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Colored Drops
Students examine the properties of a liquid that contains water and food coloring and a liquid that contains water, food coloring and a liquid detergent. They interpret their data, describe properties, and make reasonable explanations...
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Melt the Ice
Students examine and discuss how water changes from a liquid to a solid to a gas. They explore this concept by having an ice cube race, competing to see which group can change the solid water back into liquid water first.
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Energy/Light/Heat/Sound
Fourth graders study the properties of heat in this series of lessons. They discuss sources of heat and experiment to determine its properties. They identify insulators and conductors by measuring temperatures, and graphing their data....
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The"Dirt" on Soil
Students examine the three different types of soil and their physical properties. For this soil lesson students design and implement a model of a water treatment plant.
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Matter
Third graders are introduced to the topic of matter. As a class, they brainstorm what they already know about matter and its properties. After completing a worksheet, they participate in an experiment in which they observe matter in...
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Matter and Change
In this matter and change worksheet, students answer 24 questions on topics such as elements, compounds, mixtures and chemical reactions. Students answer questions about the properties of matter such as their physical state and shape. In...
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Mystery Paint
Students use the scientific method to determine the properties of various kinds of paints, use collected data to identify paint samples that are not properly labeled and use proper science safety techniques while working with chemical...
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Teaching Matter with The Wild Christmas Reindeer
Second graders learn the proper way to take measurements, explore the properties of objects and expand their vocabulary.
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Ice Cream Blizzards
Fourth graders explore whether the making of homemade ice cream is a physical change or a chemical change in a lab experiment. Students identify states of matter, describe the physical properties of states, and collect temperature data...
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Shake, Rattle and Roll
Learners compare the weathering of materials. in this weathering lesson, students experiment with the chemical and physical weathering of different materials. Learners use salt and water as an example of how weathering occurs.
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Density: Float or Sink
Students discover density. In this density lesson plan, students discover the properties of objects that allow them to float or sink in water.
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Adventures With Super-Absorbers and Substance Solubility
Students understand the concepts of absorption, swellability and solubility and recognize that science is all around us in our everyday lives and is fun to explore.
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Biocomplexity Lab Activity: Creating Salt Water
The lesson plan seeks to intorduce to students the properties of salt water and how to create salt water. Teacher gives backgound information about salt water to students. From that point, students dscuss what elements are in salt...
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Permafrost: Permanently Frozen Ground
Students explore permafrost. In this 3 states of matter lesson, students identify characteristics of solids and liquids. Students observe water and soil melting and freezing at various temperatures. Students make...
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Introduce Solids
Learners identify and interpret a variety of solid materials - cloth, wood, metal, plastic, paper, and rubber. After a period of free exploration, they then describe the properties of the objects and develop vocabulary in order to...
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Ice Balloons
Students explore the properties of ice. In this states of water lesson, students examine the properties of icebergs and ice cubes as they participate in an activity that requires them to freeze a balloon half-filled with water...
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Floating Pencil
Students discover how salt water makes a pencil float better than freshwater by measuring and comparing the lengths of the portion of the pencil that floats above the water surface. They then determine if an unknown water sample is...
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Paper Chromatography
Students use this design the illustrate how ink can be separated into its component chemicals using paper chromatography. They use five unknown samples of ink on pre-labeled chromatography strips are provided to students. Students use...
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As a Matter of Fact
Students rotate through various hands-on experiment stations to explore the concept and properties of different types of matter. They compare some properties of solids, liquids and gases and describe how matter changes from one state to...
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Rockin' Minerals
Third graders view a clip of the video Backyard Safari, "Rocks and Minerals," and discuss properties of rocks and minerals. They view and discuss a clip on where rocks and minerals are found.
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Strange States of Matter
Fourth graders explore objects that do not fit into the categories given by three states of matter. They explore why an object doesn't fit perfectly into one of the three categories. Students observe the properties of Oobleck. They...
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DOWNHILL DISCOVERIES
Students studykinetic energy, friction, drag and acceleration by relating it to the Winter Olympics. In this physical properties lesson students create tracks and determine how the course conditions affect bobsled, luge and...
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What is an Insect?
Students examine insects and identify physical characteristics of insects. They perform observations of insects, then use a worksheet imbedded in this plan to answer questions about them.
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The Structure of Materials
Young scholars brainstorm what matter is and how they define it. They construct a water molecule with marshmallows and toothpicks. In addition, they watch videos to explore the use the idea of nanoscience to investigate the properties of...