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Simple Machines or Are They?
Learners discover basic machines and how they make completing work easier. They identify two basic machines, the inclined plane and the lever and the functions of these simple machines.
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Bottle Rocket Lesson
Pupils design a rocket that stays on air for the longest period of time. In this physics lesson, students research the function of different rocket components. They test their design and make necessary modifications.
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Tune Up Your Ears!
Students discuss meaning of pitch, listen for different sounds in classroom, hallway, and outdoors, and listen to sounds played on piano and on computer to determine high or low pitch.
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Ziplock Chemistry
Students investigate various chemical reactions when creating mixtures in ziplock baggies. In this chemistry lesson, students will recognize various chemical reactions and cite evidence. Safety and assessment strategies are included in...
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Understanding: Uncertainty
Young scholars discuss the Heisenberg uncertainty principle and how it applies to the subatomic world. Working in groups, they design a model that would help others to understand the uncertainty principle. Written explanations are...
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How Far... How Powerfu
Students work with a real optical spectrum of a gamma ray burst afterglow taken at the Keck Observatory. They measure the shifts of spectral lines, deduce the velocity of the astronomical object, and then use Hubble's Law to get its...
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Online Exploration: Telescopes From the Ground Up
Students explore a web-based illustrated text and interactive graphics to determine the relationship between the operation of telescopes and light. optics. They work in small groups to become an expert on one of the ten eras of telescope...
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Applied Science - Technology (KA) Pre Lab
Students explore tools. In this tool lesson plan, students see how tools and machines were invented to help people work easier. They see different types of simple machines such as wheel and axle, lever, and wedge.
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Water Power
Students observe a model of a waterwheel to investigate the transformations of energy involved in turning the blades of a hydro-turbine into work. They work as engineers to create a model for a new waterwheel while considering resources,...
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Capturing the Sun's Warmth
Students explore the variety of ways to use solar energy. They investigate the thermal energy storage capacities of different test materials to determine which to use in passive solar building design. They explain how passive solar...
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Stations of Light
Student groups rotate through four stations to examine light energy behavior: refraction, magnification, prisms and polarization. They see how a beam of light is refracted (bent) through various transparent mediums. Young scholars...
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Thar She Blows!: Wind Power
Students examine how wind energy is transformed into electrical energy. In pairs, they build miniature wind turbines and measure how much electrical current they produce. They asses the importance of design and position in energy...
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"Finding" Horsepower
Students investigate horsepower as a unit of power. They examine history and discover that scientists and engineers of high achievement are considered to be among the most valued contributors to their culture.
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State Change
Eighth graders explore the physical change of matter. As a class, they discuss their favorite super hero and determine if the hero undergoes a physical or chemical change. Students examine the change of state and phase change. In groups,...
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Electrical Circuits
Sixth graders make an electrical switch. In this electricity lesson, 6th graders will make an electrical switch, a series circuit, and a parallel circuit. They explain an open and closed circuit and give examples of series and...
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Saudi Arabia -- Future city
Seventh graders summarize an article on Masdar. In this summarizing lesson students clearly explain three of the four points provided in an outline of the article. The students write an essay and identify six physical features of the...
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Flambe Elements
Eighth graders discuss atoms and electrons as well as atoic structure. They view atomic structure via the computer. Students watch a demonstration in which the teacher demonstrates glass tubing turning yellow in a Bunsen Burner flame....
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Measuring Calories in Food
Students measure the amount of calories in food. In this food energy instructional activity, students discuss what a calorie is, how our bodies use a calorie, and how many we need. Then, students use a calorimeter to calculate the amount...
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Thunderstorm Outflow I
Students study the characteristics of thunderstorms. They view an animation of radar reflectivity that depicts a thunderstorm and its outflow to locate the thunderstorm's outflow. Afterward, they explain what physical process occurs in a...
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Light Reflections
Students explore light. In this physical science light lesson plan, students display objects on a projection screen and investigate how light absorbs, refracts, transmits and reflects. Students discuss common features of light...
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Making Waves, Making Music, Making Noise
Middle schoolers construct "talking cans" and instruments to explain how vibration of objects produces various sounds.
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Electricity
Fourth graders experiment to find out how to light a bulb with simple materials. They make predictions if a light bulb set-up could work and gain knowledge to tell the difference between an open and closed circuit. They also figure out...
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Lighten Up!
Third graders observe light as a form of energy, that it can be reflected/bounced, refracted/bent and absorbed. They explore how different types of light affect our lives as a whole. Songs are researched that involve light (ex. "You...
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Solar Car Series: During what part of the day can t most Sun power be collected?
Students participate in an outdoor activity in which they make direct but safe observations of the Sun. Students use a solar cell and voltmeter apparatus to collect data on the amount of DC voltage produced by the solar cell during a...