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Lesson Plan
American Chemical Society

Powder Particulars

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
By both demonstration and hands-on investigation, physical science fanatics come to know that some materials react when they come together. Adding vinegar to both baking soda and to baking powder, the difference between the two is clear....
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Lesson Plan
Foundation for Water & Energy Education

What is the Water Cycle? Activity B

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Curious physical scientists follow a lesson on the properties of water with this lesson on distillation. They observe a miniature water cycle model that filters dirty water into clean water. These two lessons combined are an enriching...
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Lesson Plan
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Nevada Outdoor School

Let It Snow! Let It Melt!

For Teachers Pre-K - 2nd Standards
Winter weather offers a great opportunity to teach young scientists about the states of matter. This activity-based lesson includes a range of learning experiences, from experimenting with the rate at which ice melts to singing a song...
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Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Silver Nanoparticle Synthesis and Spectroscopy

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed Standards
Certain materials do not always maintain the same physical properties when they exist in the nanoscale. Help your classes to explore this idea through an experimental lesson. Scholars use spectroscopy with samples of silver solution to...
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Lesson Plan
National Park Service

Glaciers and Water

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Explore the amazing power of glaciers with a hands-on earth science experiment! After first learning basic background information, learners go on to create their very own chunks of frozen water and gravel in order to observe first-hand...
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Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Forms of Energy

For Teachers 6th Standards
The amount of energy Americans use doubles every 20 years. The first lesson in a 10-part series teaches scholars about different forms of energy. They rotate through five stations with hands-on activities or experiments at each in order...
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Lesson Plan
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Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Got Lactase? The Co-Evolution of Genes and Culture

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Does the human body evolve as quickly as human culture? With a stellar 15-minute video, explore the trait of lactose intolerance. Only about 1/3 of human adults seem to still have the enzyme lactase and therefore, the ability to digest...
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Lesson Plan
American Chemical Society

Investigating the Line

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Note that this lesson is best paired with the preceding lesson in the unit. In that lesson, elementary physical scientists observed that the color coating of M&Ms® candies do not mix when dissolved off of the chocolate surface. Now...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Keep it Cool

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
This cool lesson plan is ideal for elementary engineers or physical scientists, especially when learning about heat transfer and insulation. After reading a page of background information, engineering teams collaborate to design and...
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Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Casting

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Don't cast a great hands-on resource aside! Scholars learn about the process of casting by actually trying out an example. Plaster of Paris and cookie cutter molds help them complete the activity.
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Lesson Plan
American Chemical Society

Racing M&M Colors

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
More than anything, this is great practice in scientific inquiry. After discovering that the color coating of an M&M® dissolves in water during a preceding activity, investigators now question whether or not the color makes a...
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Lesson Plan
American Chemical Society

Using Color to See How Liquids Combine

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Blue-tinted water is added to unknown liquids that have been tinted yellow to find out how they interact. This is a memorable activity that is part of an investigation on the properties of liquids, which is part of a unit on the...
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Lesson Plan
Oceanic Research Group

Heat Transfer and Cooling

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Astronauts train underwater to simulate the change in gravity. An out-of-this-world unit includes three hands-on activities, one teacher demonstration, and a discussion related to some of the challenges astronauts face. Scholars apply...
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Lesson Plan
Ohio State University

Exploration Activities with Electrostatic Interactions

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Step out of the 21st century and discover protons and electrons through observation. Using common materials, participants continually adjust their explanation of charges. The final assessment requires pupils to design their own...
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Lesson Plan
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Science 4 Inquiry

Bubbles and Colors and Smells...Oh My!

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
A demonstration of elephant toothpaste hooks pupils' interest as they complete multiple experiments with colors, smells, bubbles, and more. By the end, they understand the differences between physical and chemical changes in the world...
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Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

The Law of Conservation of Matter

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Law of Conservation of Matter can be complex for young scientists to fully grasp. Use this experiment to help simplify the process as pupils perform two experiments to determine mass: one that melts a substance and the other that...
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Lesson Plan
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Baylor College

Heart Rate and Exercise

For Teachers 3rd - 10th Standards
What is the relationship among the heart, circulation, and exercise? Your class members will explore first-hand how different physical exercises affect an individual's heart rate. They will begin by learning how to measure their own...
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Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Hydrophobic Surfaces—Deposition and Analysis

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Couches, carpets, and even computer keyboards now advertise they are spill-resistant, but what does that mean? Scholars use physical and chemical methods to coat surfaces with thin films to test their hydrophobic properties. Then they...
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Lesson Plan
Rochester Institute of Technology

Solar Energy

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Warm up to the idea of solar energy. A lesson plan includes three activities that challenge scholars to apply knowledge in new ways. First, they learn to run an alarm clock without a battery by using solar energy. Next, they complete an...
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Lesson Plan
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Science 4 Inquiry

Trick or Science: Catching the Light

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Your class might be surprised to learn that mirrors have been around since the first century AD! Young scientists explore reflection and refraction of light through a series of challenges. They use this knowledge to design their own...
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Lesson Plan
Mascil Project

Sports Physiology and Statistics

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
If I want to build up my heart, where should I start? Science scholars use statistics in a sports physiology setting during an insightful experiment. Groups measure resting and active heart rates and develop a scatter plot that shows the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Riding on a Pendulum

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
A comprehensive resource gets fourth grade physical scientists making observations about the period of a pendulum and then applying knowledge to a playground swing. Through seven different stations, they will record observations and...
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Lesson Plan
Acoustical Society of America

Generalizing How Musical Instruments Work

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Sound, vibrations, resonance, and frequency are explored as learners use music to foster scientific inquiry. They engage in three different sound experiments and follow up discussions to foster a better understanding of how musical...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Solar Structures

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
It's time to soak up the sun! Youngsters read about active and passive solar heating systems, then they collaborate to create a miniature solar-heated building. Provide a variety of materials for them to incorporate and watch their...