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Who Was Charles Darwin?
Young scholars complete two activities to study Charles Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection. They read Darwin's journal from the voyage of the Beagle and look at the scientific ideas that influenced the development of his theory.
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Introduction to Coral Reefs
Students identify locations of coral reefs, both in the water and around the globe, identify relative depth of corals in the ocean by observing behavior of cold and warm saltwater, and create models of coral reefs.
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Dimming The Sun
Students review the meanings of global warming and global dimming. While watching a video, they take notes on different aspects of the issue. In groups, they develop a list on what can be done to reduce global dimming. They...
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Einstein's Big Idea
Students investigate the concept of the Einstein's Theory of Relativity while conducting research using the internet and following the outline of the objectives to guide the information search. The lesson includes background information...
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The Planets Moon
Students explore the theories of the creation of the universe and examine the properties of celestial bodies. They analyze the relationship between the sun, Earth and other planets. They discover the infinite potential of the science of...
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Fallout!
Students plot the locations of fallout from two disasters that polluted much of the world's air. They plot the ash fallout from the 1980 Mt. St. Helen's eruption to see what the wind patterns in the United States look like overall. Next...
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Measurement: When Degrees Matter
Eighth graders record the temperature change of the beakers. In this general science lesson, 8th graders create their own data table for recording observations. They discuss experimental results and cite real life applications.
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Art to Zoo: Celebration
Students research and develop a report on birthday rituals around the world. In this research lesson plan, students compare birthday rituals from other cultures to their own. Images and resources are included.
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Theories
Students view a series of videos that explore the development, formation and arguments for the geocentric model of the solar system. Studenst investigate the heliocentric model of the solar system and consider how scientific theories...
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Iron Fertilization - Pumping Iron
The theory that adding iron to ocean water may increase phytoplankton ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is examined. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute is monitoring conditions off the California coast to...
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Chart Making for Navigators
Students discuss the importance and function of nautical maps for sailors. They, in groups, take soundings of a simulated bay in a shoebox and develop a nautical chart that enable them to navigate the shoebox safely.
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We're All Passenger
Students examine Passenger Pigeons and why they are now extinct. Through a class discussion, students discover the need to help endangered animals. They consider activities to become involved in assisting animals. Students write a poem...
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Stopping Deforestation in the Amazon: A Publicity Campaign
Students investigate the environment by designing a group project. In this ecology lesson, students identify the man made threats to the Amazon while reading environmentally conscience vocabulary terms. Students collaborate in groups...
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Water Use and Conservation
Young scholars discuss the different types of water found on Earth. They discover why not all water is used for drinking and calculate how much water they use. They create their own water conservation plan.
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Oceans
First graders recognize that nearly three quarters of the Earth is covered by ocean. They locate the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic and Antarctic oceans on a map. They describe the difference between ocean water and fresh water.
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Modeling Day and Night
Students complete a science experiment to study the role of night and day on sleep patterns. In this sleep patterns lesson, students brainstorm about night and day and the causes for the rotations on Earth. Students work in groups to...
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Good Heavens
Students look at the history of science to identify some of the scientific ideas that different cultures have contributed to science throughout history. They describe using examples ideas developed by different cultures to explain the...
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Environmentalism: Then and Now
Tenth graders examine the history of the conservation movement and how it relates to contemporary issues. In this Environmental Science activity, 10th graders research the roots of the environmental and conservation movement and...
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Protecting Agriculture's Tools
Students brainstorm which tools farmers can control and why. They discuss how to conserve water, air and soil. They discuss the role of farmers and how they feed the world.
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Plate Tectonics: Movin' and Shakin'
Students are introduced to the causes of plate movements and the hazards they present. They plot the location of 50 earthquakes and 50 volcanic eruptions on a map and explore the relationships between plate tectonics, earthquakes, and...
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Exploring Building Resonance Phenomenon through a Discrepant Event Demonstration
Ninth graders create a model of a city street with various sizes of buildings on it. They use the model to demonstrate the effect of building oscillation during varying degrees of seismic activity.
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Ethics of Exploration
Students examine space exploration and its domination by governments as well as the fact that some private businesses want to explore space too. They investigate the ethical questions surrounding a space exploration through research and...
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Voyage of Discovery
Students develop a sense of the scale of our solar system by creating a one to ten billion scale model. They calculate the relative sizes and distances for the planets and asteroid belt using a guiding worksheet. To create the model they...
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Earthquake Epicenter
Students use chart data to determine the location of the epicenter of an earthquake. This task assesses students' abilities to generalize and infer, organize data, interpret data, and apply mathematical concepts.