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Simple Machines: Levers
Students discover the fundamentals and daily applications of simple machines. They practice basic engineering theory through their hands-on demonstrations of levers.
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What is the Best Insulator: Air, Styrofoam, Foil, or Cotton?
Students investigate the properties of insulators by attempting to keep a cup of water from freezing, and once it is frozen, to keep it from melting. They conduct the experiment, record and analyze the results, and answer discussion...
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Volume and Surface Area: Which Is More?
Students explore the volume and surface area of three dimensional figures. Through the use of video, students discover three dimensional shapes, their uses in real-life applications, and methods used to calculate their volume and surface...
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Flying With The Wright Stuff
Students explore the history of flight, specifically the Wright brothers. Pupils create paper airplanes. They discuss considerations in building an aircraft such as drag, thrust, and weight. Classmates compare the Wright Brother's...
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No Creation-No Destruction--All in a Baggie
Students investigate the concepts of conservation of mass and simple chemical reactions. Students complete lab experiments and record all observations as well as conduct experiments on their own to determine which reactions created...
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Soiled Again
Students propose and perform an experiment using the scientific method. The purpose of the experiment is to discern some earth materials or combinations of earth materials that best increases the pH of "acid rain". From the results of...
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Planets in Balance
Students study the solar system by researching the planets. In this exploratory lesson plan students divide into teams and create mobiles.
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TE Activity: How Fast Can a Carrot Rot?
Students experiment to define which environmental factors favor decomposition by soil microbes. They decompose carrots in dirt, weigh the carrots periodically to determine how long it takes. They look at how engineers use this type of...
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Simple Machines - Inclined Plane
Students learn the fundamentals and daily applications of simple machines.
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Scale Me Down
Students create scale drawings, and ultimately scale models, of real-world objects in this Math lesson about ratios, proportion, scaling factors, and cross products. The lesson includes ideas for cross-curricular extensions and is...
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The Nutrients Public Transportation System
Young scholars investigate the human circulatory system by experimenting with hoses. In this human body lesson, students create a system of hoses simulating the circulatory system which they utilize to pass objects through. Young...
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Chromatography
Young scholars study about chromatography, a process used to separate mixtures.
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Balloonautics
Students are introduced to basic aerodynamics through a discussion of thrust and drag and a hands-on activity. They examine the forces of thrust, drag, air pressure, aerodynamic shapes and Newton's Third Law Of Motion.
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Air and Water Pressure
Students examine buoyancy and fluid pressure. They conduct a series of fun experiments to discover the effects of pressure and explore how pressure differences can be used to float, lift, transport, or hold a material in place.
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Real-World Linear Equations
Eighth graders practice technology skills through the use of a spreadsheet and a discovery instructional activity focusing upon linear equations. The technology allows for the visual changes to be displayed for different lines of equations.
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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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Gravity, Forces, and Inertia
Students participate in assessments involving gravity, forces, and inertia. They select from a menu of options assessments they would like to complete including worksheets, drawing posters, watching videos, creating crossword puzzles,...
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Liquid Logic: Experiments in Viscosity
Young scholars examine specific characteristics of liquids through a hands-on lab activity. An experiment with teacher prepared viscosity tubes is conducted in which liquid identities are predicted based on data. A hypothesis is written...
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Munching Mice
Students examine different variables and their effects on weight gain in mice. They consider the validity of relating the results in mice to humans.Finally, they discuss the ethics of using animals in experiments.
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Building A Sturdy Car
Students build a sturdy Lego car using a motor and a pulley. They determine how sturdy the car is by dropping it from the height of the teacher's knee.
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Paper Structures
Students demonstrate that material strength varies with shape and arrangement.
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The Little Transistor That Could
Young scholars research the history of the transistor to explore the nature of technology. They complete a worksheet that coincides with given websites. Then they write a one-page essay about their findings.
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Soaring With Air Power
Fourth graders view a Newton's Apple show that explores glider mechanics, explore the four forces, build and fly a glider to specific guidelines. They adjust the glider for greater accuracy and distance using four forces, and assess...
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Looking into Eratosthenes' Radius of the Earth
Young scholars, in small groups, research Eratosthenes and his calculations of the Earth's radius. They write a summary of the person, the experiments and his calculations to determine how accurate Eratosthenes was in his estimations of...