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A Guide (on the Side) to Physics
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the concepts related to the study of Physics. They participate in class discussion and list common misconceptions of Physics. Students write and discuss the problem of Science illiteracy.
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The Four Seasons - Earth's Axis
Pupils discover that it is the tilt of the earth's axis that results in the seasons. They clarify common misconceptions about the earth's orbit around the sun.
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The Natural Selection of Stick-Worms
Students discuss and role-play the elements of natural selection. They use toothpicks to represent Stick-Worms and discover the mechanisms of change of traits in populations.
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Erosion Explosion
Ninth graders explore soil erosion. Through a class discussion, they examine soil conservation methods. Given a potted plant, 9th graders observe the effects of erosion when water is poured over the soil. Students brainstorm terms...
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Water and Ice: Part 1
Students observe the state changes in water. In this matter lesson, students observe, measure, and describe water as it changes state. Students explore how water can change from a solid to a liquid then back again. They journal their...
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Bats: Fact and Fiction
Young scholars describe the characteristics and behaviors of bats. After viewing a video, they explain how bats use echolocation to navigate and how they find their young within a group. They list four misconceptions about the animal...
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Density Lab Activities
Students participate in several density lab activities in order to clarify the misconceptions that solids sink and liquids float. Students work with triple beam balances to find mass of objects to calculate density.
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Model Organisms: The Genes We Share
Middle schoolers gather information about gene banks. In this biology lesson, students work in groups to complete an activity sheet about genetic databases and organism genomes. Lesson includes extension ideas.
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Body Invaders: Depression
Students study clinical depression and its various treatments. In this depression lesson students create a poster that shows one of the misconceptions about depression.
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Exploring the Night Sky: Fall/Winter
Young scholars 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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Perception is Not Always Reality
Students view various types of illusions. Using one of the illusions, they try to determine how a scientist might explain them. They discover a t-illusion and use their own words to analyze them. In groups, they research a different...
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Crime Scene: The Case of the Missing Computer Chip
Middle schoolers, in teams, attempt to solve a simulated crime scene.
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Nothing New? A Physical Change
Fifth graders discuss the differences between chemical and physical changes. In groups, they complete experiments and discover how a physical chnage can be reversed. To end the lesson, they review the steps of the water cycle and...
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Water Properties introduction
Students list items they know and want to know about water on personal K-W-L charts. They describe what happened during the warm up activity in their science journal. Students travel to four different stations and perform the different...
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Catching Some Rays
Sixth graders explore the tilt of Earth's axis. In this Earth instructional activity, 6th graders read a Greek mythology story explaining why there are seasons. Students build a sun-ray gathering tool from styrofoam, glue,...
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Tracking Hurricanes
Students explore how technology and science are used to identify, measure, and track powerful tropical storms to better warn and secure people from their impact. They research hurricanes online by tracking the storms on a hurricane website.
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How Does Flowing Water Shape a Planet's Surface?
Young scholars investigate how flowing water influence landforms. In this earth science activity, students observe water behavior as it flows from the stream table at various inclinations. They discuss whether water shaped Mars landforms...
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Bats
Young scholars model how the bones in a bat wing are organized. They develop questions about bat body parts based on photographs. They hypothesize how bats locate their food.
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Earth and Sun's Distance
Students consider the shape of the Earth's orbit around the Sun. They view the first segment of Science Court video and use Timeliner software to construct a scale of the distance between the Earth and the Sun.
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Dinosaurs 1: Where Are the Dinosaurs?
Students explore dinosaurs. In this dinosaur identification lesson, students watch video clips for different dinosaurs from the Discovery Kids website. Students discuss the clips with their teacher. Students may then role play the...
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Water and Ice
Learners explore the physical properties of water. In this water lesson, students observe, measure, and describe water as it changes state. There are 2 extensions for this lesson that one can access via the Internet links provided.
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Earth, Moon, Mars Balloons
Middle schoolers demonstrate size and orbits of Earth, Moon, and Mars. In this space science lesson plan, students will use balloons to show how the size and distance between the planets and satellite compare.
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Nature and Nurture
Learners look into the role both nature and nurture play in determining an individual's traits. They examine how genes and the environment affect personality
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Nature And Nurture
Students develop an understanding of the role both nature and nurture play in determining an individual's traits. Using a website, students answer questions about nature and nurture in order to solve the riddle, What do you call a smart...