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Moldy Jell-O
Students design an experiment to determine the best conditions for molds growth. For this biology lesson, students collect data for a week and analyze their findings. They create a presentation and share them with the class.
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Oh, Say Can You See
Students explore different parts of the eye and functions of each part through a video and a dissection of a cow's eye. They discover different causes of blindness.
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Phases of Matter
Eighth graders practice using correct vocabulary and apply content knowledge related to phases of matter when answering questions about situations or observations from everyday life.
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The Miracle Fish: Learning to Design an Experiment
Students develop procedures to explore the behavior of fish. In this scientific experiment lesson students from a hypothesis, write a question, identify different variables and controls in their experiment.
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The Scientist in Me
Learners make a poster. In this scientist lesson, students define the term scientist, draw pictures of themselves as scientists, and write about what they would study as a scientist.
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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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Moving without Wheels
Students observe a simple water cycle model to better understand its role in pollutant transport. This activity shows one way in which pollution is affected by the water cycle; it simulates a point source of pollution in a lake and the...
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Skeletal Structures
Students relate the location and the function of individual skeletal parts. Students identify and discuss skeletal differences between species. Students identify and define related terminology. Students individually complete a written...
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Water Anaysis
Young scholars conduct three tests of water quality that can be utilized with TerrAqua columns and outdoors: pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature. They make comparisons between different types of water and draw conclusions about how...
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The Solar System: Why do we Explore?
Third graders act as scientists. In this property discovery lesson, 3rd graders explore the substance "Oobleck" (cornstarch, water, food coloring). They work in groups to investigate the substance and make observations as a scientist...
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Constructing a Phylogenetic Tree
Students are given the opportunity to analyze DNA sequence differences between organisms in order to establish a reasonable picture of the evolutionary relationships between them (Phylogenetic Tree). In the simulation form they are...
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Investigating Motion
Students explore types of motion. In this motion experiment, students observe how objects move. Students work in small groups to discover the laws of motion.
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Termite Trails
Students observe the behavior of termites and draw conclusions about their behavior. They record data as to termite behavior and recognize elements in the experimental design which must include a hypothesis.
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The Great Spider Debate
Students study about the survival and hunting strategies of several different kinds of spiders. They also be introduced to scientific classification of spiders and write a brief report about one of the spider families they observe.
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How Do I Get a Pure Sample of the Molecules I Make?
Students initially engage in online research and consult print materials to identify a compound to produce. Once a selection has been made, individually, students conduct lab experiments to isolate substances. The end product is a...
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Making Layered Hail Stones
Students explore how hail forms in the atmosphere, why hailstones are layered, and what accretion is. They also learn what supercooled liquids are.
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Spyglass
Students distinguish between visualization and scientific visualization. They use the software program Spygalss to create images from two-dimensional arrays of numbers.
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Seashore Life
In this seashore life instructional activity, students identify the animals that live on the seashore. Students then color the animals that live on the seashore. Students also draw and color any additional animals they would see.
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Salt and Water Divorce by a Physical Change
Students discuss the definitions of physical and chemical properties and changes. They vaporize a solution of salt and water, observing the sodium chloride that is left behind.
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Heat Transfer and Pollution
Students perform computer simulations on air dispersion. In this chemistry lesson, students calculate energy transfer based on specific heat and temperature change. They explain the causes of smog.
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cDNA Sequencing By Restriction Project
Learners try to confirm the sequence of a given cDNA clone using the WWW tools and traditional restriction analysis. They grow the clone, prep the plasmid, cut the plasmid with restriction enzymes and compare their results to what was...
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Tower O'Power
Students work together to design a tower from a computer program. They manufacture the pieces with a laser cutter and compete in a competition to determine the best design for stress relief on towers. They discover the work engineers...
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DNA Extraction From Living Things
Students extract DNA from split peas. In this biology lesson, students hypothesize what DNA looks like and perform the experiment to verify their hypothesis. They explain the importance of DNA in living things.
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Craters!
Eighth graders examine the formation of craters. In this craters lesson, 8th graders discover the various energies involved in the formation of a crater, where you can find a crater in the Solar System, and observations of craters on the...