Curated OER
How Full is Full?
Students examine porosity and permeability and relate these concepts to groundwater flow. They use simple materials to conduct a porosity experiment and use the information to understand how environmental engineers decide on the...
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Earthworm Bridge
Fourth graders complete analysis experiments for decomposers and their adaptable traits. In this decomposers lesson, 4th graders test worm behavior to light, sound, warmth, touch, and moisture. Students work in groups to analyze the...
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Emotional Speed with Balls and Ramps
Fifth graders investigate the relationship between mass and speed. In this physics lesson plan, 5th graders experiment with motion by being given a ramp, two balls, and blocks or books for elevation. Students determine how different...
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Problem Solving Spiral and Intro to Research
Students work in teams to choose a design and use this to learn about the problem solving spiral. In this problem solving lesson plan, students state the steps of the spiral and discuss how it relates to their experiences.
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Determining pH
Students evaluate pH levels through a solubility experiment. In this pH levels lesson, students list characteristics of acids and bases. Students complete their own pH level experiment. Students go to the GEMS Alien Juice Bar website to...
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Salmon Homing Instincts
Learners role-play salmon returning to original streams using their sense of smell like the salmon do. They smell cinnamon, vanilla and peppermint on cards and follow that scent to locations in the classroom that represent their original...
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Investigating Convection Currents
Students examine how differences in the temperature and salinity of the water help create ocean currents. They perform an experiment which shows how temperature affects the circulation of ocean water.
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States of Matter
Students explore the states of water. In this physical science instructional activity, students use ice and dry ice to observe the changes in the state of matter. Students record the results.
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Changing Matter
Fifth graders conduct an experiment. In this changing matter lesson, 5th graders receive a cup of crystals, record their observations, add water to the crystals and record new observations. Students then discuss the differences...
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Light & Crystals
Students observe a demonstration of light refraction. They experiment with disappearing crystals to further study light refraction.
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Producing Heat
Students listen to "Heat Wave" by Helen Ketterman and discuss the story by creating a word web with heat as the main topic. They break into groups and conduct an experiment using a thermometer to record the temperature of melting ice...
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What Sense Does It Make?
Students identify the five senses and their functions and explain what information each sense gives us. They collect information gained through observation and experiences. They practice identifying new vocabulary words from the word wall.
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Rain, Rain, Go Away
Students conduct a number of experiments involving evaporation and condensation. They view and discuss a video about the water cycle and then design posters about the rain based on the book "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs".
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Do Salt Water Fish Drink?
Students conduct an experiment with potato cores and a sucrose solution to investigate how salt water fish process water. They develop a lab report of their experiment.
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Riding the Gravity Wave
Students write a sketch of an artist or athlete that has pushed the limits on gravity. They explore concepts of rhythm, balance and friction. They examine how engineers design sports equipment.
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Acid Attack
Students explore the effect of chemical erosion on statues and monuments. They use chalk to see what happens when limestone is placed in liquids with different pH values. They also discover several things that engineers are doing to...
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Erosion
Students identify and interpret where and how erosion takes place. Students list various ways to prevent erosion from occurring. Students conduct an experiment in small groups on erosion and predict what they believe will happen.
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It's a Matter of Change
Students watch a video on matter and identify examples of solids, liquids and gases in the classroom. They discuss the attributes for each kind of matter and conduct an experiment to explore how matter can change form.
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When You're Hot, You're Hot!
Eighth graders examine the development of the different temperature scales. They experiment with hot and cold temperatures.
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What Can We Do To Change These Materials
First graders perform experiments to investigate property changes that occur in materials or matter. In the science lab, they use heat to explore changes in rice, sand, gelatin, baking soda and more. Learners observe and record the...
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TE Activity: Pitch and Frequency
Students experiment with a vibrating ruler and a kazoo to study the different pitches and frequencies they produce. They create both high and low pitch sound waves. They examine how engineers use sound energy when designing electronic...
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Ohm's Law
Students explore Ohm's Law. Following given instructions, students build a physical model of a conductor. They observe a relationship between the current, voltage and resistance in a conductor. After experiments, students explain the...
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How Does the USS Alabama Float?
Learners investigate buoyancy. For this buoyancy lesson, students apply the Archimedes Principle of Buoyancy to the experiment conducted in class to determine how battleships float.
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Testing the Waters
Eleventh graders examine a local body of water. In this science lesson, 11th graders collect water samples to test. Students analyze the data and make conclusions. Students create tables and graphs of the data.