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Is There Water on Mars?
Students decide whether or not there is or has even been water on Mars. They analyze temperature and pressure data from the Pathfinder mission to Mars, and then they analyze images of Mars, interpreting the landforms they see and...
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Our Own City
Students will construct their own functioning city. Each day students will add to the city requiring adjustments and planning. They solve problems caused by increase in human settlement such as stacking houses creating apartments so that...
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Locating Echo
Students read the book The Adventure of Echo the Bat. In this animal science lesson, students read the book and create a chart labeled "Land Feature," "Habitat," and "Food." Students fill in the table according to where the character...
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Create a Cloud in a Bottle
Students look at how clouds form. In this cloud lesson, students make a cloud using water, 2 liter bottles and a match. They watch how the pressure and temperature changes the atmosphere in the bottle to create a cloud.
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Create a Cloud In a Jar
Students investigate cloud formation. In this weather lesson plan, students examine how clouds are formed. Students participate in experiments that model how water vapor in the air works.
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Rover Races
Students identify the challenges encountered by astronauts in operating a planetary rover. In this space science activity, students create a rover using their team members. They follow a command sequence from the driver and navigate...
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Cake Batter Lava
Students examine how lava flows change the landscape. For this lava lesson students complete a lab activity where they create a lava flow using cake batter.
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Impact Craters: Holes in the Ground!
Students simulate crater formation through a lab activity. In this space science instructional activity, students calculate how much energy is transferred during meteorite impact. They identify different factors affecting the size and...
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Investigating Planetary Soils
Learners study soil characteristics and identify properties of soils from different parts of the solar system. In this soil lesson students divide into groups, read soil descriptions, test and record soil samples.
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Exploring Meteorite Mysteries: Building Blocks of Planets
Students simulate the formation of chondrites and asteroids. In this astronomy instructional activity, students demonstrate accretion using balloons and static electricity. They compare and contrast their models to the actual process of...
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Edible Rocks
Students create meteorite models using candy bars. In this earth science lesson, students describe the physical features of a meteorite. They sketch it and write a short description about it.
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Can Photosynthesis Occur at Saturn?
Students identify the different requirements for photosynthesis to take place. For this space science lesson, students simulate conditions in Saturn to investigate if photosynthesis is possible there. They use data and observations...
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What Color is the Ocean?
Students view satellite pictures of the ocean, and discuss the presence of phytoplankton and the colors of the ocean. Students compare/contrast ocean satellite images with maps and globes, then color world maps to replicate the satellite...
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Show Me the Way To Go Home
Students place a pencil perpendicular to the ground and trace its shadow between 11:30 AM and 12:30 PM. They measure the length of the shadow, periodically over several hours, in either English or Metric units. Using the data, they find...
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Aerosol Activity: Baked Volcano Cookies
Students make cookies to predict and identify the three types of volcanoes: Cinder Cone, Composite, or Shield. They shape a walnut-sized piece into a volcano and place on a cookie sheet.
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`Great Debate' Lesson Plan for Undergraduates
Students study the Curtis- Shapley debate which highlighted the view of human place in the universe. They examine the clash of these two astronomers in a debate which took place in 1920.
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Preventing Hypothermia
Young scholars identify the causes of hypothermia. In this biology lesson, students investigate the different types of heat transfer and heat loss. They discuss several practical measures to avoid hypothermia.
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Criteria and Constraints in Aircraft Design
Middle schoolers investigate criteria and constraints for designing any aircraft. They define these terms and categorize a series of examples of both. Using the constraints and criteria set before them, they design and construct...
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Simple Machines Classification
Students demonstrate an awareness of the types of simple machines and classify common objects in relation to the simple machines involved.
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Particle Man and the Photon
Students simulate photon transmission, scattering and absorption. In this physics lesson, students explain why some objects appear bright while others appear dark. They define photon and radiation in their own words.
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Regolith Formation
Students compare and contrast the process of regolith formations. In groups, students define regolith and discover how regolith is formed on the Earth and on the Moon. They participate in experimental activities to simulate regolith.
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Classification of Clouds
High schoolers view a cloud slide show presentation and identify types of clouds. They estimate height based on cloud's appearance. They discuss the vague nature of cloud nomenclature and compare it to the English standard measurement...
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Sun, Shadows, Surface Structure...and the Face on Mars
Pupils use light and shadow information to make inferences regarding the three dimensional shapes of specific objects photographed on the surface of Mars. Limitations of the of the data provided are discussed and entries made into the...
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Rockets and Payloads
Students investigate Newton's Second Law of Motion as they predict the effect of a payload on the amount of energy needed to lift a rocket vertically. The constraints of the weight of the equipment carried to Mars is compared to the...