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Mississippi’s Contribution to Space Exploration
Eighth graders engage in a class discussion while going through a PowerPoint on Mississippi's contribution to space exploration. In this Space science lesson plan, the students will also participate in Brain Pop quizzes where they will...
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LIFE IN SPACE Human Body: An Un-Earthly Home
Students examine an effect of zero gravity on the human body using a baby food jar, balloons and a jar with a large mouth.
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How Can a Spacecraft Always Face the Sun?
Students determine the correct orbital path for a satellite that collects data about the sun so that its view of the sun never be obstructed by the Earth.
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After 7 years, capsule of comet dust heads to Earth
Students examine an article on a space capsule and explore NASA. In this space exploration lesson students brainstorm the pros and cons of space exploration, then rehearse a sketch and present it to the class.
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Scale Model of the Earth
Students work together to create a model of the Earth. They label and identify each layer and describing its properties. They discover how engineers use models to test different concepts.
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Internet Activity: More Space About Space
Students analyze the exploration of space. In this space lesson, students discuss the space race of the 1950s and 1960s. Students identify important events in space exploration and analyze the reasons for a space station.
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Nutrition in Space
Students discover the importance of a healthy diet during space travel and examine the physiological changes astronauts experience while in space. In groups, they develop questions to determine an astronaut's food intake and identify...
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Astronauts Train in Deep-Space Brine
Students examine an article on astronauts training in deep space brine then discuss what they learned. In this investigative lesson students get into groups and design an exercise that includes isolation, silence and conflict...
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Origins: Earth is Born
Students collect and identify micrometeorites from space. Students create collection devices and retrieval methods for matter. They prepare slides and view particles found. Students discuss where the identifiable particles originated...
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Hubble Space Telescope
Students investigate the universe through the eyes of the Hubble space telescope. They conduct research from looking at the universe that is simulated with a digital projector. The images are projected onto the wall in a simulation of...
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A Leap of Space
Students explore how smaller systems exist within larger systems as they build a collage of their place in space! Invite the students to display their posters and talk about their systems and systems of systems.
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Sun too close? We'll just change Earth's orbit
Students study an article and discuss what would happen if the Earth's orbit changed. In this Earth's orbit lesson students answer a list of questions and complete an activity.
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Science: Hurricanes As Heat Engines
Students conduct Internet research to track the path of Hurricane Rita. They record the sea surface temperature of the Gulf of Mexico during and after the hurricane and draw conclusions about how hurricanes extract heat energy from the...
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Orientation of the Earth in Space
Students hypothesize the location of the sun in the sky at diferent times of day and at different latitudes. They perform several experiments to provide evidence for their hypothesis. Experiments including observing the sun's position at...
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Rock Cycles, Crayon Cycles
Students examine the rock cycle and the path that rocks go through to rearranged in different ways. They define key vocabulary terms, then in small groups conduct a variety of experiments using crayon shavings as simulated rocks and...
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Paper Rockets
Students design, construct, and fly paper rockets that travel the greatest distance possible across a floor model of the solar system. They construct small flying rockets out of paper and propel them by blowing air through a straw.
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Rocks and Their Properties: Day 5
Young scholars demonstrate their knowledge of rock formation processes in varied ways by sharing their cooperative research projects with the class. They generate well-framed questions in response to each presentation.
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Ecotourism in National Parks and Wilderness
Students develop a plan for ecotourism after researching a nearby national park or wild area.
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How The Scientists Really Work
Learners question the accepted practices of science by scientists and their interactions with technology and society. They devise and conduct appropriate interview procedures for scientists to question their understanding and...
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Fires and Fire Suppression
Students examine their assumptions about forest fires. They explore the conflicts involved with the forest service's new strategy. in addition, they will study one case where a prescribed natural burn had a significant impact on a later,...
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Native Species Restoration and its Impact on Local Populations
Young scholars explore how predators help control the growth of prey species for a more balanced ecosystem.
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The Formation and Value of Temperate Grasslands
Students study the Temperate Grasslands biome of North America. They explain that it is an endangered ecosystem because the rich soils have been converted to farming in most areas. They view videos imbedded in this plan, then complete...
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Common Themes
Tenth graders test usefulness of a model Earth by comparing its predictions to observations in the real world. For this landforms lesson students construct an island from a contour map using model clay then analyze the landscape...
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Radiation Budget Lesson: Exploring Albedo
Students experiment with sunlight and temperature. They study the definition of albedo, or the percentage of incoming sunlight that is reflected, rather than absorbed.