Curated OER
Weather
Students explore the earth's atmosphere, weather, and climate. They begin class with a discussion about weather patterns, atmosphere, and the layers of the earth. After the class discussion, students rotate through four stations to...
Curated OER
Climate And the Greenhouse Effect
Students demonstrate the greenhouse effect. They recognize that relatively small changes to our environment can stimulate significant climate changes. They determine that the "scientific method" is a process of testing hypotheses and...
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How Does a Green Plant Grow?
Students of all ages can explore the question "how do seeds grow?", design an experiment to answer the question, predict the outcome of the experiment then conduct the experiment.
Curated OER
Problems and Solutions in Aircraft Design
Learners watch demonstrations of paper folded designs that do and do not fly and discuss their observations. They identify problems that they, the Wright Brothers, or NASA scientists face when designing an aircraft, and identify...
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Dimming The Sun
Students review the meanings of global warming and global dimming. While watching a video, they take notes on different aspects of the issue. In groups, they develop a list on what can be done to reduce global dimming. They...
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Density and Convection Currents
Learners listen as the teacher explains convection currents in the ocean. They experiment with finding a smoking match in the classroom with their eyes closed. Students discuss what might effect their ability to pinpoint the smoke...
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Monarch Migration
Third graders investigate the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly. They experiment with various tools to simulate the mouth parts of insects, conduct research, record their observations of butterflies hatching, write a play, complete...
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Spiders
Students experience the life a spider through several cross-curriculum activities that address multiple learning styles. In this cross-curriculum lesson, students listen to The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle and toss string in a circle...
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The Importance of Tropisms
Middle schoolers investigate plant tropisms using the scientific method. In this life science lesson, students learn about tropisms and test the response of corn seedlings to gravity. Response questions, extensions, and an...
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Rock Cycles, Crayon Cycles
Students examine the rock cycle and the path that rocks go through to rearranged in different ways. They define key vocabulary terms, then in small groups conduct a variety of experiments using crayon shavings as simulated rocks and...
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Taking a Voyage away from Home
Students experience and participate in a journey through a "Voyage" exhibition of the Solar System and the frontier it covers. They build a dynamic model of the Earth and Sun. Descriptions are given on the relative sizes of the Sun and...
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What is Fire?
Students conduct an experiment. In this fire lesson, students view an experiment where they learn the conditions needed to keep a fire burning. Students discuss the experiment and learn about the fire triangle.
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Case of the Missing Pumpkin
Students explore the process of decomposition. In this science activity, students carve a pumpkin and observe as it decomposes. Students compare the changes to an uncarved pumpkin. Students write about the disappearing pumpkin.
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Bernoulli's Principle
Students explore Bernoulli's principle, how it is related to flight, and the effect of lift, thrust, and drag on flight. They design and develop an experiment that tests for distance traveled by their paper airplane, and record and...
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Inhalation and Exhalation
Students investigate inhalation and exhalation of the respiratory system. They construct a model of the respiratory system using balloons, straws, cups, and rubber bands. Then, they observe inhalation and exhalation and measure the...
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Acid Rain
Learners investigate acid rain. In this environmental lesson, students participate in an experiment using litmus paper and various liquids and then test the acidity of the liquids. Learners identify reasons why acid is harmful to the...
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Osmosis
Fifth graders explore osmosis as they watch organisms divide. For this organism lesson, 5th graders use potatoes to experiment with the effects of salty water in the body. Students discuss what osmosis is and record what...
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Flight Dreams - Flight Factors
Students investigate the physics of flight by experimenting in class. In this history of flight lesson, students define terms such as gravity, lift, and drag in order to better understand how a plane is able to stay in the air....
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Agriculture is a Cycle
Students explore cycles in nature. For this cross curriculum agriculture lesson, students define "cycle" and research weather and planting folklore. Students make a bracelet in which individual colored beads represent the many "cycles"...
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Educating K-12 Students about Glacier Dynamics in a Changing Climate
Students determine which of the following parameters, slope, ice, temperature or basal condition affects the glacier speed the most. They create their own experiment to test what influences glacier speed and temperature of the ice.
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Smelly Balloons
Students investigate the concept of diffusion through a membrane. They do this through the conduction of a simple experiment. Students make observations while determining if the smell of different chemicals seeps through the balloon...
Alabama Learning Exchange
How Clouds Form
Young scholars analyze how clouds form. In this cloud formation lesson, young scholars brainstorm types of clouds and what they think they're made of. Young scholars conduct an experiment to see how clouds form and discuss their...
Curated OER
Alka-Seltzer Cannons
Fourth graders observe what is happening when an Alka-Seltzer tablet is placed in a clear cup of water. They observe the release of carbon dioxide gas. Pupils answer the question of how much as is released by observing the experiment...
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Basic Needs of Plants
Second graders conduct a plant experiment. In this basic needs of plants lesson, 2nd graders observe plants for two weeks. Students record data from their plants in journals.