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Is it Really Winter in Australia? It is June!
The purpose of this activity is to determine how the location of a place on the Earth (hemisphere) determines what season that place is experiencing relative to the Sun's rays. Day one the students will be introduced to the terms...
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Exploring Ecology
Students explore the basics of ecology through numerous hands-on and relevant activities. They participate in an online food chain demonstration, which explores food web dynamics. They dissect owl pellets, examine the prey's bones, and...
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How to Recycle a Rock
Third graders explore the rock cycle and explore how rocks are made, changed, destroyed and recreated. They create representations of these processes with hands-on activities.
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"Did You Eat That!"
First graders investigate why plants are an important part of our everyday lives, providing us with food, clothing, shelter, etc. For this lesson students participate in a series of hands-on, online, and multimedia activities to examine...
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The Pressure's Off
Students investigate air pressure with four hands-on activities. They observe experiments by viewing Take a Look 2 #21.
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Seeds of Wetland Life
Students participate in several activities on seed exploration. In this biology lesson, students classify seeds according to their dispersal method. They explain the different adaptations plant have to disperse their seeds.
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Soapy Stress
Students investigate the three types of material stress related to rocks. They identify the three types of stress, conduct a simulation by breaking bars of soap using only their hands, and complete a worksheet.
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Sports Helmets and Impact Testing of Polymers
Students examine the importance of good quality safety gear. In this investigative lesson, students will tests various polymers, collect data, and analyze the data to determine which polymer is best for safety helmets. They will design a...
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To The Clock of Eras
Third graders investigate the events of geological time using a chart called a "Clock of Eras". In this geological events lesson plan, 3rd graders compare a standard clock to a geological clock. In addition, students consider periods...
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Rain, Rain, Where Did You Go?
Students study the water cycle including condensation, evaporation, and precipitation. In this water cycle lesson plan, students watch a video and access assigned web sites to investigate the water cycle. They complete an experiment with...
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Moving the Earth
Fifth graders simulate the three primary types of fault movement lateral fault, reverse fault, and normal fault by positioning their hands and applying pressure to them to observe the similar action taking place in the Earth's crust.
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Beautiful Bugs
Students investigate the life cycle of ants, ladybugs, and butterflies. They list the four stages of the butterfly life cycle, define symmetry and observe how ants make homes in dirt.
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Splish, Splash, I was Takin' a Bath!
Students explore the causes of water pollution and its effects on the environment through the use of models and scientific investigation. In the accompanying activities, they investigate filtration and aeration processes as they are used...
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The Magic School Bus Makes a Stink
Students learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students discover the secret to what makes things smell through their own investigations.
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Mystery Spill
Students investigate the cause of birds dying in Monterey Bay. In this scientific research lesson, students use various resources, scientific investigations, and vector analysis to solve an environmental mystery.
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Weather Watchers - Interdisciplinary
Students investigate weather and climate through a variety of interdisciplinary activities.
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The Dirty Water Project
Students investigate different methods (aeration and filtering) for removing pollutants from water. They design and build their own water filters. Students identify the pollutants in a water sample using sight and smell, explore what...
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What is Sound?
In this sound worksheet, students complete 4 investigations to explore sound. These include the use of a rubber band, a blown up balloon, a piece of notebook paper and a tuning fork with a foam ball, string and pushpin. Students answer...
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Everything Was Up to Date in 1628
Students examine the life and lifestyles of New England colonists in the year 1628, and then investigate what life was like in their own area during the same time period. After watching segments from the PBS history series, "Colonial...
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Moon Phases
Sixth graders investigate the phases of the moon. In this moon phase instructional activity, 6th graders discover that the moon changes in a cycle as it orbits Earth. Students label pictures of moon phases and keep a moon phase...
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Let the Sun Shine!
Students investigate how the sun can be used for energy. They read a handout, discuss the pros and cons of passive solar building design, develop flashcard questions, and identify jobs that can be helped by solar energy.
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Crash! Bang!
Young scholars study the physical force of linear momentum by investigating collisions. They analyze the difference between elastic and inelastic collisions. They calculate linear momentum.
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Badges of Pride
Fifth graders investigate jobs and how people identify with their job. In this labor activity, 5th graders create a book from illustrations of various jobs. Students read an article about labor and answer questions about the...
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Microbes in Long Island Sound
Students discover the harm and benefits of microbes. In this biology lesson, students explore water, nitrogen and carbon cycles. They investigate the factors affecting bacteria growth.