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Sled Kite
Students make and fly a sled kite out of plastic garbage bags, dowel rods, and more. In this kite lesson plan, students plan the kite to have symmetry and make adjustments as they test it.
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Kites
Young scholars build a kite while integrating math and science. For this kite building lesson, students construct a blueprint and apply mathematical formulas while constructing a kite. They use appropriate flight and kite terminology to...
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Insulators
Students design and carry out an investigation to test which materials is the best insulator: they predict which way heat energy flows in a system and analyze the flow of energy in a system from one point to another and from one form to...
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Stimulus/Response in Invertebrates
Students design and conduct and experiment to determine how invertebrates react to an outside stimulus such as light and other stimuli. Student must develop a clear plan of action, collect data in an organized manner and analyze their...
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Ice Cold
Students design and conduct an experiment to investigate what happens when salt and ice come together and to determine if one form of salt is better for melting ice on steps and sidewalks.
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What is Sound? How Can We Change Sound?
In this instructional activity, students investigate the phenomenon of sound! Students compare and contrast how sound travels through solids, liquids, and gases. They explain how length and thickness affect sound. Students know the...
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Where the Rubber Meets the Road
Eighth graders examine two different types of tires and the effects of different factors on the amount of force needed to overcome sliding friction such as when the vehicle tries to stop.
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Pond-water Populations
Young scholars design and conduct and experiment on algae, for a two week period, to answer the question "In your investigation, how does changing one factor affect the growth of organisms?"
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Water-holding Capacity of Earth Materials
Students design and conduct an experiment to test their ideas about how to speed up or slow down the rate of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. They have access to an array of physical and chemical factors that might influence enzyme...
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Dirty Decomposers
Seventh graders design and conduct experiments to determine what environmental factors favor decomposition by soil microbes. They use chunks of carrot for the materials to be decomposed, and their experiments are carried out in plastic...
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How Many Drops?
Students conduct a simple test to determine how many drops of each of three liquids can be placed on a penny before spilling over. They come up with an explanation for their observations about different amounts of liquids a penny can hold.
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Journal of the Stars
Students receive balloons representing the "Life Cycle of the Stars." As the attached script is read, students follow the directions for the color of balloon they are given. Students chart the results for their star. They plot data from...
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Crime Scene Investigation: Hair Analysis Lab
Students participate in a hair analysis lab. Using a digital microscope, students compare and contrast hair samples. They determine if the hair samples are human or animal. After completing lab results sheets, students share their...
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Exploring the Circulatory System: Getting to the Heart of It All
Seventh graders study how the heart functions and its parts. In this circulatory system lesson students learn how to take their pulse, blood pressure and respiration.
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No Creation-No Destruction--All in a Baggie
Students investigate the concepts of conservation of mass and simple chemical reactions. Students complete lab experiments and record all observations as well as conduct experiments on their own to determine which reactions created...
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Real Family Genetics
Students research genetic disease and mutation causing traits in family pedigrees simulated in a class activity. Students are each assigned a genetic trait and a "spouse" and must conduct research on their traits and the probability of...
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Balloon Rocket
Learners observe a balloon rocket and how it relates to Newton's Third Law of Motion. In this balloon rocket lesson plan, students make a balloon rocket out of balloons, clothespins, straw, fishing line, and duct tape.
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Oil Spill
Students use one of four absorbent products to separate as much of the oil and water mixture they are able to do. The purpose of this task is for students to collect and analyze data for the purpose of determining which absorbent is...
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Survival
Students determine the best material from which to make a jacket to keep the body warm in a cold, dry, windy climate. This task assesses the student's ability to perform an entire investigation. In this question the independent...
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Friction of a Block Weight
Fifth graders hypothesize and design an experiment to study the relationship between a block weight and the number of washers it takes to pull a block across various surfaces. Students graph results and apply their findings to a...
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Velocity
Students determine the average speed of a toy car as it travels six different distances set up by Students. Three trials are done for each distance. The only requirements is that the longest distance must be at least three times longer...
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Ocean Botttom Profile
Students interpret a graph of ocean depths and topographic features. This task assesses students' abilities to interpret figures, organize and represent data, apply knowledge of scale to a profile, and apply theoretical knowledge.
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Chemical Weathering
Students measure the effect of water temperature on the rate of a chemical reaction, similar to the interaction of a weak acid and carbonate rock, using hot water and effervescent antacid tablets.
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Science: Entomology in Action
Students discover how coroners use insect life cycles to estimate the time of death in cases. they describe how forensic entomologists combine environmental factors with insect life cycles to note the changes. Students examine an...