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What Makes Up a Healthy Watershed
Students, after observing the elements of a local watershed, explore the need to protect watersheds as water resources for the future. They examine the factors involved with a watershed: geology, ecology, and the effect of man's...
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Slow Rot or Not?
Fifth graders examine how environmental factors affect decomposition. In this decomposition activity, 5th graders experiment with the decomposition of grapes in five different environmental settings. They look at images of items that...
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Aquifer Model
Young scholars, after researching and brainstorming about aquifers and locating aquifer maps of Texas, participate in the building of a model of an aquifer complete with a pumping station. They also answer a variety of questions at the...
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Bernoulli's Principle
Students explore Bernoulli's principle, how it is related to flight, and the effect of lift, thrust, and drag on flight. They design and develop an experiment that tests for distance traveled by their paper airplane, and record and...
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Mysterious Footprints
Learners, after observing and responding to two pictures, consider the interaction of two unknown animals by examining the pattern of their footprints. They make observations, draw conclusions and propose possible explanations for the...
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Trade Secrets
Students identify research methods in health-related issues. They read and analyze studies. They identify problems associated with the studies.
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The Egg Activity
Students comprehend the three basic steps of science: 1) Observation, 2) Statements of cause and effect (Hypotheses), and 3) Testing. By working with an egg, students are required to observe an object that is very common to them. This...
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Hot Air Balloon Design Lesson Plan
Sixth graders discuss what they know and what they want to know about hot air balloon using a KWL chart. They then use a wide array of materials to design a hot air balloon that will lift successfully in cooperative groups referring to...
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To Float or Not to Float, That is the Question?
Ninth graders develop operational definition of density, do computations using density equation, categorize pieces of matter as being able to float on
water or not, based on density, explain why some objects sink or float based on...
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Square Foot Garden
Students plant a garden and keep track of it. In this geometrical garden lesson, students collect data from their garden twice a week. They graph their finding and figure out how many square feet of growing space each person needs...
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Hurricanes and Tornadoes (Grade 4-8)
Students investigate the concepts of hurricanes and violent weather conditions. In this violent weather lesson, students access an Internet site and watch a video about how air masses behave, how a tornado forms, how hurricanes form, and...
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Paper Towers
Students have the opportunity to use model-building as a way to help comprehend the forces and phenomena at work in the world around them. They describe gravity as a universal force that pulls everything toward the center of the earth....
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Oreo Cookies: Delicious and Educational
There are innovative ways to teach standard classroom curriculum. Here are some ideas using Oreo cookies.
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Evolution Lab
Students examine the pattern of natural variation in a society. They examine Darwin's theory of evolution and analyze data. They use computer programs to graphically display the variation in organisms.
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Beads, Balls, and Beakers
Students analyze the amount of space required to pack round objects. In this geometry lesson, students practice using space economically by practicing packing spheres into beakers. They then translate this concept to molecules being...
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Simulating the Greenhouse Effect in a Terrarium
Students identify what factors effect global warming and how the greenhouse effect occurs. In this environmental lesson students view videos then complete an experiment using a terrarium to observe greenhouse gas.
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Dragon Boats
Learners create a model boat. In this art lesson, students identify what makes a boat float and use milk cartons to create their own boat.
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What's New With Dinosaurs?
Young scholars examine how scientists are at odds on whether or not dinosaurs were warm or cold blooded. In this dinosaurs lesson students divide into groups and research the evidence that supports each side.
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Plant Nutrition and Nutrients
Students observe seeds growth and examine the different parts of the seedling. In this biology lesson, students compare the growth of seeds planted in soil and in hydroponics. They record their observations in their science journal and...
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The Dinosaur Diner
Students explore the food chain. In this dinoaur lesson, students identify charactersitics of an omnivore, carnivore, and herbivore. Students sort dinosaur picture/word cards into groups by their eating characteristics. Students also...
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Density
Students determine the density of different substances. In this physical science lesson, students rank them according to their density. They discover the relationship between volume and density.
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Gravity: A Relatively Heavy Subject
Students examine planetary movement and its relation to the tide.In this gravity lesson students describe how and why the high and low tides change every day.
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A Neighborhood Expedition
Students plan and conduct an expedition through their neighborhood based on the techniques used by the Harriman Expedition to Alaska in 1899. They research the Harriman expedition on the internet and then create a route and collection...
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Crystal Growing
Students explore the different phases of a crystal. In this mineral lesson students grow their own sugar crystals using a sugar recipe.