Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Chromatography: Who Wrote the Note?
Students investigate who stole the class pet by testing the chromatograph of different markers as a way to find the evidence that points to the perpetrator.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Density With Carbon Dioxide
A guided demonstration where middle schoolers investigate the properties of carbon dioxide gas and air based on density. Students learn about properties of air through observation and inquiry.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Earth Exploration Toolbox: Cool Cores Capture Climate Change
A collection of activities which provide background for educators and learners on the role of sediment cores in revealing the climate change history of Earth.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Climate History From Deep Sea Sediments
Students access Integrated Ocean Drilling Program core data using Virtual Ocean, a visualization software that allows students to access scientific data about the ocean. They navigate and interpret the visualization and data to...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Analyzing Plate Motion Using Earth Scope Gps Data
In this chapter, you will access Global Positioning System (GPS) data from the Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) and analyze the data in a spreadsheet to measure the motion of GPS stations in the Pacific Northwest. From your analyses, you...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Hawaiian Islands: Erosion and Giant Landslides
High-resolution elevation data on land and in the ocean is used to examine the effects of erosion on the Hawaiian Islands. The remains of offshore landslides are also studied, and consistency with a hotspot model of formation for the...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Discover Our Earth
Study earthquakes, volcanoes, topography, plate tectonics, and sea level change using graphs, maps, and movies. Engage in earth science knowledge discovery, critically evaluate the data and results, and reach conclusions about the earth...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Climate Time Line Information Tool
A tool that summarizes climate history for time spans from 1 year to 100,000 years ago and beyond. It explores the relation between human development, weather, and climate. Students learn how past climate is measured, provides basic...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Distribution of Active Volcanoes Exercise
This six-week long exercise asks students to gather, chart, interpret, and synthesize data on current volcanic events. A brief role playing activity and virtual field trip concludes the exercise.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Hotspot Lesson: Relative Dating
This lesson explains the application of relative dating for volcanic features in the ocean, after which students will identify which volcanic features are relatively older than others.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Lab 1: Getting to Know the Cryosphere
A lab experiment (in a series of experiments) that explores the cryosphere. In this lab, students will be introduced to the different parts of the cryosphere and their locations. They will also be shown the connections between the...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Lab 7: Nitrates and Phosphates and Algae, Oh My!
A lab experiment, in a series of experiments, that investigates fisheries. In this lab, students test the effects of fertilizers and other pollutants on a model ecosystem. Students also examine 2 years of ocean color (chlorophyll...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Count the Fs: Why a Sample Instead of a Census?
In this interactive lecture activity, students count the number of times the letter F appears in a paragraph. The activity demonstrates that a census may not always give accurate information, and that sample counting can be a more...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Using Ph Et Simulations in a Large Lecture Class the Photoelectric Effect
This activity provides a complete curriculum for teaching the photoelectric effect using the PhET Photoelectric Effect simulation in a large-lecture modern physics course.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Lichen Hunt: Identifying/classifying Lichens by Their Physical Char
In this activity, students will learn what a lichen is. They will be able to explore the school forest in order to pick their own lichen to identify and classify into a group according to its physical characteristics. Students will also...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Bernoulli's Balloons
You hold up two balloons on strings of equal length about 5 centimeters apart and blow between them. They will come together because you weakened the force between them. You can do the same thing with the balloons about 30 centimeters...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Determining the Density, P H and Water Content of Various Area Soils
In this chemistry field lab, students will determine the density, pH, and water content of 4 types of soil. Students compare class data and write a lab report describing their results and then analyze their findings to report on the...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Bird Characteristics
In this lesson, students will learn bird characteristics through observation and classifying activities. Indoors they will be introduced to bird study through learning about John James Audubon, followed by a basic drawing lesson to aid...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: At the Speed of Bowling
In this lab students will measure the energy of a bowling ball with vernier motion detectors. The students will calculate the energy of the ball at the beginning, mid point, and end of a bowling alley. Students will inquire about the...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: A Student Produced Field Guide to Neighborhood Trees
During this project, students will be working cooperatively to create a field guide of trees in the neighborhood near the school. Students will make observations of trees near the school. They will then learn about tree anatomy and...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Digging for Fossils: Studying Fossils as Evidence for Human Evolution
As students dig for paper fossils, they make observations of brain size, teeth, hands, thumbs, trunks, pelvis, foot and big toes to determine characteristics of chimpanzees and humans. Then, they dig up and analyze a new fossil...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Balanced Forces
In this activity the students will learn the scientific definition of force. The students will see different examples of forces on an object and will gain an understanding that there are at least two forces acting on an object at all...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Chemical Reactions: Investigating Exothermic and Endothermic Reactions
In this 9th grade physical science guided inquiry, students will work in pairs to discover the indicators of chemical reactions. Each pair of students is assigned either an exothermic or endothermic reaction. Based on their observations,...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Disasters to Nature: Sensitivity of Ground Water Systems to Pollution
Students visit three sites to investigate the areas where there is very high sensitivity for ground-water pollution. They also test the quality of water, measuring the dissolved oxygen, pH, total phosphate, nitrates, turbidity, and...