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Build A Model of the Water Cycle
Young scholars identify and describe the steps in the water cycle. They discover the sun as the source of the cycle. They work together to create their own water cycle model.
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Zipping Through Our Solar System and Beyond
Launch your class on an exploration of the solar system. Learners construct solar system models to scale and get a better understanding of our place in the vast void of space. This is a great way for them to cement their understanding of...
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Our Solar System - Comparing Planetary Travel Distances
NASA presents a mini-unit on distances in our solar system. It incorporates scientific concepts of gravity, mass, density, and payload while your aspiring astronauts also employ mathematics skills. They calculate speed, they determine...
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CO2 and You
Students study the scientific evidence about carbon dioxide emissions. They learn to calculate the amount of energy used by different appliances. They complete a worksheet which analyzes the amount of energy that their home uses.
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Sky Watching
Students explain how our knowledge of the sky has been enhanced by telescopes. They make their own night-sky observations, diagram and describe what they see, and examine pictures taken by telescopes.
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Good Vibrations Remote Sensing data Collection: Thermal Emission Spectrometer
The Mars Global Surveyor spent two years creating a mineral map of the planet Mars using thermal emission spectrometry. To help young astronomers understand this remote sensing instrument, have them simulate how data is collected and...
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Earth System Science: Hydrosphere
Students identify the major Earth systems, and describe at least ten major uses of water on planet earth. They research major sources of earth's water, and describe general aspects of the hydrosphere.
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Building a Scale Model
Third graders create a model of the solar system. In this solar system lesson, 3rd graders create a scale model of the solar system. Working in pairs students solve mathematical problems to correctly measure the distance each planet is...
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Solar Eclipse
Students demonstrate the revolution of the moon around the earth and the effect of its direct alignment in between the earth and the sun.
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The 'Solar' System Past and Present
Students identify cardinal and intermediate directions, recognize that models changes due to new or improved observations and technology, identify the major characteristics of the planets including their positions in the solar system,...
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Timing the Tides
Students collect data and describe how and why the high and low tides change from day to day. In exploring tides lesson students study tides by taking notes, recording data and analyzing their findings.
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The Magic School Bus Lost in Space
Students identify the planets by making two models of the Solar System. They create a model that shows the order of the planets and a model that shows the planets sizes as compared to one another. They may write about the planet they...
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Energy and the Environment: What Can We Do?
Students consider the impacts of global warming and brainstorm ways to help decrease their contribution to the problem. In this climate change lesson, students are exposed to facts concerning global warming and think of ways to...
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The Mathematical Fingerprint of Our Solar System
Young scholars study the beautiful mathematical model unique to our solar system.
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Making Models To Understand Our Home
Students investigate the concept of a model and how it is used to represent something that is real. They recognize how the model can be applied to other types of concepts like the solar system. Students create a scale drawing of a house...
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Where Are All the Fish?
Students identify the problems that marine life is facing today. In this marine science lesson, students explain how Marine Protected Areas can help the ocean and the fish. They brainstorm ways to help in the conservation effort.
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Location
Students explore the tools used by Columbus to chart his latitude. They study the change of a location over time.
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Making a Crater
Students examine the characteristics of craters. In this crater lesson plan, students discover how meteors form craters on planets and moons as they make their own craters and respond to observational questions regarding...
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A Look At Sunspots
Students research how the development of new technology has increased our knowledge of how the sun works. This lesson is part of a three-part series aimed at showing students how our knowledge of the universe must be inferred through the...
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The Water Cycle - Family Page
Students discuss the steps of the water cycle. They create their own model of the water cycle. They complete the Family Page at the end of the lesson.
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Micro-Climate
Atmosphere aces investigate the microclimates that exist within a larger area. They use a thermometer to record the varying temperatures and identify the microclimates on a map that they have drawn. This exercise helps them to understand...
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Earth's Orbit Lesson
Tenth graders devise a computational model to explore how the orbit of the Earth might change if its velocity were different. Using accurately recorded data, 10th graders defend a scientific argument.
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Your Own Greenhouse
Learners discuss the similarities between the Earth's atmosphere and a greenhouse. In this science activity, students make their own greenhouses out of plastic bottles and thermometers. Learners record the temperature different times of...