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"Stick to It!" Properties of Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Tapes
Students investigate the strength of different adhesives. In this physical science lesson, students compare the force needed to peel adhesive tapes from a surface. They analyze collected data and make a generalization.
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Fizzy Pop
Fifth graders compare and identify variables that affect the rate of a chemical change using Alka-Seltzer, water, ice, and hot water. They time how long each variable takes to pop the canister into the air, and record the results on a...
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Ziplock Chemistry
Students investigate various chemical reactions when creating mixtures in ziplock baggies. In this chemistry lesson, students will recognize various chemical reactions and cite evidence. Safety and assessment strategies are included in...
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Incline Planes
Students determine the forces necessary to move a truck on an inclined plane with weight and slope as variables. They identify the cheapest way to transport trash to local garbage disposal sites.
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Crash Test Smarties
Students share hypotheses about the variables needed to produce a collision between two moving objects. They simulate the impact of a moving object on an object that creates a spray of debris, and simulate a NASA Deep Impact study.
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Bacterial growth
Young scholars explore the exponential growth and decay of microbial populations in relation to the organism tolerance ranges in their environment, They observe the impact of changing variables which can affect microbial populations.
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Soil pH Effect on Germination of Specific Weeds
Students collect weed seeds from three varieties of weeds (knapweed, thistle, or toadflax, for example they may choose others in addition to the spotted knapweed.) They sterilize soil for thirty containers, plant seeds in sterile soil,...
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The Amazing Apple
Students analyze an apple. In this lesson about developing inquiry skills, students do an experiment with an apple. Students make several observations about the apple. Students answer questions to help them improve and practice their...
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Identification of Different Compounds and Substances
Students conduct a series of tests to identify unknown compounds. In this chemistry lesson, students compare the physical and chemical properties of substances. They collect data and formulate a conclusion.
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Force & Acceleration
Students investigate the effects of weights on the motion of a toy car. In this force and acceleration lesson plan, students use different weights, a toy car, a paper clip and string to determine how a car will move as different weights...
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Be a Weather Newscaster
Ninth graders, in groups, create and videotape a news broadcast. Each group researches, develops and writes a weather forecast, a commentary on an environmental concern, a school activity and a commercial.
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Creating an Enzyme-Substrate Model
Students explore the reaction rates of an enzyme-mediated reaction through experimentation. In small groups, they use everyday objects to demonstrate the effects of environmental variables on enzyme function.
Students graph and...
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The Solution to Pollution is Dilution
Young scholars consider what happens to herbicides or insecticides that are used in agricultural practices, especially herbicides that are used to control noxious weeds. They become acquaint with a chemical assessment method known as...
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Race the Track! Design Challenge
Students focus on a force and motion problem, explore it, reflect on it and apply it while completing experiments. In this motion lesson, students experiment with force and motion by creating a track for testing cars.
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Bean Sprout
Student will track the growth of his/her bean sprout with sunlight and without sunlight over the course of 3 weeks. They will enter the results into an excel data base then graph the results of both variables to make the comparison.
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Cold Front Characteristics
Students study weather characteristics of a cold front passage. They view animations of several atmospheric variables (e.g., temperature, rainfall) during a cold front passage and locate the front, determine its direction of movement,...
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Soil pH & Plants
Students investigate the pH of the soil in which different plants grow. They design and carry out an experiment to determine the factors that affect the growth of a population of plants, identifying and controlling major variables...
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Keep It Quiet!
Fourth graders study about sound waves and how they behave in various media. They create a soundproofed container. They explain that velocity describes a change in distance over time.
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The Halls are Alive with the Sound of Music
Students discuss physical places in which had good or bad acoustics. After reading an article, they discover the relationship between the physics of sound and concert hall acoustics. They calculate the speed of sound and compare their...
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Comparison of Different Methods for Determining Stream Flow at a Stream Site
Students make measurements and calculations to determine the stream flow of an outdoor stream site. In this stream characteristics lesson, students travel to a field site to construct a transect across a stream and measure the...
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Inventors and Inventions 2:Air and Space
Students fly their own paper airplanes. In this flight lesson plan, students create paper airplanes and see whose plane will fly the farthest. They discuss what factors affect the flight and attempt to create a plane that will go...
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Physics and Me
Sixth graders compare and contrast mass and weight. In this physics lesson plan, 6th graders calculate speed given distance and time information. They construct a rocket and relate this to Newton's 3rd Law of motion.
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Rate of Photosynthesis
Young scholars investigate the rate of photosynthesis using elodea leaves. In this photosynthesis lesson plan, students place elodea in a test tube filled with water. They include baking soda and place the test tube under a lamp. Young...
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Up, Up and Away
Fourth graders design and launch rockets. In this rocket lesson, 4th graders observe the changes in outcome caused by size and fuel variables. Students navigate the NASA website to learn the parts of a rocket. Students load the...