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Get Ready to Rumble
Students use the Internet to examine earthquakes. They discover the theory of tectonic plates and analyze faults throughout the world. They also examine the science of seismology to explain how earthquakes are measured.
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Using Magnetotactic Bacteria to Study Natural Selection
Students observe bacteria that are able to orient themselves using the Earth's magnetic field.They comprehend the difference between anaerobic and aerobic organisms. Students can tell the difference of the shape of magnetic force field...
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What Were Dinosaurs Like?
Students compare and contrast dinosaurs to animals that are alive today through basic research.
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Volcanic Activity in the U.S.
Students locate and map ten volcanoes in United States, create chart comparing volcanoes by last eruption, type of volcano, location, and interesting fact, and create Powerpoint slide show describing basic
information about volcanoes and...
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Sedimentary Rocks
Fourth graders discuss the basic properties of rocks, the processes
involved in the formation of soils, and the needs of plants provided by soil. They write descriptions in their Science journal and identify and discuss each type of...
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Plate Tectonic Cycle
Students explore the Earth's movements by completing worksheets. In this plate tectonics lesson, students define such natural disasters as volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis and mudslides and discuss their connections to plate tectonics....
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Water: Our Most Important Beverage
Third graders complete a KWL chart on what they already know about water and what they want to know. As a class, they participate in an activity in which they discover the amount of drinkable water on Earth and are introduced to the...
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Bird Up
Third graders identify basic physical and behavioral characteristics of birds and how they adapt to their environments. To organize and share scientific information with peers. They discuss similarities and differences among birds....
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Electrifying Electricity
Students explore the basics of electricity using common everyday items as well as demonstrate how parallel and series circuits can be used in electronics and electrical devices. They explore how common items in their world can be wired...
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Reasons for Seasons
Students model the tilt of the Earth as it orbits the Sun. They explain the meaning and characteristics of solstices and equinoxes. They explain that sunlight hits the Earth at different angles at different locations over the course of...
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Water
Students conduct a series of investigations on the unique properties of water. In this general science lesson, students explain what causes water's surface tension. They explain the different stages in the water cycle.
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Reflecting on Reflectivity
Students plan and construct a "mini-lab" to measure the reflectivity of different earth surfaces. They measure reflectivity of materials, including ice, soil, rocks, etc., and then extrapolate from what they have learned to consider the...
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'Round and 'Round it Goes!
Students discuss and interpret background knowledge on poster copy given on the water cycle. Students complete the included activity sheets using the poster as a reference in small groups. Students identify and name where water can be...
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Continents on the Move
Students examine the tectonic plates of the Earth and how the landforms of Earth have changed position over time. In groups, they identify the evidence that the continents are still moving. To end the lesson, they practice measuring...
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How Far... How Powerfu
Students work with a real optical spectrum of a gamma ray burst afterglow taken at the Keck Observatory. They measure the shifts of spectral lines, deduce the velocity of the astronomical object, and then use Hubble's Law to get its...
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What Do We Need In Our Environment To Survive?
Students discuss and write about waste management to save the environment. In this environment instructional activity, students discuss what an alien coming to Earth would notice about the environmental needs of humans for survival. They...
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Wonderful Worms
Students identify living and non-living things and explain the importance of earthworms to the soil. They name some basic facts about earthworms, recognize basic worm vocabulary words and demonstrate vermicomposting techniques.
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Fighting Back!
Fifth graders inspect the basic functions of the immune system and determine how viruses and bacteria invade the immune system. They also explore what happens to the immune system in outer space.
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The Forest Community And Ethnobotany Past And Present
Students describe a forest as a living community. They determine members interact, and in many cases, depend on each other for their basic survival needs. They investigate how dependent the Native Americans were on the forest...
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Far Out!
Students research and compare/contrast how routine tasks on Earth would be without gravity. They read and discuss the article "The Life Galactic: A Lot of Work, a Little Play, Plenty of E-Mail." In groups they write a pitch for a TV...
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The Cool Forms of Water
Students discover the different forms of water on Earth. In this states of water lesson, students read material on the different forms of water and how they are created. The students answer written questions on worksheets.
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Rockets Away with Newton's Laws of Motion
Eighth graders comprehend Newton's Laws of Motion and to use the scientific method in rocketry sub-unit. They work through the scientific method. Students illustrate how science and Newton's Laws can be used in everyday situations and...
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Dinosaurs 1: Where Are the Dinosaurs?
Learners study dinosaurs. In this dinosaur lesson, students watch a web based video about dinosaurs before discussing what they liked about the dinosaurs, telling about the sounds they heard, and explaining what the Earth looked like....
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Black Holes Revealed
Students explore the concept of black holes through an interactive program. They explore how they form and what materials form them. They can also visit websites in which they can research radio transmission between the Earth and space.