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Composting -- Nature's Disappearing Act

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Studenst work together to discover the concept of biodegradability. They build a model of a landfill and how different items decompose. They examine how engineers use this information for better waste management.
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Natural Disasters

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students compose essays outlining the effects of floods on humans and their environments. Included in their essays are methods explaining how people have tried to adapt to floods. Using the Internet or provided written materials,...
Lesson Plan
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Student Experiment Flies On NASA Space Shuttle!

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students design and construct an experiment that will be launched into space aboard a NASA research shuttle. How better to gain and appreciation for (and, hopefully, a love of) scientific investigation than to do real science and be...
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The Mystery of the Sponge

For Teachers 1st
First graders observe while water is absorbed into a sponge. They experiment by putting a sponge on yardstick and watch while water dries and the weight changes.
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Flow Rates of Faucets and Rivers

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners work together to discover the flow rates of faucets and rivers. They relate their results to engineering and applied science concepts. They make predictions on the flow rate of a nearby river in their local community.
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Nature Reflections

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students have a greater appreciation for the nature around them. They participate in a series of reflection exercises. Students encounter blindfolds, and bandannas with cardboards as bases.
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The Colors of Nature

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore their outdoor environment, looking for varieties of color. Color samples from the outdoor environment are collected and used to create a sample page of colors that students label.
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The ABC's of Walter Anderson

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine how motifs, symbols, and ideas influence various pieces of visual art. They compare and contrast the work of Walter Anderson to pre-historic cave paintings and create a glue line print using motifs and symbols found...
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Follow Spring's Journey North Recording Highlights of the Season

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Students scan headlines on the Journey North News Updates each day to track the changes that spring brings as it comes to different areas of the United States.
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Life Cycle of Butterflies

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Learners identify ways plants and animals make changes related to the seasons, specifically focusing on the life cycle of butterflies.
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Life Cycles of Plants

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students discover the general life cycle of a plant, the parts of a plant, and what it needs to grow. They plant bean seeds and discuss the parts of a plant and what it needs to grow.
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How to Be "Naturally Attractive" (Without Even Trying)

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students examine the various properties of magnets, explain how a compass works and make an electromagnet. They also experiment with magnetic lines-of-force using paper and iron filings.
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Measuring the Diameter of Our Star

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students conduct an experiment to measure the diameter of the sun. In this astronomy lesson,  students construct a simple equipment to collect scientific data. They calculate the sun's diameter using a given formula.
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Science: The Water Cycle

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine the various stages of the water cycle. In groups, they complete a hands-on activity by creating model water cycle. Students design posters representing each of the seven stages of the water cycle.
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Acid Rain Experiments

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners define the term acid rain, and the causes of acid rain. They locate regions where acid rain is most affected, and what can students deduce from maps of geology and soils in New York State. Learners answer the questions why are...
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Classification of Materials

For Teachers K - 4th
Students classify photographs into a two-way classification system. They practice with pictures of people who are young and old, male and female, then they use pictures of animals to create their own two-way classification system.
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Odyssey of Life, Part II-The Unknown World

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students complete an experiment in which they observe different natural sample in which they uncover the microbial world. They complete a two part worksheet that accompanies the lesson.
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Environment: Natural and Invasive Plants

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students examine a parcel of open land to collect data about the native and invasive plants found there. By monitoring the area, they prevent the spread of weeds through early detection. Students create posters describing the monitoring...
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Mystery of the Eleven Unknown Substances

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders identify eleven white substances that are commonly found in the household. They, in pairs, perform experiments on a variety of substances, and must identify them based on the reactions they observe.
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Wise Use of Paper

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars explore the paper recycling process. They experiment with ways to conserve and recycle paper products.
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Determination of Phosphates

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students engage in a laboratory lesson in order to increase understanding of the impact of phosphates at the chemical and ecological levels. The lab exercise is completed with the goal of getting them to predict the outcomes and future...
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Is the Earth Warming? a Test of the Effect of Increased Carbon Dioxide on the Thermal Properties of Air

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Pupils investigate the environmental and economic effects of increased carbon dioxide (CO2) content in the atmosphere.
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Get the Picture!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Astronomers practice downloading data from a high-energy satellite and translate the data into colored or shaded pixels. As a hands-on activity, they use pennies to simulate high-energy satellite data and they convert their penny...
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Excite the Night with a Look at the Moon

For Teachers 1st - 8th
What better way to start a unit on space science than with a look at our beautiful moon?