Curated OER
Ammonium Nitrate - Efficient Fertilizers
Students study the chemistry of ammonium nitrate and consider the advantages and disadvantages of this compound. They compare different fertilizers and calculate the molar mass and percent nitrogen in the different fertilizers.
Curated OER
Deep Freeze
Young scholars practice various sampling methods for retrieving data under water, ice, and soil. They use the sample material to make temperature measurements, chart contents, and draw their own conclusions as to what is happening in the...
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What Is Engineering Design
Students investigate the concepts related to the practice of designing and building large scale buildings. They conduct research using the internet and other resources in order to apply mathematics and architectural design principals in...
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Keep It Hot
Young scholars design and conduct an experiment to explore the insulating abilities of different materials for keeping a liquid in a paper cup warm. A small group of lab partners test four different materials: black paper, white paper,...
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Sopay Water
Tenth graders design and conduct an experiment to explore the use of several substances in removing soap from water. During this activity they work with a lab partner. They keep their own individual lab notes, after they finish, they...
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Soiled Again
Students propose and perform an experiment using the scientific method. The purpose of the experiment is to discern some earth materials or combinations of earth materials that best increases the pH of "acid rain". From the results of...
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Junkyard Wars: Air Movers
Learners study Rube Goldberg machines. In this investigative lesson students design and build a machine that uses several steps to move an aluminum can.
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3-D Magnetic Field
Learners create a magnetic field. In this investigative lesson students design their own magnetic field so that they can see how magnetism and electricity work.
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Making Good Decisions
Students examine the consequences of behaviors and what the concept of trade offs are. In this good decision lesson students read an article and answer questions on making good decisions.
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Balloon Rocket
Students observe a balloon rocket and how it relates to Newton's Third Law of Motion. In this balloon rocket lesson plan, students make a balloon rocket out of balloons, clothespins, straw, fishing line, and duct tape.
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Root, Root, Root for the Nutrients
Students observe the growth of a seed, predict what will happen when seeds are planted without soil, and conduct an experiment using a hydroponics system.
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Harvesting Oil from the Earth
Fourth graders research sources of fossil fuels especially oil while determining how scientists take core samples from an Earth model. They look at oil consumption and production in the US and throughout the world.
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Pop Rockets
Young scholars work together to design and build a paper rocket. They place a propellant in the contraption to make it fly. They discover Newton's third law of motion.
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Find It!
Students analyze the basic concept of Global Positioning Systems using triangulation and measurement on a small scale in the classroom. They describe a satellite and how it helps in locating a person on Earth. They explain how...
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Fuel Mystery Dis-Solved
Students describe how temperature and surface area exposure affect the rate at which fuel is consumed. They explain why engineers want to know about the properties of a fuel when designing rockets. They create a bar graph of result data.
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Waterwheel Work
Learners investigate the history of the waterwheel and common uses for water turbines today. They construct an experimental waterwheel using a two-liter plastic bottle, measure the rate of revolution of a waterwheel, and complete a...
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Kites: Patang - The Indian Fighter Kite
Students investigate the history of fighter kites and build their own. In this aeronautics lesson, students discover how other countries utilize fighter kites and where they originated. Students create their own fighter kites...
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Salt Relief Map of Virginia
Fourth graders create a salt relief map of the four regions of Virginia. They indentify land forms and bodies of water, and summarize how they made their project.
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Preschool
Young scholars experience various types of play. They determine play is the way a child learns and describe the value of play. They discover that play is a child's natural way of learning and that children test and practice new...
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Things Are Heating Up!
Third graders study how heat is produced from mechanical and electrical machines and human activities.
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How Effective is Perspiration at Cooling?
Students collect data on the cooling of water in two different test tubes, one that is wrapped in wet newspaper and one in dry newspaper. They then relate this cooling effect to the body's perspiration.
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Are Fruits And Vegetables Really Made of Cells?
Students design and carry out an exercise to determine if a given fruit or vegetable is composed of cells. They dissect out sections of the fruit or vegetable, prepare stained slides, and make observations under a compound microscope.
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Energy Efficiency in the Home
Students discover ways to conserve energy in their homes. In this energy efficiency lesson students analyze a set of data and design a solution that results in higher energy efficiency.
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Visual Models of Solutions and Concentrations
High schoolers model solutions with beakers of colored glass or plastic spheres. In this solutions lesson plan, students use beakers of colored spheres to represent pure substances. They mix the spheres to demosntrate solutions. They...