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History of the Current
Students, in groups, collect information from the Internet about historical events surrounding the effects of the Gulf Stream current on ship travel. They compile a chart and answer assessment questions.
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Tornadoes
Young scholars examine the characteristics of a tornado. They practice using new vocabulary and participate in a question and answer session. They use the internet to gather more specific information.
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Examining the Effects of Pollution on Ecosystems
Students examine the different types of tests used to measure the environmental effects of hazardous waste. They work together to determine the impact of pollution on different ecosystems. They read a case study and answer questions to...
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Nothing to Sneeze At
Students explore allergic reactions; they then synthesize their knowledge by creating informational pamphlets that help new allergy patients research the nature of allergies.
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The Wind & Sun: Powerful Alternatives
Students examine the power that is possible from the sun through an interactive program. They also analyze how energy turns into different forms in different parts of the human body. They finally explore how wind is created and how wind...
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Pollute Locally, Spread It Globally
Students examine the rate of pollution throughout the world through an interactive program. They define air quality and the air quality index. They examine fuel economy and its impact on the Earth and renewable and nonrenewable resources.
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Mapping Baseball
Students research how climate, distance, population shifts and immigration have influenced American baseball. They also consider how players from other countries have made their mark on American baseball.
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SCRUMPTIOUS SOIL
Students engage in investigations that lead to the discovery that earth materials consist of rocks, soils, water, and air. They build models of soil profiles, using breakfast cereal and other edible materials. They observe how water...
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Cruising the Mantle
Students explore the plate boundaries of the earth. Through the use of video, internet and hands-on activities, students examine the types of plate boundaries. They create a model to illustrate the movement and interaction of the...
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Science: Hurricanes As Heat Engines
Young scholars conduct Internet research to track the path of Hurricane Rita. They record the sea surface temperature of the Gulf of Mexico during and after the hurricane and draw conclusions about how hurricanes extract heat energy...
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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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What is Drought?
Students explore and conduct an experiment on the effects of drought on the environment. They define what drought is and the impact that a shortage of rainfall can have on agriculture, municipal water supplies, tourism, recreation, etc.
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Bhutan, the Last Shangri-La: Sandwich Squash: How the Himalayas Were Formed
Students create and record a model of mountain formation. They identify major mountain building formations. Students understand how the Himalaya Mountains were formed, why they are located near Bhutan, and why they are becoming larger.
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Wacky Water Critters
Young scholars visit a local creek or stream. They collect water samples from the creek and observe and sort the "water critters" they find in the sample, observing smaller organisms under a microscope if necessary. They identify each...
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Natural Disaster Blooms Taxonomy
Students complete activities that lead to greater understanding of the variety of natural disasters that occur all over the world.
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Lead Extraction
Students investigate one method used in the detection of lead in the soil. They use a Lead Check Soil Kit to safely obtain results in 30 minutes or less in levels of 400 ppm or above. In addition, they write a brief description of what...
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Time and Cycles - Dendrochronology
Students investigate the lives of trees by examining ring cycles. In this plant life lesson, students identify the field of study known as dendrochronology and discover its history. Students investigate a simulated tree ring and...
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Most Troublesome Exotic Invasive Plant Species Web Quest
Students participate in a Web Quest activity in which they identify common exotic invasive plant species of the Southern Appalachian Region. After identifying the top 10 exotic invasive species, they choose one to research in depth.
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Water Quality Monitoring
Students comprehend the four parameters of water quality. They perform tests for salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH and clarity or turbidity. Students comprehend why scientists and environmental managers monitor water uality and aquatic...
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Causal Patterns in Air Pressure Phenomena
Students examine why air pressure is hard to notice. They observe the height of a liquid in a tube over time and lift a table with balloons.
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How Soft or Hard is Your Water?
Students test samples of water to determine how a chemical water softener affects water's ability to form suds. After collecting their data and analyzing their results, students answer follow-up questions about their lab.
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Hazard Mitigation: Bioterrorism
Learners discuss different ways to spread infectious diseases. In this bioterrorism lesson, students model the rate of smoke emission using CalRoad software. They analyze the effects of airborne release of biological...
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Lightning It's Shocking, It's Frightening, It's Lightning!
Third graders decide what they want to explore lightning, how to go about finding the answers, and deciding what skills they need to further study some of their questions.