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Determining the Age of Fossils
Students examine the concept of radioactive dating. In this radioactive dating lesson, students investigate how to determine the ages of fossils and rocks as they learn about half-life radioactive decay.
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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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Energy in Today's Global Society
Students explain how heat is used to generate and produce electricity. In this energy lesson students complete several activities that show them about the different fuels used for heating.
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Lift and Drag: Principles of Flight and the Soaring Imagination
Learners construct models of early gas balloons and gliders. In this balloon and glider lesson, students create models of early gas balloons and gliders, discover how the forces of lift and drag effect aircraft in flight, and put on...
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Aging of Trees
Students examine tree rings to determine its age. In this tree ring lesson, students examine core tree samples, identify the tree rings, and then determine its age. Students complete a worksheet, deciding which of the two core...
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Exploration to Mars... or Not? An Exercise with Split-Screen Electronic Peer Review
Students use split-screen technology which is utilized for an electronic peer review assignment that has students justify whether humans should continue their investigations of the Red Planet or not.
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Marine Debris and Me
Young scholars study the environmental issues that pertain to the marine environment. In this research ocean landfills lesson students come up with alternative means of disposal.
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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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Newton's Third Law
Students describe an everyday situation which demonstrates Newton's Third Law. They state Newton's Third Law;"Every action has an equal and opposite re-action, or every force has an equal and opposite force" in their own words. ...
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Eyes on the Estuaries
Students study estuaries and compare several ones in the U.S. In this estuary lesson plan students interpret data and compare the distribution of different species.
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The Distance Between Us and Them: Sea Floor Spreading in the Atlantic Ocean
Learners examine how geologists determine rates of sea floor spreading between two tectonic plates. They apply mathematical concepts such as the calculation and use of velocities and conversion from one set of units to another.
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Classification of Minerals
Students identify a specific mineral using Moh's Scale of Hardness. They also conduct research about the mineral looking for factors such as value, abundance ,location, and current uses. The lesson integrates technology with the making...
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ABOUT ALL YOU CAN EAT: Superfoods
Students trace back through time to see how the nutritional value of food consumed was enhanced. In this nutrients activity students complete several activities that show the mass of food, and its PH value.
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The Water Cycle
Students study the water cycle. In this water cycle instructional activity, students examine how the water cycle works, what its functions are, and how to diagram it.
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Does Humidity Affect Cloud Formation?
Learners use NASA's S'COOL database to identify factors that affect cloud formation.
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Genetic Disorders with Cultural Roots: International Insects
Students recognize that certain populations have specific genetic disorders that could benefit or harm them in their environment, work out punnett square problems and infer offspring probabilities from results, and provide advantages and...
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Exploring the Night Sky: Fall/Winter
Students explain how moon phases occur. They explain three ways that the night sky has been used through history. Students locate some of the constellations in the night sky. They discuss stories and myths surrounding stars.
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Sustainable Development
Twelfth graders explore the difference between natural and man-made environments. In this renewable resources lesson students evaluate the economic importance of resources.
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Making a Solar Eclipse Book: The Sun and Moon During a Solar Eclipse
Students make book covers displaying the Sun during a solar eclipse and a labeled illustration of the Sun.
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What is in Soil?
Fourth graders identify and examine the components that make up soil. Individually, they use a magnifying glass to identify the organic and inorganic material in their soil sample. To end the lesson, they record the differences in the...
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Plate Tectonic - Volcanoes
Students examine how all mountains are not volcanoes by dramatizing how volcanoes erupt.
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Ecosystems and Habitats
Fourth graders go on a virtual field trip to five ecosystems. They investigate and videotape a temperate forest in the school's backyard.
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Air and Water in the Environment
Second graders participate in a three part lesson in which they identify and describe forms of moisture in the environment. Part one of the lesson involves the three stages of the water cycle, part two focuses on creating humidity by...
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Cloud Types
Students examine cloud types. For this cloud lesson, students identify cloud types, observe clouds and collect data, and analyze data to identify the most common cloud they observe overhead during the course of a month.