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Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Investigating the Atmosphere - Air Takes Up Space

For Students 1st - 5th Standards
How do you know there is air? Can you see it, smell it, feel it? To begin the investigation, learners watch a video and discuss what they know about air and the atmosphere. Then, they participate in five different hands-on, inquiry-based...
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Unit Plan
Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning

Forensic Sciences: A Crime Scene Investigation Unit

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Mr. Bergman has been murdered and we need you to solve the crime! The cross-curricular unit covers 11 different types of forensic science and includes 17 activities. Scholars perform blood type analysis, blood spatter analysis, height...
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Activity
Texas State Energy Conservation Office

Investigation: Chemical Models

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Science teams make models of four different hydrocarbon compounds that we commonly use for fuel. Then they demonstrate chemical reactions that result when energy is produced. This can be used as an enrichment when your class is studying...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science Fair With An Energy Efficiency Flair

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In order to learn more about energy conservation, pupils work to promote energy efficiency by participating in a school-wide science fair with an emphasis on energy conservation. In addition to displaying their projects, learners invite...
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Lesson Plan
US Department of Energy

Geothermal Energy

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
With Earth Day quickly approaching, as well as many science fairs, why not challenge your class to investigate geothermal energy or other renewable energy resources? There are five driving questions explored in depth here, as well as...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigating Newton's Second Law Of Motion

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students participate in a lesson that investigates Newton's Second Law of Motion. They conduct an experiment of observing balls that are rolled down a ramp. The lesson includes background information for the teacher for preparation and...
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Lesson Plan
Cornell University

The Science of Snowflakes

For Students 6th - 8th
Who can grow the best crystals? Challenge class members to develop strategies for enhancing growth in the crystals. Through a lab investigation, learners study the properties of crystals and test the effectiveness of different growth...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Student Designed Investigations Part 4 - Poster Presentations/Science Fair

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Third through fifth graders prepare posters to present at a science fair. Working with a partner, pupils conduct investigations and  prepare a poster to present their findings. They rehearse their presentations, and add visual aids;...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

4-H Advanced Food Science Activity Pages

For Students 7th - 10th
In this 4-H food science worksheet, learners examine how food works in the body, find out about food preservation methods, and investigate careers in the food industry. They complete a word search, practice food photography, answer true...
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Lesson Plan
American Chemical Society

Evaporation

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
This is one in several lessons that explore the relationship between temperature and phase changes of water. After some discussion, elementary physical scientists place wet paper toweling on a hot and a room-temperature water bag and...
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Lesson Plan
American Chemical Society

Exploring Moisture on the Outside of a Cold Cup: For Dry Environments

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
If the area you live in is arid, or the preceding experiment in this unit didn't yield obvious results, use this one in place of it to help reveal where condensation comes from. The mini unit that this is part of a comprehensive...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Visible Spectroscopy Expert Witness Problem

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
In a simulated crime science investigation, chemistry or physics sleuths use spectroscopy to analyze solutions. The lesson gives learners practice making salicylate solutions, using spectrophotometers, calculating dilution amounts,...
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Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

The Effects of Colloidal Silver on Microbial Growth: Investigating Snake Oil Science

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Can your classes solve the problem of the smelly sweat sock? Young scientists complete a lab investigation that begins by using electrochemistry to generate colloidal silver. They use their solutions to test the rate of microbial growth...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigating the Effect of Minerals on Plant Growth

For Teachers 9th - 12th
How do different minerals affect the growth of plants? Budding botanists find out in a multi-week experiment that has them using solutions with specific mineral deficiencies. While there is a lot of preparation for the investigation,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What the Heck Is Science Anyway?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Here is a 12-page outline of an introductory science lesson. The teacher lectures on what science is, the role of a scientists, different disciplines of science, and the impact of scientific discoveries. Detailed lecture notes are...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gas Law Investigation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Investigators collect the carbon dioxide produced when an antacid tablet is activated and identify what alteration produced the most gas. They also collect the gas in a buret in order to practice precision. Then they choose between two...
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Activity
Discover Earth

Weather Stations

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Transform your classroom into a fully functioning weather station with this series of hands-on investigations. Covering the topics of temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, and cloud formation, these activities engage young...
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Unit Plan
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PBS

Blow the Roof Off!

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Blow the minds of young scientists with this collection of inquiry-based investigations. Based on a series of eight videos, these "hands-on, minds-on" science lessons engage young learners in exploring a wide range of topics from making...
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Unit Plan
Rain Bird Corporation

Rain Forest Teaching Curriculum

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
Take young naturalists on an exploration of the world's tropical rainforests with this extensive collection of lessons and activities. Whether its creating leaf and flower prints or investigating the absorption spectrum of chlorophyl,...
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Handout
Curated OER

Reflection and Refraction

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
What is a prism? A place for light waves that commit minor refractions! The thorough resource includes three hands-on investigations covering light reflection and refraction; mirrors, lenses, and images; and optical systems. Subject...
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Unit Plan
Chicago Children's Museum

Simple Machines: Force and Motion

For Teachers 2nd - 4th Standards
Get things moving with this elementary science unit on simple machines. Through a series of nine lessons including teacher demonstrations, hands-on activities, and science experiments, young scientists learn about forces, motion, and...
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Interactive
Curated OER

All About Circuits ~ Atomic Structure

For Students 10th - Higher Ed
In this interactive Internet  assignment, physical science investigators answer 11 questions about the atom, the subatomic particles, and atomic structure. They can click on "Reveal Answer" to discover if they are correct. They also...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

How Light Can "Bend"

For Students 4th - 6th
Examine the properties of light with a fifth grade science experiment. Pupils find out how light bounces off the surface of a mirror, as well as how a periscope works. For the science investigation part, kids build their own periscope...
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Worksheet
Texas State Energy Conservation Office

Investigation: Automotive Emissions and the Greenhouse Effect

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
It is recommended that you conduct this fabulous experiment as a whole-class demonstration. Collect air samples from the environment, human exhalation, and car exhaust, then compare them for carbon dioxide content using bromthymol blue...