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The Flat Earth
Students are first presented with the idea that the Earth is really flat. They prove that it is not--using a variety of techniques.
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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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Geologic Time: Relative and Absolute Dating
Students investigate relative and absolute dating; determine the difference between the two dating systems; and apply this knowledge by creating a geologic timetable of their own.
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Rivers And Capitals
Young scholars become familiar with the use of GIS for research and become aware of the importance of rivers to cities. They also analyze the placement of cities and learn the names of rivers in the United States.
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Robert Boyle and Religion
Students discuss past cultures and the history of ideas in seventeenth century science. They answer a list of questions and prepare for a debate on the subjects of science and religion and views on how the universe was created.
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The Universe
Learners recognize that the stages of evolution a star goes through are determined by the size of the star. They conduct research to draw a set of diagrams illustrating the stages in the evolution of three sizes of stars.
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Three D Constellations
High schoolers address a major misconception in astronomy, the understanding of scale. The lesson is designed to introduce students to both celestial coordinates and to the first rung on the distance determination ladder, parallax.
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Mud Fossils
Students observe real fossils. In this science lesson, students make their own mud fossils by pressing material into the mud and letting it dry in the sun for 3-4 days. Students then get the fossils out displaying their mud...
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Creating Craters
Young scholars explore parts of an impact crater and compare and contrast craters found in Earth, the Moon, and Mars. Crater formation is modelled and the relationship of mass, velocity, and size of the projectile to the crater formation...
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Preserving Health Through Biological Diversity
Students research and explore the benefits of biodiversity, particularly as it relates to human health. They write an essay in which they explain the possible effect of human activities on the emergence of new diseases.
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Candy Bar Subsurface Geology
Students are introduced to drawing and interpreting topographical maps. They each cut through there Jell-o mountain at regular height intervals, and trace around the shape of the Jell-o cut off at the height, overlaying the different...
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Creating Coacervates
Students create and observe coacervates. In this origin of life lesson, students create coacervates by mixing carbohydrate and protein solutions. They observe the life-like qualities of the structures and discuss the origin of life.
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The Challenge to Deliver Insulin
Learners study the types of diabetes and why insulin is important. In this diabetes lesson plan students build molecular models and create a healthy lifestyle plan.
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Asteroids
Students examine a potential asteroid impact site. They describe evidence and theories for extinction events.
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What Killed the Dinosaurs?
High schoolers demonstrate how scientists use evidence to formulate hypotheses. They write an essay describing the Cretaceous and Paleocene time periods from the point of view of someone living in that time. In addition, they formulate...
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Volcanic Violence
Students complete activities to study volcanic activities. In this volcanic activities lesson, students read an article about violent volcanoes. Students complete discuss questions and volcano projects for the lesson. students also take...
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VARVES: Dating Sedimentary Strata: Geology, Paleontological Patterns
Young scholars count the number of varves (annual layers of sediment) in shale billets, taken from the Green River Formation in Wyoming. The count is then extended to reflect the entire 260 meters of sediments where the billets originated.
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Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining
Students become familiar with coal as an energy source and how it is mined. In this coal lesson, students research the effects of coal mining on the environment. Students discuss the various problems associated with coal mining....
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It's Time to Make Time!
Students explore the evolution of time measurement, and explain the relationship of sunrise/sunset to length of daylight. They collect data and calculations to determine length of daylight during a given day.
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Using Triangulation to Locate Meteorites from Witnessed Falls
Students participate in a mock investigation in which they must interview and record data given by 3 people ("witnesses") in an effort to triangulate the location of a meteorite.
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Let's Take a Rock Apart
Young scholars take a crushed rock and sort the remains of the rock minerals into different categories based on the different properties. In this sorting lesson plan, students learn what makes up a rock and how to sort something into...
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The Fault Line
Students use cardboard models of the North American and Pacific plates and sand to investigate what happens when there is an earthquake or movement along the boundaries of the plates.
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Troical Atlantic Aerosols
Students explore the effect aerosols have upon he weather and climate. They observe NASA satellite images to explore and draw conclusions about aerosol transport. From studying the images, students track the path of aerosols. They...
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Animal Invasion
Middle schoolers research and illustrate the natural habitats and evolution of giraffes and other animals imported into ancient Rome. They draw a map of Europe, North Africa, and West Asia and draw the animals from each region in their...