create an earthquake preparedness project.
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TE Activity: Survive That Tsunami!
Students examine the causes of tsunamis and observe a table top wave making machine. They make model houses while working in groups so that the can see how different construction types work. They discuss how engineers can design and...
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Exploring Energy with GIS
Students examine GIS technology as it is used to locate energy sources. In this GIS lesson, student access an assigned website to locate a series of lessons using the GIS software. They use the maps that are located on the primary lesson...
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Environmental Health Hazards and Children
Students are introduced to the environmental hazards their community is facing. In groups, they develop a list of the ways humans have changed the Earth and how these changes have lead to environmental hazards. They record their...
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Oil Spill
Young scholars explore an important role of environmental engineers by studying the Exxon Valdez oil spill. They experiment with different strategies in order to clean up their own manufactured oil spill.
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Straining out the Dirt
Students design and construct a water filter using activated carbon, cotton and other materials to remove chocolate powder from water. They test and record their observations, and complete a KWL chart.
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Populations and Ecosystems
Sixth graders examine the factors that influence the stability of ecosystems. They construct a miniature ecosystem in a jar that includes plants, small fish, and snails, record the population changes over a period of four weeks, and...
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Electricity and Lightning
Learners define important vocabulary words related to electricity and charges. In this physics instructional activity, students examine force created by electricity and lightning. They differentiate between the two forces and how they...
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Ammonium Nitrate- Stoichiometry
Students quantify the relationship between moles and mass. They comprehend that ammonium nitrate is used as a fertilizer and an explosive. Students study the chemistry of ammonium nitrate and consider the advantages and disadvantages of...
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Toothpick Fish
Students experiment with genes and environment for a population of "Toothpick Fish."
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Earth in the Hot Seat
Middle schoolers identify the different viewpoints on the issue of global warming. While watching a video, they take notes on the issues presented to them and answer questions about what Alaska, Peru and East Africa are doing to prevent...
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Our Schoolsyard is Full of Biology
Students study the habitats found in their schoolyard. They apply firsthand, what they have learned in the classroom to something familiar to them. Students look at biotic, abiotic habitats. Small groups will present their findings to...
Teach Engineering
Weather Forecasting
According to the Farmers' Almanac, the weather will be nice today. Class members examine how weather forecasting plays a part in their lives with a resource that provides information on the history of forecasting, from using cloud...
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Watch Out for Landslides
Students conduct an experiment. In this landslides lesson, students learn about landslides and discuss how they could minimize the risk of landslides. Students complete an experiment to see if changing the slope of the land helps...
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Food Systems Feed the World
Sixth graders consider the source of their nutrition. In this food systems lesson, 6th graders discuss how food gets to the table and the process it goes through. Students reflect on world hunger issues, farming, and consumerism through...
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Radiation Reassessed
Students investigate the dangers of radiation by exploring recent nuclear tragedies. In this scientific debate lesson plan, students define the idea of radiation "half life" and determine if low doses of radiation are truly damaging to...
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The Chaos Game
Students measure and predict the behavior of a fractal. In this investigative activity students divide into groups, and participate in an activity that includes drawing triangles and coloring vertices.