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Swinging Observations
Students build a pendulum type swinging apparatus and make specific and selective observations using what they know about scientific observations. They look for regularities of movement, patterns, and systemic changes over time.
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Rain Drops
Students examine drops of water on several materials used on the outside of buildings. They make selective observations on and compare plastic, wood, brick, metal, roof tiles and glass.
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Seasonal Changes
Students examine wildflower data compiled from their student journals from the school year. They determine patterns of seasonal growth then use these patterns to predict patterns for missing data.
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Calculator Pattern Puzzles
Students explore number patterns and relationships while being introduced to the calculator at the same time.
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Yeast Cells and Their Environment
Students create their own experiment in which they have yeast cells growing in liquid environments. They examine the relationship between humans and microorganisms. They also practice using the scientific method.
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Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapy
Students conduct Internet research on Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapy. They design a puzzle to represent these processes, read and summarize an article, conduct research, and design a theoretical experimental procedure.
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Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy
Students calculate the values of electron binding energies. In this physics instructional activity, students solve for different wavelength characteristics of X-rays. They present their findings to the class.
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Automated Vehicle Programming Design
Students design a program to make an automated vehicle perform a specific task. In this robotics lesson plan, students play the role of scientists competing to win a factory's contract. They present their algorithm to class.
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Exploring the Celestial Neighborhood
Ninth graders study the origin and organization of the solar system. They investigate the Earth's place in the system and how planetary motions explain natural phenomena observable from Earth.
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Numerical Determination of Drag Coefficients
Students create a video of an object falling with a drag. In this physics lesson, students calculate drag coefficient using data from Logger Pro. They calculate velocity and acceleration of the object.
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Acid Precipitation
Students test the acidity of unknown solutions. They use this information to make inferences from data given from recorded rainfall records to identify areas that receive the most acid rain.
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Cleansing, Sparkling Koos
Students explore the importance of water conservation and investigate how plants clean water.
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Weather is Cool, Hot or Somewhere In-Between
Students access the Internet to record data on weather. They use email to answer a younger classes' questions about the weather.
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The Effects of Ultra-Violet Light on Yeast
Students work in small groups collecting and analyzing data as they learn how to best grow yeast. This lesson allows students to conduct several student-created experiments as they continually generate questions and hypotheses. ...
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Human Evolution
Students make and use observations of Laetoli footprints to provide clues to life in the past. They collect and analyze data to study the relationship between foot length and body height.
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The Three Gorges Dam- Should it be Completed?
Students research and analyze the geographic problem of whether or not the Three Gorges Dam should be completed. Students take a position on the issue, gather information related to their position, present their conclusions, and write a...
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Class Final Report - Global Sun Temperature Project
Students reflect on the data they have analyzed during the Global Sun Temperature Project. They use the project website as a resource for their observations, draft a class report and post it on the Internet.
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Anecdotes from Artifacts: Hearing When Clay Sings
Students discover artifacts of the American Indians. They also bring in their own artifact for viewing.
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Calculating & Graphing Using a Spreadsheet
Students use the lab apparatus to calculate the average velocity and average acceleration at several points and record the data. They use the spreadsheets to plot distance vs. time, velocity vs. time and acceleration vs. time graphs.
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Ecology: Adaptations
Eighth graders identify different types of adaptation in organisms. In this biology instructional activity, 8th graders explain how adaptation help organisms survive. They complete a worksheet at the end of the instructional activity.