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The Social Sciences
Young scholars search for examples of social science in and around their school. They create a Social Science scrapbook of the eight social sciences, that includes news articles and summaries that focus on each social science area.
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All in the (Insect) Family
Students participate in a series of activities in order to explore the diversity of insects. They explore how insects are grouped and categorized.
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An Introduction to Computer Components
Students experience the first lesson in computer servicing by observing computer components. They observe the internal workings of a computer during the lecture section of the lesson before dismantling a computer to identify its major...
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"Where Do The 'Fungi's' Hang Out?"
Tenth graders engage in a lesson looking for the ideal conditions for microbial growth. The lesson is to be given once they have background knowledge about microbes. Students set up a lab in order to grow cultures over a period of two...
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Under The Sea
Second graders study how a tsunami is formed by underwater events such as earthquakes, volcanoes or landslides. They discuss what they knew about living and non-living things in the ocean.
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Cave Formation Age Estimation
Students investigate growth rates of flowstone formations. They view a virtual field trip and discuss how flowstones form. They observe the cave fieldtrip and predict the growth rate for a cave formation. They graph growth rates and...
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Changing Faces: A Study of Solar and Planetary Rotation Rates
Middle schoolers determine rotation rates of a variety of solar system objects using images and the Internet.
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Trees: Recorders of Climate Change
Students study cross sections of trees or tree "cookies" to discover how the rings on tree sections give clues to the climate during the time the ring was produced. They study simulated cross sections of trees to determine the climate...
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GMOs: Should We Grow Them?
Students examine the ethics of biotechnology and genetically modifying various organisms. They complete various activities and labs on GMOs and then write a position paper regarding their individual opinions on the subject.
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Characteristics of Living Things
Students discuss the criteria for living things with their groups. They come to a consensus on at least five or more characteristics of a living thing. They determine if the lab samples are living, non-living, or other.
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Science Lab Safety Procedures
Eighth graders watch a Lab Safety video and discuss particular questions related to lab safety. Lab equipment is then distributed and the students inspect the equipment and record their finding in their journal. Finally, in groups, 8th...
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Sundials: Keeping Time Like Native Americans
Students explore the use of sundials. They observe the shadows cast by the sun and record the times at various points throughout the day. They create sundials and record the location of the shadows and the time of day. They view a...
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Campus Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
Students brainstorm the campus links to global warming. Students pick topics for individual or group research. Students develop a research plan. Students keep good records and report their progress. Students report findings both...
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Pond Life Identification Kit
Learners explore ecology and biodiversty. They use the wet-mount procedure to make several slides to view using the microscope and draw what they see.
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Natural Resources
Fifth graders begin the lesson by identifying the different types of natural resources. As a class, they discuss how environments are destructed and how the loss of one natural resource can affect the economy. Using a map, they label the...
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Biotechnology: Monster or Miracle
Students explore biotechnology. In this scenario-based lesson, students take a survey on what they know about genetic engineering, view a PowerPoint, and conduct a web quest. Students will then be placed in groups, and produce one of the...
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Science: Trouble in the Troposphere
Students research a NASA Website and record information about an assigned city's tropospheric ozone residual monthly climate. In groups, they graph the information for the past year. They form new groups and compare their city's...
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"Arsenic and Old Waste": Groundwater Activities Using Modeling
Learners develop models of groundwater and pollution flow. They research information using the Internet and develop models of groundwater flow in Stella and Excel.
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The Gene Scene
Students investigate the concepts of micro and macro evolution. They also research the effects of mutations in the process of genetic adaptation to different environments. They develop a hypothesis of how the environment can influence...
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Molar Ratio
Students conduct an experiment in which they react sodium bicarbonate with hydrochloric acid to determine the molar ration between the two reactants. Students must write correct formula and a balanced chemical equation and explain how...
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Jelly Bean Math
Students estimate, measure, compute, and create patterns using jelly beans. In small groups, they solve various calculations, place jelly beans into groups, invent a new flavor, create a pattern, and complete a worksheet.
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"Water, Water Everywhere and None to Drink"
Ninth graders research the importance of maintaining an unpolluted water source in their community. They work together in groups and brainstorm ideas on what they can do to help. They can also write their local politicians.
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A Town in Trouble
Students identify and describe the parameters and analytical techniques used to characterize water contamination in a class presentation. They identify the consequences of high contamination levels in the water supply during a class...
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Testing Foods
Learners perform an experiment using brown paper bags to determine which foods have oil in them. This task assesses student's abilities to make simple observations and inferences from them.