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Measurement: Using the balance
Students use a balance and gram cubes to measure several different objects. They then record their results on a data chart and answer questions about them.
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Weather Patterns
Students use yearly averages over a five-year period to understand weather trends for a specific area.
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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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Comparing Amount of Rainfall in Different Geographical Areas
Students construct rain gauges and use them to log rainfall in their school zone, local city, and region and then compare and discuss them by plotting this information.
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Heat Transfer and Pollution
Students perform computer simulations on air dispersion. In this chemistry lesson, students calculate energy transfer based on specific heat and temperature change. They explain the causes of smog.
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Altitude and Flight Forces
Students use the World Wide Web to access and use FoilSim. They also use the World Wide Web to access the NASA Glenn Web site for information relative to the factors involved with the flight of an airplane.
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How Can You Study Things You Can’t See Like: Atoms?
Learners simulate how scientists studied things they can't see like atoms. In this chemistry lesson, students predict what is inside the numbered obsertainers. They design a way to investigate what's inside without opening it.
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Wind Turbines
Students build their own wind turbine. In this physics instructional activity, students calculate the power output of their wind turbines. They evaluate their design and make the necessary modifications.
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Investigating the Compost
Students are introduced to the concept of biodegradability. In groups, they use the internet to research the types of materials that affect the process. They collect materials from their local community and develop an experiment to test...
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The Measurement of All Things: Atmospheric Detectives
Students identify the characteristics of aerosols. Using remote sensing, they participate in an experiment in which they determine how the sun's radiation and elements in the atmosphere interact with one another. They also research the...
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Flame Test
Students conduct a flame test on different substances. In this chemistry lesson, students predict the element present based on the color emitted during the flame test. They explain how different elements produce different colors.
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Science: Hurricanes As Heat Engines
Students conduct Internet research to track the path of Hurricane Rita. They record the sea surface temperature of the Gulf of Mexico during and after the hurricane and draw conclusions about how hurricanes extract heat energy from the...
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Watershed Management
Students investigate the concept of a watershed. They conduct research into the concept using a variety of resources. Students take a field trip to a local watershed to make observations. The outcome is a report concerning the outside...
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Green Leaves
Third graders, after having conducted one experiment three times, record their observations results in a chart. They predict what hidden colors they believe that a leaf holds. Students record their predictions in their science note books...
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Using an Amortization Table
Students search the Internet to find a site that contains an amortization table and make a hypothesis about the results of changing time and rate. They examine the affects of time and rate on a mortgage and discuss the difference in the...
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What are Quarters Made of?
Learners study the meaning, symbolism, and value of U.S. coins,
especially the quarter. They l research why in 1965 the U.S. Mint decided to
change the metal composition of the quarter to copper coated with zinc. In addition, they...
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Cloud Shadows
Students classify clouds as transparent, translucent or opaque. They conduct an experiment to determine the visual opacity of several classroom objects and then conduct further observations of clouds.
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Changes Close To Home
Students interview the senior citizens in their community. While interviewing them, they identify perceptions they have about the local climate. Using the internet, the compare the results of the interview to those of public thirty...
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Beans and Birds: A Natural Selection Simulation
Students examine the problem concerning the evolution of seed color in pinto bean plants "How does natural selection change the frequency of genes or traits over many generations"? Students work in teams to design an experiment that...
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Sea Ice Research
Learners study sea ice and its importance in climate and climate change. They discuss sea ice as a presence of a food source for marine animals in the arctic and complete a lab activity. After completing the lab, they watch a video...
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Plotting Amish Farmland
Second graders listen to the book, Down Buttermilk Lane by Barbara Mitchell. They discover how to read a grid and then together as a class, plot 2 squares, one yellow and one green. Then they plot the remaining squares independently and...
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What Are Alternative Fuels? Concept Mapping Alternative Fuels Investigation
Students compare and contrast the different types of alternative fuels. They create a concept map to understand their classification. They examine the properties of matter and energy as well.
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Searching the Attic
Students investigate an attic or basement to "discover" family artifacts. They develop a grid map using string, create a naming system for the grid, and analyze items of interest.
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Gwynns Falls
Students investigate the question: What is the impact of urban development and expansion on the health of a decidious forest ecosystem and humans? They examine the issue of land development by responding to a specific scenario and...