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When Floating Ice Melts in the Sea
With this simple inquiry exercise young scientists observe the effects of melting ice on water level. Set up an easy experiment with floating ice cubes in a dish of water then have your pupils make and record their observations of the...
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Outgassing
Young scholars demonstrate the concept of outgassing and to explain the origins of the earth's atmosphere. They perform a simple experiment using glass jars, two antacid tablets, and some water. This experiment does a good job in...
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Rate of Coral Growth
Using a table of information provided, middle school marine biologists chart data on a graph to determine the impact of water depth on coral growth in Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Then they answer questions that connect the data to...
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Language Arts: Investigating Issues That Matter
Pupils are able to become more informed about the dangers of water contamination by sharing their prior knowledge with each other. They discover the importance of communicating these dangers to the public.
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The Day the Water Ran Out
Middle schoolers explore ecosystems by researching desert characteristics. In this drought lesson, students identify the potential impacts of a drought on their home state and interview people who are familiar with water studies. Middle...
National Science Teachers Association
Using Concept Maps in the Science Classroom
A good concept map requires high thought processes. This makes it a great tool for teaching and evaluating your pupils. A helpful article describes a great approach for teaching young scholars the art of concept map building and how best...
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Weather Whys- Cloud Watching Journal
Pupils examine how natural processes change the earth by identifying their local water cycle. Individual students complete a cloud journal over a specific period of time. They observe clouds daily and take photographs of the clouds...
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Life Cycles
Using computers, Students work in small groups and progress through the roles of Explorer, Researcher, Designer, and Evaluator as they study the life cycle of plants, insects, butterflies and frogs.
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Characteristics of Energy
Students explore Earth science by completing energy worksheets in class. In this energy forms lesson, students identify and define a list of energy vocabulary terms and a K-W-L chart. Students view a matter video clip in class and...
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Where, Oh Where, Has That Water Gone?
Young scholars study the benefits of reservoirs while locating and identifying water sources that flow into Tuttle Creek Reservior.
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How Warm is the Water?
Students research how surface sea temperature changes throughout the year. They draw a time series of sea surface temperatures for each month of the year and a depth profile for a summer and winter month using an OceanExplorer Profiler...
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Air Density and Temperature
Young scholars investigate the effect of temperature on the density of air by putting an uncovered bottle in a bucket of hot water. Then they place a balloon over the mouth of the bottle. They repeat the procedure using ice water and...
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Acid Rain
Young scholars conduct an experiment using two or three plants. They sprinkle one plant with water and the other with vinegar or lemon juice several times a day. After several days they discuss the condition of the plants.
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Color Mixing
Pupils experiment with primary colored water to mix new colors. They record new colors on a simple data sheet and share opinions on their work.
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The Delany Garden
Students design and create a garden. They select flowers in small groups and research them. They draw a diagram of the landscape for their garden and plant flowers and observe them as they grow.
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Investigate Pine Creek!
Students are invited to become detectives in this Web-Integrated Science Environment (WISE) as they explore a local creek, its environment and ongoing status. Students participate in field trips, acquisition of data through water testing...
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All About Clouds
Fourth graders listen to the story, THE CLOUD BOOK by Tomie De Paolo and then use a hotlist to research cloud types and formation, then use the information to create a Kid Pix movie which they will present to the class.
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Pennsylvania Watersheds
Students identify the major watersheds of Pennsylvania. In this forestry lesson, students learn what a watershed is and are assigned one of the major watersheds of Pennsylvania. Groups then need to determine the boundaries of the...
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Observing Weather
Students investigate the weather by reading children stories. For this weather observation lesson, students read Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and several other stories about weather before they create a KWL chart. Students utilize...
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Understanding Kidney Disease
Students experiment to determine information about kidney function. In this kidney function lesson, students use the scientific method to experiment with eggs, water, salt, sugar, and vegetable oil to simulate kidney function. They...
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Here Comes Winter!
Students investigate winter behaviors in animals. They describe winter and write about the characteristics of the season by drawing and labeling a winter picture. Students then conduct research on a chosen animal and create a chart. ...
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The Dose makes the Poison
Students investigate the effect of a chemical (they choose) on the germination of seeds. They calculate % chemical concentrations in water, form a hypothesis, and discuss the ethics of using animals in biomedical research.
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Adhesives: Measuring Stickiness
Students test the stickiness of natural substances. In this adhesion as a property of matter lesson, students build a tool to test the adhesion of natural "glues" such as honey, peanut butter, flour and water paste, and jelly. Students...
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Daphina Science, The Method of Investigation
Students determine what causes a reaction in a species of Daphnia. In this ecology based lesson, students are in a hands on project to demonstrate a controlled experiment with data collections. Students use laboratory tools in this...