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Understanding: Flight
Middle schoolers review the principles of flight before performing a series of simple experiments. Working in small groups, they complete hands-on activities that demonstrate the principles that make it possible for an airplane to lift...
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Principles of Flight: Bernoulli's Lift
Learners discover how air pressure effects flight. For this physics lesson, students create two types of airplane wings so they can observe the way air pressure creates lift. Learners utilize a printout to create the airplane...
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Hovercraft Racers!
Students gain first-hand experience on how friction affects motion. They build a hovercraft using air from a balloon to levitate a craft made from a compact disk (CD), learning that a bed of air under an object significantly reduces the...
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Why Is My Bread Fuzzy?
Learners explore the organisms that live on counters or surfaces in the classroom. In this mold experiment, students observe mold in different conditons. Learners record their observations on a worksheet. Students understand how...
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Push and Pull Magnets
Fifth graders pull a paper clip sitting on paper with a magnet beneath the paper. They experiment to see what happens if they substitute the paper with thicker paper and other materials (plywood, glass, foil, etc.)
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What Plants Need in Order to Survive and Grow: Light
Students conduct an experiment to evaluate whether plants need light to survive and grow. They observe and gather data about plant responses to different growth regimes, analyze the data, and make conclusions about basic plant needs.
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Sampling Carbon Dioxide
Students perform an experiment to determine which source of gas (their breath, exhaust from a car, or the air in the classroom) has a greater concentration of carbon dioxide. Students compare the colors of BTB solutions after...
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What Plants Need in Order to Survive and Grow: Soil
Students conduct an experiment to evaluate whether plants need soil to survive and grow. They plant two seeds, one with soil and one without, make predictions, and record and analyze the seed germination results on a worksheet.
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Where We've Been and Where We're Going
Students travel with Christa McAuliffe through space demonstrations. In this space lesson, students follow through the past to the present air travel. Students understand the benefits and problems associated with zero gravity and how it...
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The Physics of Toys
Learners explore physics by experimenting with classic toys. In this physical science instructional activity, students utilize gliders, energy balls, bouncing balls, marbles and other toys to explore how they work. Learners explore each...
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Fun with Surface Tension!
Students explore physical science by participating in a water properties experiment. In this surface tension lesson, students utilize pennies, water, a dropper and soapy water to test the different surface tensions with numerous objects....
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Water
Students conduct a series of investigations on the unique properties of water. For this general science lesson, students explain what causes water's surface tension. They explain the different stages in the water cycle.
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Activity Plan 5-6: Where Does the Water Go?
Learners perform an experiment to discover what happens to water as it evaporates. In this early childhood lesson plan, students observe evaporation as they conduct an experiment. Learners fill cups with water, then check it daily for...
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Electrical Generators
Students study what an electric generator does and its history. In this energy lesson students complete several experiments including building their own electric generator.
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Plant Transpiration
High schoolers conduct various experiments to investigate plant transpiration. In this biology lesson, students explain how this process helps maintain the hydrologic cycle. They measure the rate of water loss in plants using a potometer.
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The Urban Heat Island Effect - Lesson 2 (Grade 5)
Fifth graders use the scientific process to examine how when various surfaces are exposed to similar environmental conditions, surface temperatures may vary. They conduct an experiment to show the relationship between surface and...
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DEW POINT
Fourth graders investigate conditions causing saturation and measure the dew point of the atmosphere performing simple experiments.
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How Pollution Disrupts Our Natural Environment
Students conduct experiments to illustrate global warming. In this air pollution instructional activity, students first examine how a layer of greenhouse gasses might impact the earth's atmospheric temperature, then evaluate how the...
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Keeping our Water Clean
Second graders discuss how our actions impact the quality of water. In this environmental science lesson, 2nd graders watch a short film and discuss the problem of polluted water. Students are then divided into groups and record their...
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What's in the Soil?
Fourth graders examine soil to find its contents, and how much water and air they can measure. In this soil composition lesson, 4th graders perform three experiments and record their results. In one experiment they examine...
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Seeds & Germination
Students study the types and parts of seeds and how they have evolved. In this germination lesson students complete experiments that show the effects of variables role in seed germination.
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Egg Fun
Young scholars investigate the characteristics of eggs by playing and experimenting with them.
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Waterproof Paper
Students explore matter through the concept of displacement. They perforrm an inquiry experiment with a glass, paper and a bucket to demonstrate that gases take up space.
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How do engineless planes stay aloft?
Fifth graders explore how a plane can stay aloft. In this engineless airplane flying lesson, 5th graders experiment to find how the design of a plane and Bernoulli's principle keep planes in the air. Student's create a plane and answer...