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Not Your Average Planet
Fourth graders explore median, mode, mean, and range using information about the planets and our solar system.
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Follow the Sun
Students use a simple model of the Earth and Sun as seen from space to explore the sun's apparent movement across the sky over the course of a day and year. They consider the apparent direction of movement and changes in the sun's angle.
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Voyage: A Journey through our Solar System
Students build the Voyage scale model of the Solar System on a playground and "travel" to each planet. They recognize that the Sun and planets are tiny worlds in a vast space, giving them a new perspective on the Solar System, and...
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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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The Dawn Mission: Ion Rockets and Spiral Orbits
In this ion rocket and orbits activity, students read about the spiral orbit the Dawn spacecraft took due to its ion rocket motor. Students solve 3 problems including finding the path taken by the spacecraft, determining the total path...
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Stellar Resorts
Students explore the future of "orbital vacations" and create fanciful tours of the Milky Way Galaxy. Students respond to the following prompt in their journals "Entrepreneurs are currently designing concepts for accommodating tourists...
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Shedding New Light
Learners consider why photographs in space might not show stars and research the importance of light in this phenomenon. They research other scientific processes related to light or its absence and create "How It Works" posters about them.
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Magazine Dollars and Sense
Students analyze magazine advertisements that appeal to them. They explore how tobacco companies continue to target teens in magazine advertisements. They explore how advertisers select magazine ad space.
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Digestive System
Students analyze how the digestive system works by taking the food we eat and breaking it down for our bodies to use for various reasons. They list the major components of the digestive system and draw a diagram. They explain how...
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What's Air Got to Do with It?
Students use M&M's to create a pie graph that expresses their understanding of the composition of air. They watch and conduct several simple experiments to develop an understanding of the properties of air (it has mass, it takes up...
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Etymology
Learners tie together planet names with Greek mythology. Students browse thru a dictionary to see where exactly these names came from and what significance they have. Learners explore the origins of some English words.
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Air and Water in the Environment
Students demonstrate an awareness of air as a substance that surrounds us and takes up space, and whose movement we feel as wind. They predict and describe how local weather conditions affect living things, including themselves.
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Plate Tectonics: Movin' and Shakin'
Students are introduced to the causes of plate movements and the hazards they present. They plot the location of 50 earthquakes and 50 volcanic eruptions on a map and explore the relationships between plate tectonics, earthquakes, and...
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Water Resources
High schoolers study water resources that are important to the people of North American and Africa. They use satellite images and data to explore how human actions can degrade, improve, or maintain water resources. They analyze and...
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Gravity Launch
Young scholars examine how gravity affects launching rockets into space. In this physical science lesson, students review the concept of gravity and use an interactive online site, "Gravity Launch," to simulate a rocket launch.
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Waterproof Paper
Students explore matter through the concept of displacement. They perforrm an inquiry experiment with a glass, paper and a bucket to demonstrate that gases take up space.
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-Body in Motion - Axial and Locomotor
Students practice increasing their movement and dance vocabulary through axial motion and locomotor step skill-building. They work with a partner and create and perform short sequences utilizing the vocabulary their practicing. Each...
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Program Your Partner
Students explore the world of robotics. In this robotics lesson, students study the history of robots and work with partners to find out how hard it is to accurately guide robots through simple tasks.
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Life of a Navajo Weaver
Students explore Native American weaving patterns and dance movements. In this Native Americans lesson, students view examples of weaving patterns on the Internet and compare the patterns to a Native American dance. Students demonstrate...
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Model Rockets
Students build a model rocket. In this model rocket lesson, students explore a rocket launch cycle. Students investigate the laws of physics for each part of the launch. Students build model rockets and launch at school.
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Mathematics at the Frontier of Astronomy
Students explore the different types of measurements used in astronomy. In this space science activity, students explain the relationship between planets' orbits and distance from the sun using Kepler's Laws. They discuss how math aides...
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Soil Properties
Students explore the porosity of soil. In this soil instructional activity, students conduct an experiment which shows the porosity of different types of soil. They use sand, silt, and clay to see how soil particles are more or less...
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Carrying Capacity of Ecosystems
Students define population and carrying. In this algebra instructional activity, students explore exponential growth and decay based on animals and things that grow or decrease exponentially. They graph their findings and discuss their...
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Blast Off!
Fourth graders investigate the third law of motion. In this third law of motion lesson, 4th graders explore the forces necessary for a rocket to launch. Students compare and contrast propellant and fuel. Numerous resources are provided.