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Ecosystems
Seventh graders create a closed ecosystem and place it where is it visible to others in the school. They label it with posters describing the interdependence of living things in the ecosystem. They discuss what might happen to the...
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Collecting and Classifying Pollen
Learners collect and analyze pollen from different species of plants. In small groups, they classify pollen according to shape, size and physical characteristics. They draw the basic anatomy of flowering plants and create a dichotomous...
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Field Trip Preparation
Students prepare for a field trip. They navigate through a Underground Network site. This "field trip" can be conducted in a patch of healthy grass or soil anywhere you can find it: right outside your building, in a backyard or at a...
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Mold Investigations
Students observe mold growth on bread. In this mold growth lesson, students place bread in various locations and in various conditions to investigate how location, moisture, temperature, and other variable impact the growth of mold on...
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Pressure and Volume of Gases
Students investigate pressure and volume as they relate to gases. In this pressure and volume lesson plan, students observe multiple demonstrations related to air pressure. The develop an understanding of the relationship between...
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Properties of Matter
Students investigate the properties of matter. In this properties of matter lesson, students observe containers of different metals and discuss their properties including density. Students find the density of an unknown metal and of...
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Food Safety Lab
Students use the scientific method to investigate the role of temperature in microbial growth. In this food preservation lesson, students set up an experiment with fruit in room temperature and in a refrigerator. They record the...
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Toward a Sustainable Agriculture
Young scholars analyze organic production systems. In this organic agriculture lesson, students examine key organic practices for both crop and livestock. This lesson includes 5 different activities, 4 critical thinking questions and...
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Comparing Apples and Onions
Fifth graders observe and compare apples. In this apples lesson, 5th graders work in groups to record the physical characteristics of a variety of apples. Students predict each apples weight and then weigh them to see if they were...
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Trout Are Made of Trees Crayon Mural
Students recognize that for a trout habitat to be ideal, several components must be present. In this trout lesson, students explore what makes a healthy stream. Students create paintings for a mural of a trout habitat....
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The Climate Change Skeptic's Argument: Natural Solar Cycles or Human Activity?
Teachers explore patterns in sunspots and total solar irradiance to understand the counterpoint to the human effect of global warming. In this professional development tool, teachers work through a lesson on the sun's natural...
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How the Brain Learns
Students identify the basic function of the lobes in the brain. In this memory lesson students complete a lab activity on how fast they can react.
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The Frog Experiment
Your science class reads a silly story in which a mad scientist makes absurd conclusions about an experiment that he conducted. One at a time, he cuts off a frog's leg and commands it to jump. With three, two, and one leg, the frog...
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Gallery Walk Questions on Weathering and Mass Wasting
A set of questions on weathering and erosion are found in this resource. Some of them can be used as discussion topics or lecture guides. There are also suggested activities such as the examination of topographic quadrangles and the...
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Lesson 5: Designing an Experiment
The intent of this lesson is to introduce young scientists to the steps of the scientific method. To this end, they consider the question, "Which brand of battery lasts longest?" For this case, the experiment is carried out as a class,...
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Making Paper
Students read about the history of paper production and make their own recycled paper. In this paper making lesson, students follow the directions to make paper from recycled paper. Students also learn about making paper from live plants.
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Olympic Line Graphs
Sixth graders examine how to make line graphs. In this Olympic line graph lesson students make line graphs and search the given Internet sites to find data on their summer Olympic Game.
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Journal of the Stars
Students receive balloons representing the "Life Cycle of the Stars." As the attached script is read, students follow the directions for the color of balloon they are given. Students chart the results for their star. They plot data from...
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Earth Science: The Sun-Earth Relationship
Pupils examine the sun's impact on the Earth. They read online articles, explore various websites, and answer questions using information found on the Internet.
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Sugar and carbohydrates, protein, fat and water - that's what little plants are made of!
Students identify photosynthesis as the mechanism by which plants convert sunlight energy into a usable energy source for plant processes. They identify photosynthesis as the mechanism by which plants create a molecule that can be used...
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Biodegradable Plastics
Students prepare a type of biodegradable plastic. They design method(s) to compare its properties with some common plastics that are readily available in the market. They later advance to identifying variables in an experiment and fair...
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An Investigation into Effects of Rhizobium Soil Bacteria on Nitrogen Availability
Young scholars identify the control and the variables in the experiment. They describe the growth of plants with and without nitrogen fixing bacteria, then name the bacterium responsible for making nitrogen available to the plant.
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Water, Water Everywhere!
Learners brainstorm on ways they use water, and where water comes from. They view video, Down the Drain, to gain specific facts about water use, properties of water, problems of water and the water cycle. They perform a lab activity...
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The Class Trip
Mrs. Moore's class is trying to earn money for a trip to the science museum, but how much more do they need? Solve this problem with your own class as they develop their ability to model real-life situations algebraically. As an added...