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Hot Stuff
Students investigate if heat can change the form of matter. In this physics lesson, students use heat sources to observe the changes in an ice cube. Students graph which heat source changed the matter the fastest.
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Friction and Newton's Three Laws of Motion
Students work in small groups to create a power point illustrating Newton's Laws of motion as related to a sport of their choice.
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Water 1: Water and Ice
Students investigate water in its solid and liquid form. In this states of matter instructional activity, students experiment to see what happens as water goes from a solid, ice, to a liquid, water, and back again. They write about and...
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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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Water and Ice
Students examine the relationship between water and ice. In this physics lesson, students read the book Amazing Water and participate in an experiment where they freeze water into ice cubes. Students observe the changes in the water when...
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Colonial Life
Fifth graders explore American colonial life. For this interdisciplinary history and science lesson, 5th graders participate in several hands-on activities that require them to make colonial products that involve physical or chemical...
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Marshland Ecosystem
Students classify animals based on their physical characteristics and eating habits. In this animal identification lesson plan, students investigate the life forms shown on a Parisian ceramic basin, and discover ecosystem the...
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Water and Ice
Students explore the forms of water. For this physics lesson, students use ice cubes and observe what happens when the ice melts. Students freeze the water again and record observations.
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Breaking it Down
Students discover how water expands when frozen during a glacier. In this matter instructional activity, students fill a glass jar with water, leaving no room for air in the jar and place it in the freezer. Students retrieve the...
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HOW SMALL AM I? THE SCIENCE OF NANOTECHNOLOGY
High schoolers study nanotechnology and investigate the dimensions of a nanoscale. In this nanometer study lesson students will see how truly small a nanometer is by measuring things such as a piece of hair.
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Rising Water!
Young scholars observe water change from a liquid to a gas state when heated and then return to its liquid stage when cooled. They learn that gas molecules move faster than liquid molecules. They discover physical properties that...
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Atomic Models
Students explain scientists' ideas about the structure of the atom over the last century. They develop a pictorial history of the changing ideas about the atom and write a caption describing the scientific thinking behind the model.
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Kinetic Molecular Theory
Students analyze and evaluate evidence that matter is made of tiny particles. They observe a series of phenomena involving solids, liquids, and gases to make inferences about the spacing, interactions and relative kinetic energies of the...
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Wow Waves (Waves on the Fly)
Students formulate hypotheses on wave behavior and test them. In this physics lesson, students compare and contrast transverse and compression waves. They determine the wavelength of transverse waves.
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Can You SEA Walls?
Students explore how wave energy that is generated and transferred in the ocean. They explore the aspects of a wave and how its energy affects the ecology of the seashore. Students engage in an activity that uses the nature of science...
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Communications
Middle schoolers incorporate different disciplines into this lesson. For this science lesson, students investigate the use of communicating without words, and how it is different than communicating with words. They discuss the pros and...
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Go Car, Go!
Young scholars design and build their own car. In this physics lesson plan, students collect data to determine the speed of the car. They plot the data on the graph analyze the relationship between variables.
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Plant Nutrition and Nutrients
Students observe seeds growth and examine the different parts of the seedling. In this biology instructional activity, students compare the growth of seeds planted in soil and in hydroponics. They record their observations in their...
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The Big Bang
Fifth graders relate the elements in the human body to those produced during a supernova. In this space science and chemistry lesson, 5th graders listen to a lecture and view visuals about the big bang. They relate the production of...
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Physical and Chemical Changes
Eighth graders distinguish between physical and chemical change. For this chemistry lesson, 8th graders observe a series of demonstrations showing physical and chemical changes. They identify the signs that a chemical reaction took place.
Virginia Department of Education
Metals, Nonmetals, and Metalloids
How can one easily classify metals, nonmetals, and metalloids? Pupils answer this question as they experiment with unknown substances and perform tests on conductivity, brittleness, and malleability to determine...
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What Do You SUBpose?
Submarines are the fous of this math and science instructional activity. In it, learners explore the world of submarines: how they work, and what they are used for. They engage in hands-on activities, watch video clips, and work in...
Foundation for Water & Energy Education
What is the Water Cycle? Activity A
Hydrologists create a concept map about how water is used and a sentence strip defining water and describing its unique properties. Small groups work together to fill a small milk carton and compute the mass of water inside. The next...
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Up and Atom
"Up and Atom" is a mini-unit introducing middle-schoolers to the wonders of elements. Participants draw atom models, examine the periodic table, compare samples of metals to nonmetals, identify unknown elements, and more! The beginning...