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Interdisciplinary Task: Weather
Learners design a chart to use to record the weather for five days. They then build an anemometer to record wind speed and discover why they are used for this purpose.
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Rolling Down Hill
Students perform an experiment, collect, and analyze data of a rolling marble down a ramp. They report results after they complete their experiment. Students are assessed in science and writing.
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Temperature and Enzymes
Students compare the times it takes the milk in each of two cups to curdle. They are told that an enzyme that is added to the milk, rennin, is involved in the natural curdling process of milk. Students are asked to consider what...
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Soap, Wood, and Water
Young scholars measure the properties of two different types of soap and wood and calculate their densities. Then they predict whether or not whether or not each object would float or sink in fresh or salt water.
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Using a Thermometer
First graders use their senses to formulate questions and make predictions to determine what is in the "Wonder Bag". They hold pieces of ice and examine while listing descriptors on a chart and then take their own temperature using an...
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Friction Restriction: Creating a Design Plan to Redesign the Tread of Tennis Sneakers to Increase Friction
Young scholars evaluate the friction of tennis sneakers and redesign them to increase friction. In this physics lesson, students calculate starting, sideways and forward stopping friction. Using quantitative data, they prove that...
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Chihauhan Desert Journaling Activity
Students explore U.S. geography by completing an observational activity with classmates. In this New Mexico lesson, students research the Chihuahuan Desert by visiting several Internet sites. Students write the data they've collected in...
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Living and Nonliving Things
First graders distinguish between living and nonliving objects, and compare living organisms and nonliving objects.
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Floating Pencil
Students discover how salt water makes a pencil float better than freshwater by measuring and comparing the lengths of the portion of the pencil that floats above the water surface. They then determine if an unknown water sample is...
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Rising Waters
Fourth graders rank balls by size from smallest to largest and from lightest to heaviest and then by how much they made the water rise. They then discuss why certain balls make the water rise higher than do other balls.
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Colored Dots 1
Learners observe that colored markers are a mixture of many different colors by performing a chromatography experiment. They make observations, record information, and make generalized inferences from their observations.
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Whose Parts Do I Have? (Wings and Things)
Students identify an animal and a body part and then matches a body part to a specific animal. This will assess their ability to sort organisms and objects into groups according to their parts and describe how the groups are formed and...
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Changing Ramp Heights
Learners conduct an experiment to determine how the change in ramp height affects the distances a ball is able to move a stationary cup. Data is collected from several trials and recorded and analyzed.
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Starch and Sugar Testing 1
Eighth graders determine the presence of starch and sugar in unknown solutions. This task assesses students' abilities to observe, record and interpret data, classify, generalize/infer, construct data tables, and identify sugar and...
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Powder
Pupils investigate several unidentified substances and suggest a use of each substance. They can explain that a substance has characteristic properties, such as density, a boiling point, and solubility, all of which are independent of...
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Crustal Sinking
Students measure the rate of sinking of a test tube into a beaker of "glop", representing a model of the interaction between the Earth's crust and upper mantle. This task assesses students' abilities to make simple observations,...
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Types of Matter
Learners analyze different types of matter according to its general and specific properties. They design an experiment to classify matter. Students are shown cornflakes and raisins. They are asked what type of substance is each...
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Color My World
Young scholars identify colors created by mixing primary colors and describe the process. They then design a book using the colors of a given season entitled "Colors of the Season".
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Albedo Transect Research (Field Trip Day 1)
Students explore how Albedo research is designed and conducted by interviewing the researchers at one of their research sites. They relate Albedo and it's relationship to the Arctic environment as well as assess how a small change in a...
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Water and Ice
Students explore the states of matter. For this physical science lesson, students observe what happens to water when it freezes and record observations. Students then observe ice when it melts and record observations.
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Can You Name the Four Seasons?
Students explore names, characteristics and traditions of the seasons and observe weather changes throughout the year.
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CSI, Second Grade Style
Second graders conduct a classroom investigation. In this investigative lesson, 2nd graders spend their time observing, measuring, and collecting data. They simulate a forensic science lab by conducting a fingerprint, scent, footprint,...
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Carbon Dioxide Heats It Up
Students design an investigation to test whether vegetation in an area helps regulate the ambient air temperature. They make comparisons between the investigation and global changes in climate. In groups, they present their findings to...
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Genetic Research and Liberties
Students examine civil liberties issues in relation to genetic research, and discuss how genetic medical information may be used. They present personal viewpoints about genetic research as it relates to civil liberties