Curated OER
Clouds and the Weather
Fourth graders analyze the relationship of clouds and local weather. Students also observe and record cloud data and weather conditions daily as they research different cloud types. The data is analyzed looking for trends in daily...
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Eyewitnesses to Change
Students explore recent changes in the Artic's climate that have been observed by Artic residents. They watch videos, take notes and create a concept map. They also look at historical weather data from a specific Artic community. The...
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Heat Retention
Students test 4 materials to see which would be best for use as a heat mass. They then graph the temperature verus the time of the substances and decide which material would make the best heat mass.
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Sound Box
Learners make simple observations and identify relevant variables, such as frequency and diameter. They then discuss the relationship between variables. The task assesses students' abilities to make simple observations and make...
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Reaction Rates
Students work in groups of 4-6 for the experiment/activity part of this exercise. They base their explanation on what they observed. Students observe how substances react chemically in characteristic ways with other substances to form...
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Identifying Elements
Students use diffraction glasses to find similarities and differences between observed spectrum of fluorescent light and an incandescent light They work in groups of 4-6 for the experiment/activity part of this exercise.
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Dichotomous Key
Eighth graders use a dichotomous key to identify unknown fictitious organisms. They work individually during this exercise. The task is designed to take students approximately 15-25 minutes to complete.
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Formation of Rain
Learners sequence the steps leading to the formation of rain, and design a model to represent these steps. This task assesses students' abilities to classify, generalize, infer, interpret and communicate data, and construct a pictorial...
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Shells and Subshells
Learners explore how to show evidence of subshells and electron filling on the visual scale. They examine subshell filling and evaluate unknowns based on the atomic emission spectrum. Students design an experiment to identify colors of...
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Hands Off
Students perform a handwashing experiment to see if a difference can be detected in the number and types of microbes on our hands after various types of cleaning. They will also demonstrate that they have learned the whys and hows of...
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Habitat Collage
Students explore habitats. In this science lesson, students discuss habitats and the insects that are found within each habitat. Students create a habitat collage.
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Soda Straw Rocket Activity
Students construct a rocket using soda straw. In this physics lesson, students determine the nose cone length that produces the best rocket. They explain the importance of using a control in an experiment.
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Walking Magic
Students conduct experiment with water striders by placing the insect in two different solutions and discuss their observations. They discover that weight and surface area are important factors in their experiment.
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Discovering Dinosaurs
Students investigate the physical characteristics of dinosaurs. They participate in a puppet show, take a field trip to a dinosaur museum, and compare/contrast dinosaur characteristics at the museum.
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Identifying Minerals
Students compare and constrast a wide variety of minerals and rocks. They test them for streak, luster, color and other characteristics. They view an exhibit and compare their answers to them.
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Analyzing the Relationship between Snowpack and River Flow
Learners use the Internet to research current and past snowpack levels and river gauging station readings. They determine the relationship between snowpack and river flow. They predict future river flow.