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Melting Ice
Students observe the melting of ice and explore the basic physical changes that occur. They gain information of how different substances change the rate of melting. Students discuss the properties of water and ice, the definition of...
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Gel-O-Colors!!
What distinguishes the differences between refraction and reflection? Learners identify the properties of light as they mix colored light to create new color variations. As they work they gather data about the properties of light and...
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Plastic Polymers
Students learn about plastic. In this plastic polymers lesson, students examine the properties of plastic, its variety of uses and how it is recycled.
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Rock Cycle SIOP Unit
Students collect rocks, identify them, classify them, investigate their properties, and more. In this rocks lesson plan, students also experiment with soil and erosion and weather.
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Weather Tools
Students explore Earth science by participating in a weather identification activity. In this scientific instrument lesson plan, students identify several weather related tools such as the weather vane, thermometer and rain gauge....
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Petroglyphs: Protecting the Past
Fourth graders investigate the three types of rocks and study about petroglyphs. They explore why petroglyphs were used by the Nez Perce People. Students investigate the properties of the three types of rocks and they discuss cultural...
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The Solar System: Why do we Explore?
Third graders act as scientists. In this property discovery lesson plan, 3rd graders explore the substance "Oobleck" (cornstarch, water, food coloring). They work in groups to investigate the substance and make observations as a...
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Technology of the Deep: Experiments with Buoyant Forces
Students conduct a series of experiments to study the effects of temperature and salinity on the buoyancy of an object in water. They devise ways to make floating and sinking objects neutrally buoyant.
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Rocks, Rocks & More Rocks
Second graders work together to examine different types of rocks. They sort rocks according to their characteristics and properties.
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Fuel Mystery Dis-Solved
Young scholars describe how temperature and surface area exposure affect the rate at which fuel is consumed. They explain why engineers want to know about the properties of a fuel when designing rockets. They create a bar graph of...
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Building Materials
Fifth graders are presented with three rocks and a variety of tools and are asked to investigate the properties of the rocks to see which rock is best for building tables and benches for a museum picnic area.
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Rate of Cooling Experiment
Ninth graders measure the insulation properties of different fabrics by immersing cans of water covered with fabric "socks" in an ice bath and measuring temperature changes. They then calculate heat loss and graph the data individually.
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Salt Water Wedge
Pupils conduct an experiment to observe the properties of both salt and freshwater. They explain why freshwater will stay at the surface while salt water will travel up a river bottom because of density. Students also research the...
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Changing Places
This lesson involves live ladybugs. Pupils view two containers of water and take the temperature of each. They construct a graph on chart paper to compare the two containers. Students speculate which water sample the ladybugs will like...
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Kitchen Chemistry
Fifth graders examine both physical and chemical changes, and how to identify the difference between the two. They observe the changes that occur in butter when it is exposed to heat and cold, heat energy. In their notebooks, they write...
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Physical Changes of Matter
Students solve a mystery using evidence gathered during a science investigation. In this physical changes lesson, students analyze a note written in marker to determine the physical changes the ink from the pen underwent. Students...
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Shake, Rattle & Roll
Learners examine soil. In this science lesson, students examine the layers of soil. Learners collect soil from various locations and separate the layers. Students record and chart their findings.
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Diversity And Adaptations Of Organisms
Seventh graders investigate how organisms respond to environmental stimuli through their behavior. They observe how plants and animals respond to varying amounts of light, water and gravity.
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Estuaries, Estuarine Habitats, and Adaptations
Students conduct research on estuaries. They design and construct an estuary, describe the physical characteristics of an estuary, and create a diagram illustrating an estuarine food web.
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Packing Materials
Learners observe the effects of water on four different packing materials to determine which ones are more soluble. They then decide which material would be a good packing material to use for the environment and which may be a bad...
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Solutions
In this solutions worksheet, students calculate molality and mole fraction. Students define colligative property and determine what affects the solubility of gas in solvents. This worksheet has 2 short answer questions and 9 problems to...
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Oobleck Versus Gloop
Second graders explain that we use our senses to make observations and that the observations often describe properties of an object or substance. They make oobleck, then perform a series of tests on it.
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Reaction Rates
Students work in groups of 4-6 for the experiment/activity part of this exercise. They base their explanation on what they observed. Students observe how substances react chemically in characteristic ways with other substances to form...
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Superballs
Students mix two different solutions to become more familiar with molecules and polymers. For this chemistry lesson, students decide whether or not the reaction between two solutions is chemical or physical. Students then observe the...