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Sink or Swim
Students define density and explain how to determine the density of an object. Students participate in a demonstration that shows the differences in the densities of different liquids and how they affect the liquid's physical properties.
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Finding and Measuring What You Can't See
Students determine how scientists measure pollutants in food and the environment. Students discover how scientists remove one material based on its physical properties. Students figure out how much of a pollutant is present after...
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Shellfish Shenanigans
Twelfth graders create simulations of a reality-based TV show that investigates the near death of a contestant from a seafood meal. They examine the physical symptoms of anaphylactic shock, and create protein fingerprints.
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The Acid Rain Test
Fourth graders engage in a research project to increase their ability to conduct experiments, interpret data and discuss results in a scientific paper. After doing a lab which simulates effects of acid rain, pairs of students write a...
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Milk: A Practical Application
Pupils examine the impact of the physical and chemical properties of milk and its use as an important food.
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Geography: I Spy Environments
Fourth graders examine nature paintings from a Utah museum for their physical characteristics. In small groups, they observe museum postcards and discuss the season, precipitation, temperature, and geometric shapes pictured. Focusing...
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Tree Cookie Combat
Fourth graders discover what trees need to live and grow in the environment. They realize that trees sometimes interact or compete with other organisms as well as each other. They identify the physical characteristics of Utah's...
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So You Want to Hit a Home Run?
Students determine the center of percussion and the center of mass for a baseball bat. In this projective motion lesson students demonstrate the relationship between the position of the baseball bat and when its in the position in...
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Frenzied Food: Fantastic Fuel?
Students infer the causes of obesity. In this health science lesson, students brainstorm ways improve to their diet. They write personalized journals with goals on how to live a healthy lifestyle.
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FORCES, MOTION, AND ENERGY
Eighth graders engage in a variety of activities in order to investigate the basic concepts of physics. They read and answer questions in a written text. This is only one type of activity that is part of many others.
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The Energy Debate - Energy of Peanut
Students articulate the difference between the terms heat and temperature. They calculate the amount of energy associated with a given temperature rise and design an experiment to measure the energy of a fuel.
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Heat Discrepancies
Young scholars answer the question, "Why do Eskimos build houses out of ice to keep warm. Since heat goes from hot to cold, don¿¿¿t the ice walls take away the warmth inside the house?" They explain how snow or ice can actually be...
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Rockets on a Shoestring Budget
Young scholars, operating under simulated budget constraints, build pop-rockets and launch them. Working in pairs, they complete budget worksheets and use their "Blast Off Bucks" to pay for the construction. They then redesign their...
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What a Bohr!
Students define, identify and illustrate the parts of an atom, and investigate the Bohr atomic model. Students watch a multimedia presentation to understand an atom's parts and their functions. In groups, they create a model of an atom...
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Radioactivity Experiments
Students study the difference between types of ionizing radiation and how elements are transmuted. They determine that radiation is normal and surrounds us. They calculate the amounts of alpha, beta and gamma radiation emitted from a...
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Stick To It!
Students compare different types of pressure sensitive adhesive tapes. They fevelop and carry out tests for variables affecting the force needed to peel tape off a surface. Students analyze the time needed to peel the tape with different...
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Acceleration, Drag, Gravity, Motion, Forces, and Friction
Eighth graders build and run mousetrap cars in order to measure distance, time, and mass for their cars. They use these measurements to calculate average speed and kinetic energy, then create a slide show to visually explain how the car...
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Global Warming: Life in a Greenhouse
Students examine the evidence that scientists have used to support the existence of global warming and the greenhouse effect. How the concepts have been developed and evaluated form the focus of this lesson.
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You Are Here
Middle schoolers determine the relative size and distance of the planets in the solar system. They use ratios in their mathematical calculations to make models of the planets after discussing the relative sizes of the planets. They keep...
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Let's Take a Rock Apart!
Students examine a crushed rock and sort the minerals they find in that rock by color and other properties.
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Call to Arms
Students explore how scientists build robotic arms that move similar to humans. In this robot lesson plan, students examine how scientists make robots. Students design and construct a mechanical arm that moves like a human arm. Students...
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Honing in on Hummingbirds
Young scholars explore ruby-throated hummingbirds. In this cross-curricular hummingbirds lesson, students listen to the book The Mystery of the Missing Hummingbirds and choose related topics to research with a partner. Young...
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Simple Machines - Graphics, Experiments, Animation
Twelfth graders display simple machines through the use of graphics, experiments, and animation. They apply problem solving and design and skills.
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Galaxies
Tenth graders explore the structure and content of galaxies. Through discussion, lab, and hands-on activities, they discover the general structure of the three types of galaxies as well as the effect they have on the structure and...