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Exploring Rocks
Students recognize differences in the size, shape, texture, and color of different rocks. In this rocks lesson plan, students also learn and repeat back how a volcano erupts and make one out of a toilet paper tube.
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Effects of the Sun on Our Planet (Grades 9-12)
Students examine the Earth's magnetosphere and observe the effects of the sun's energy on it. They discover the difference between true north and magnetic north. They also explore how solar cells convert solar energy to electricity.
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Our Amazing Skeleton
Students study the skeleton, about the number of and types of bones in the body, and how outer space affects astronauts' bones. They discover how to take care of their bones here on Earth to prevent osteoporosis, or, weakening of the...
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World Geography: Climate Change Round Table
Students are able to explain the suspected causes of relatively recent climate changes, specifically the observed global warming. They discuss how unusual or extreme global warming disrupts the balance of the earth's geo-spheres.
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Trouble in the Troposphere
Students create graphs using NASA data, compare ozone levels of several U.S. cities, analyze and evaluate the data and predict trends based on the data, and discuss and describe how human activities have modified Earth's air quality.
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Planet Protectors
Students explore ways to protect the earth. In this environmental issues and technology lesson, students investigate the water quality in their community and compare their findings to the water quality in other geographic...
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Writing about the climate
Students research the contributing factors to the Earth's paleoclimate. They determine the relevant climate data and use it to construct a science argument. In the process, they access data, capture images of the data plots, and...
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Fossil Fuels vs. Alternative Fueling Systems
Fourth graders brainstorm the differences between the fossil fuels that people use in their transportation now and what they could use to minimize greenhouse gas emissions. They use a variety of techniques from webquests to writing...
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Our Solar System
Young scholars explore the solar system on the internet and video programs. They investigate the names of each planet and their places in the solar system. They chose their favorite planet and design an advertisement to sell a...
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As the World Turns
Learners will use their bodies to act out the motions of Earth by exploring orbits, rotations, and the turning of the earth as it revolves around the sun. Doing research to find correct answers to their questions will help them act out...
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Tornado Chasers
Students explore how tornadoes are the most violent storms on earth. Raging at speeds of up to 300 miles per hour, their awesome winds can flip cars through the air like leaves, snap trees like matchsticks, and reduce entire towns to...
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Ride the Arctic Climate Rollercoaster
Students view interactive CD-ROM entitled The Arctic Climate Roller Coaster, research evidence of changes in climate through the years, record ways people responded to changes, and create short presentations to share evidence with...
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My Place In Space
The purpose of this unit is for students to make the rich set of connections between astronomy and the rest of science and technology, language arts, cultural studies (social studies), math, art, and music.
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The No Zone of Ozone
Students explore the causes and effects of the Earth's ozone holes through discussion and an interactive simulation. Using gumdrops and toothpicks, they conduct a large-group, interactive ozone depletion model.
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Earthquake Depth
Young scholars research and locate earthquake epicenters on a map using latitude and longitude. They determine if the depth of an earthquake has any relationship to the distance from a plate boundary.
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Naturally Speaking
Learners identify the Earth's natural resources and classify them as renewable or non-renewable. They simulate the distribution of resources and discuss the fairness and effectiveness of the distribution. They identify ways that they use...
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Detecting Meteors by Radio in the Classroom
Twelfth graders describe and interpret the science of optical and radio telescopes, space probes and remote sensing technologies (Unit E) They explain the role of radio and optical telescopes in determining characteristics of stars and...
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Astronomy
Students explore the rotation of the Earth and observe the shapes of constellations. After discussing how the Earth moves. volunteers use a flashlight and globe to model the movement of the sun-Earth system. Using Digitalis technology,...
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What Is Engineering Design
Students investigate the concepts related to the practice of designing and building large scale buildings. They conduct research using the internet and other resources in order to apply mathematics and architectural design principals in...
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A Day on the Space Station
Fifth graders discover what it would be like to live in space. In this technological advancements lesson, 5th graders discuss how space life would be different from Earth life. Students also identify how technology has made life in space...
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Coastal Weather Issues: Planning for a Hurricane
Seventh graders utilize internet resources to gather, analyze, and interpret hurricane data. They develop a public information booklet that be used as a guide for the community to use when preparing for a hurricane.
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Forces of Change
Second graders discuss various ways in which landforms change over time. They, in groups, research and create a reference book about landform change including tsunamis, earthquakes, weathering, erosion and volcanic eruptions.
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A River Ran Through It
Students research how water is used to generate electricity. They investigate water's potential-to-kinetic energy transfer in hands-on activities about falling water and waterwheels. They take measurements, calculate averages and graph...
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Reading Weather Maps
Fourth graders the symbols that are used on weather maps. They develop five day forecasts based on information they gather from weather maps in the newspaper and on the Internet.