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The Baltic Sea
Students study the Baltic Sea and the bordering countries. In this environmental lesson students study changes in environment and develop a sustainable future.
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Creating Artwork to Explain Environmental Change
High schoolers review artwork that relates to the environment and communicates a value. They view and analyze art by Andy Warhol, Eric Carle and Albert Bierstadt and then create original pieces with an environmental theme.
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Famous People: Albert Einstein
Students research Albert Einstein and the two parts of the Relativity Theory.
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Wetlands: Pave or Save?
Students discuss the characteristics of wetlands and how to make them more productive. Using a map, they locate the major wetlands in the United States and color them using a key. They read an article and in groups answer discussion...
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Catapults
Students are introduced to the concept of a catapult and how it is used with the help of a media presentation. They use catapults in a large, open area and record the distances objects travel. Students use the scientific method while...
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Using the Very, Very Simple Climate Model in the Classroom
Students study the relationship between the average global temperature and carbon dioxide emissions. In this weather lesson students develop a test scenario using a model then read and interpret graphs of data.
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Comparing Microscopic Organisms in Fresh and Polluted Water: An Invitation To Inquiry
Young scholars have the opportunity to develop and formulate ideas and explanations through the scientific standard of inquiry. They identify organisms by using an identification key for specific aquatic geographical area.
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Structure of the Earth
Eighth graders explain the difference between igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. They identify the stages in the rock cycle. They discover the origin of rocks as well.
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Deposition
Students follow carefully designed instructions to bond silver to glass thus creating a mirror. The process used, Brashear's Process, uses sugar rather than formaldehyde to reduce the compounds, but many of the chemicals are dangerous,...
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Population Dynamics
Students investigate the causes and consequences of population growth and the envrionmental factors that contribute to it. They discuss what they think the world's population will be in 2050.
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Ecosystem Organization
Eighth graders engage in a lesson about ecosystems with the intention of looking at how it is organized. They cover the biotic and abiotic factors of an ecosystem while looking at the seven types of terrestrial biomes. Students write...
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A Walk in the Woods
Eighth graders observe and identify the different levels of the forest. In this forest zones lesson students observe, identify and name a variety of forest components and describe how humans impact the forest ecosystem.
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Periodic Table of the Elements
Middle schoolers experiment with transition metals. In this transition metals activity students find the common properties of transition metals and conduct an experiment using one of them. Middle schoolers then answer questions...
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Water, Water Everywhere: The Johnstown Flood
Students analyze the events that lead up to the failure of the South Fork Dam and the impact the flood had on the region. In this historical lesson students develop presentations on the Johnstown Flood.
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Geology and the Battle of Gettysburg
Young scholars create geologic maps of the Gettysburg battlefield. In this geologic skills lesson, students consider the variations of Earth's surfaces and explore strategies employed by the North and South in the Battle of Gettysburg to...
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The Human Organism
Students discuss human emotions and mental health. In this mental and emotional health instructional activity, students write a short story regarding the "think and share" choice. Students include emotion, the connection between...
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Rockets: Kinematics or Energy?
Students construct model rockets, measure and record the height of the launch. In this creative lesson students use different methods to calculate velocity and height data from their launched rockets.
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Understanding a Geological Map
Middle schoolers identify different types of maps and observe a geological map. In this geology lesson students create a replica map of a geological area that includes a key.
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SALLY RIDE
Students express what it would be like to launch off into outer space in a space shuttle. They include what it might feel like, look like, sound like, and any thoughts that go through their mind as they dart away from the Earth's...
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What's The Plan?
Students identify how the human activities in the state of Maryland have changed/ evolved over the last 50 years. They evaluate a land planning document and prepare a fictitious planning document for a given area of land.
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Radical Raptors
Students study the lifestyles and habitats of raptors that live in Minnesota. They play games associated with their study.
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Investigating the Earth-Moon-Sun System
Eighth graders research Native American legends involving the sun, moon, and stars and compare them to the origin of present day knowledge. They create a written report and make an oral presentation of their findings to the class.
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The Periodic Table
Students research an assigned element using the library, an encyclopedia, the Internet and other appropriate resources in order to write a research paper, a project, and an oral presentation.
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Carbon: Structure Matters
Students read the Who We Are Section on Calfee Designs Webpage and discuss carbon usage. They work in pairs to look up the minerals diamond and graphite then create a chart on the properties of each mineral then compare how they differ...