Curated OER
Crustal Sinking
Pupils measure the rate of sinking of a test tube into a beaker of "glop", representing a model of the interaction between the Earth's crust and upper mantle. This task assesses students' abilities to make simple observations, collect,...
Curated OER
WebQuest on Chester Himes
Students perform a WebQuest to find out why Chester Hime's detective books were so popular. Small groups perform the research together then report to the class.
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WebQuest on 1940/1950 Harlem
Students perform a WebQuest to fin out why Harlem was an attractive place for African Americans to live. Small groups perform the research together, and report to the class.
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Paper Chromatography
Small groups of students perform paper chromatography to separate food dyes into their component colors. Students perform the experiment and collect, organize, and represent their data to form an explanation of their outcomes. Students...
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Kites
Students build a kite while integrating math and science. In this kite building lesson plan, students construct a blueprint and apply mathematical formulas while constructing a kite. They use appropriate flight and kite terminology to...
Intel
What Does This Graph Tell You?
Students choose natural phenomena to research. They design and conduct experiments or simulations. Students predict, gather, and analyze data. They graph the results using a spreadsheet software.
Curated OER
Phases of the Moon
Students use a simple physical model of the Earth, sun, and moon to understand why the moon changes phases from the perspective of Earthly observers. They hold up balls representing the moon in a room with a single light source to see...
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Clouds
Third graders complete various activities about clouds. They create a cloud in a lab, write a cloud story, make a cloud model and complete a webquest.
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Proportionality: The X-Plane Generation
Students meet NASA researchers who describe the relationship between force, energy and motion. They discuss how NASA's experimental X-plane is being tested to make space travel more reliable and show how proportionality and ratios are...
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Friction Restriction: Creating a Design Plan to Redesign the Tread of Tennis Sneakers to Increase Friction
Learners evaluate the friction of tennis sneakers and redesign them to increase friction. In this physics instructional activity, students calculate starting, sideways and forward stopping friction. Using quantitative data, they prove...
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Energy and the Environment
Fifth graders define alternative energy form, design models which show how the energy source can be used, and explain the purpose of dams.
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Stratospheric Ozone
Students explore about the structure of Earth's atmosphere and about the stratospheric ozone. They discuss how it is produced and destroyed, where it is located, why it is important, and how it is changing. Students investigate about...
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Up, Up, and Away
Students investigate the laws of physics that govern the flight of helicopters and airplanes. They build and launch a model rotor, simulating rotors used on helicopters to provide lift.
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Friction
Fourth graders investigate friction as a force that is present around us. They observe as a ball is rolled on different surfaces and stopped before discussing what happens. Using different surfaces, they make predictions as to what type...
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The Seasons
Second graders determine the ways in which deciduous trees lose their leaves by investigating fallen leaves and how the weather changes throughout the seasons. They obtain knowledge about why and what causes the weather to change...
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Matching Flowers With Their Pollinators
Middle schoolers match flowers to pollinators and construct models of
flowers to demonstrate why different kinds of flowers need different kinds of
pollinators. They use their flower models and the "Scientific Method Format" included in...
Curated OER
Dichotomous Keys
Third graders practice using dichotomous keys. They discover why scientists use them and why it is important to classify animals. They use candy to practice classifying objects and move on to classifying animals.
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Does Shape Affect Drag?
Students study drag and how it affects a parachute in the sky. In this parachutes lesson students build models and compare their drag.
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A Helthy Diet
Students examine their eating habits and experience analyzing data and drawing conclusions. They construct models of the molecular backbone of saturated and unsaturated fats. In addition, they examine the labels of their food, record...
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What Is Self-Esteem?
Students use a Venn diagram to differentiate between traits of low self-esteem and high self-esteem. They use a continuum to decide where their self-esteem is on a daily basis noting changes.
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Ecology
Learners gain an understanding of necessary components required within a healthy, sustainable environment and ways human actions can impact that balance while discovering how to recognize and analyze explanations and models used in...
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Catch a Dream
Students apply the concepts of air pressure, the Bernoulli Effect, and angle of attack to build their own model planes out of paper, plastic, wooden rods, and drinking straws.
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Global Climate Change
Second graders investigate the effect of melting glaciers to sea level. In this earth science lesson, 2nd graders simulate the process in the lab by conducting an experiment using ice cubes and clay. They explain the consequences of...
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A Seed Dispersal Investigation
Young scholars investigate the function and purpose of seed dispersal. In this garden lesson, students examine the importance of wind in the plant cycle. Young scholars construct a flying seed model from an attached design and discuss if...