Cornell University
What Is Rust?
Why do metals rust differently? Scholars experiment with metal combinations in a hands-on activity. They create unique environments with different metals and compare the rate and amount of rust for each.
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Introduction to Toxicology
Students explore the science of toxicology and the relationship between a toxic reaction (response) and amount of substance (dose). They observe two demonstrations illustrating the concept of dose-response.
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Teaching about the Effect of Photosynthesis and
Students demonstrate the effects of photosynthesis and respiration. They decide which variables to analyze in a microcosm study. They produce a written paper, oral presentation, poster, or multi-media presentation
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Teaching About the Properties of Water
Learners use video, Internet research, graphs and tables, worksheets and hands-on experiments to investigate the properties of water in a lake environment. They work under direction or through an inquiry process.
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What is Wrong with My Pond?
Students examine various pond water samples to identify water quality. In this water quality lesson, students will identify levels of nitrates, ammonia, pH, hardness,and alkalinity in pond water. They will explain importance of water...
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The Dose makes the Poison
Young scholars investigate the effect of a chemical (they choose) on the germination of seeds. They calculate % chemical concentrations in water, form a hypothesis, and discuss the ethics of using animals in biomedical research.
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The Flame and the Atom:
Students investigate the structure of atoms. Students read information about the Rutherford model, the Bohr model, and the Quantum Mechanical model examining each for its scientific validity. They watch a PowerPoint presentation of alpha...
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Is Organic Food Worth the Extra Cost?
Young scholars calculate the amount of pesticide residue in selected foods for two
pesticides and determine if these levels are safe. They read an article about a
research study looking for metabolites of these pesticides in children....
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How Do I Get a Pure Sample of the Molecules I Make?
Students initially engage in online research and consult print materials to identify a compound to produce. Once a selection has been made, individually, students conduct lab experiments to isolate substances. The end product is a...
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Water Quality Monitoring
Students work together to gather water samples. They compare and contrast the water quality from different places in the community. They answer discussion questions to complete the lesson.
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Beta-Oxidation of Unsaturated Fatty Acids
Pupils work in small groups to determine the amount of protein contained in an unknown sample. They conduct the experiment, plot the points of absorbency, and present their findings to the class.
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Close Encounters
Young scholars investigate the cause of death of a fictitious school janitor. They develop hypotheses based on information discovered by examining the labels of household chemicals.
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Exposure!
Students investigate that chemicals may affect different people in different ways. They also realize that their perceptions of dangerous materials may not be realistic and that the news media may not provide all the information needed to...
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How Toxic Is It?
Students participate in an activity in which they investigate the scientific method and seed germination as well as practice graphing and metric measuring skills. Students examine toxicity by exposing Wisconsin Fast Plants seeds to toxic...
American Chemical Society
Development of Baking Powder
Did you know baking powder can be used to treat acne, whiten teeth, and make sugar cookies? The lesson plan on the development of baking powder is ready-to-go with no preparation required. Through readings, pupils answer questions,...
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Kildare, USA: An Environmental Health Simulation
Your biology class plays the role of epidemiologist when a mysterious illness breaks out in Kildare, USA. Using interviews with doctors, patients, and local citizens, maps, the results from different materials sampling, they work to...
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The East Fork Project
Students identify possible sources of health risks, types of exposures, routes of exposure, and populations that could be affected after discussing water pollution and environmental health hazards. After discussion, students conduct a...
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Color Burst
Fourth graders explore how colors react in water (chromatography) and other solvents. They observe, investigate, measure, record data and communicate their results in the form of graphs/charts and narration presented to the class....
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Lab 1: Nanocatalysts Clean Your Car Emissions
What a big job for such a small particle. Young scientists learn about the role of nanoparticles in catalytic converters for cars. They conduct an experiment to create alginate-MnO2 catalytic spheres.
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Science: Testing Water for Toxicity
Students investigate the potential toxicity of water samples using California blackworms to test water quality. They observe the worms' behaviors in different water samples and determine which sample has the highest toxicity. At the...
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Methods of Heat Transfer
Eighth graders discuss the forms of heat transfer that relate to the human body. Discussion revolves around the ability of different designs of hats to change the rate of heat transfer to and from the body. Students then experiment...
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Super Glue Fuming of Latent Fingerprints
Students explore latent fingerprinting. They observe a supervised demonstration of the process that real-life crime scene investigators sometimes use to identify latent fingerprints. In addition, they brainstorm ways to improve the...
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What's the Connection?
Students explain hardground communities in the Gulf of Mexico. In this deep-sea ecosystem lesson, students investigate the connection between deep-sea ecosystems and petroleum deposits. They discuss the relationship between hydrocarbon...
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Reduced Fare
Students discover the relationship between tectonic plate boundaries and the communities of life that thrive at such boundaries. In this biology lesson, students find that methane from oxidized carbon in sediments provides nutrients for...