Discovery Education
Fuss About Dust
Dust is everywhere around us; it's unavoidable. But what exactly is dust and are certain locations dustier than others? These are the questions students try to answer in an interesting scientific investigation. Working independently or...
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Rocks
Fifth graders, while in the computer lab, investigate and study the composition and level of organization of objects and organisms and utilize technology to collect and store information collected. They explore, research and examine a...
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A Limnology Study of Drainage Ditches
Students chemically test water, observe microscopic organisms in the classroom, and screen the sample for macroinvertebrates. They design a reporting sheet that list all the items to be tested and a space to record the results.
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Bacteria's Role in Food
Students grow bacteria cultures on agar in petri dishes and do a plate count. They participate in a yogurt making lab to see how bacteria produce lactic acid. They prepare a recipe and identify fungi, fermentation and the role of...
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The Science and Technology of Food
Students examine the guidelines the United States Department of Agriculture places on food. In groups, they create a list of the foods they consume and discuss the political and environmental implications of purchasing the food. They...
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Discovering the Wetlands!
Students name wetland plant and animal life. In this ecosystem lesson students go birdwatching and interpret native plants through art.
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The Science of Microbes
Students will explore cells to understand that all living things are composed of cells. In this science lesson, students use the scientific process and work in cooperative groups to gain a better...
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What Color is the Ocean?
Learners view satellite pictures of the ocean, and discuss the presence of phytoplankton and the colors of the ocean. Students compare/contrast ocean satellite images with maps and globes, then color world maps to replicate the satellite...
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Let it Grow!
Students explain the relationship of plants and animals in the environment. They name the basic requirements for plant growth and define the terms photosynthesis, stomata, chlorophyll and xylem.
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Cell Works
Students observe slides of cork cells and discuss the use of microscopes. They view a power point presentation on "Looking Inside Cells" and take notes aligned with the PPT presentation. They collaborate with a partner to create an...
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Bubble and Boyle
Middle-schoolers still enjoy playing with bubbles! In this series of eight laboratory activities, science learners explore convex and concave surfaces, angles, gas laws, buoyancy, density and more!
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Microscopes and Telescopes
Students analyze a microscope and study what they do. In this investigative lesson students study how microscopes were first invented, and how ray diagrams are used in conjunction.
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Interplanetary Distance and Travel Time
Students are introduced to the challenges involved in understanding the space travel distances and the time involved to do so through the use of an interactive fable. The modeling and comparisons deal with specific distances at different...
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The Hidden World
Students examine dust mites and other allergens. In this dust lesson students complete a lab activity on dust mites.
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Cell Size and Shape; Diffusion and Osmosis Processes
Use salmon eggs as a cell model for demonstrating the movement of water over concentration gradients. Junior scientists examine the same process microscopically with an onion cell. They use a thistle tube and a semipermeable membrane to...
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Cell Structures and Their Functions
Life science learners investigate live cells. They examine wet mount slides of cyanobacteria and Elodea plants. They peer into the dynamic microscopic world of protists. Afterward, they construct a model of a cell, including rudimentary...
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Elaine Humphrey, Gwynne Thompson
Second graders become familiar with the parts of the microscope and how it works. In this microscope lesson, 2nd graders experiment with different light and settings. Students answer questions based on their experiment.
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Air Pollution
Students collect and examine particulate matter found in the air. In this pollution lesson, students use microscope slides and petroleum jelly to collect particulate matter from several different locations, then use a microscope to...
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Biomagnification
Students use real data to create an algebraic equation. They explain how the build up of small levels of contaminates can quickly become detrimental to species higher in the food chain.
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Phytoplankton and Ocean Color
Fifth graders identify function of phytoplankton in the biospere by conducting experiments and simulations and reading for information. They detect the presence of phytoplankton in bodies of water by examining ocean in satellite images...
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A Creative Classroom Model For a Sixth Grade Science Class
Sixth graders observe with a microscope such simple crystals as salt, sugar, cream of tartar, and other chemicals which are listed in detail. They observe the crystalline structure and make comparisons, culminating in the creation of...
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The Web of Life
Students participate in a game in which they discover the balance of life in the ocean. They identify different organisms that rely on different types of food. They answer questions to complete the lesson.
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Seeing the Cell as a System
Young scholars explain how the components of a cell operate as a system. Students examine a bicycle and find out if parts were arranged differently, could the system still be carried out. They look at cells as well and see what...
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How Many Cells Are Born in a Day?
Learners predict the number of cells after a series of cell divisions. In this cells lesson students create a graph of their results and create a patterned drawing.