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Making Waves, Making Music, Making Noise
Students construct "talking cans" and instruments to explain how vibration of objects produces various sounds.
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Food Energy
Learners compare the energy value of traditional foods eaten by indigenous people with those of modern commercial foods. They use a calorimeter to measure and calculate the amount of stored energy in various food types, and identify the...
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Properties of Materials - Part B
Students describe the history of materials. They use the kinetic (particle) theory to explain changes of state in matter and trace the flow of heat during changes of state and chemical changes.
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Avoiding Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Burning Fossil Fuels
Students calculate stoichiometrically the amount of carbon dioxide that would be emitted from burning a mole of varios alkanes that comprise fossile fuels. If the energy released from burning a mole of these alkanes is known, then the...
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States of Matter
Students examine the properties of solids, liquids, and gasses. In this states of matter lesson plan, the teacher guides students through a series of experiments to illustrate each state of matter and how matter changes from one state...
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Building a Terrarium System
Learners create their own terrariums. In this ecological model lesson, students create terrariums using soil, seeds, pebbles, and two liter bottles. Learners compare the elements of a terrarium to a food web.
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What's a Resistor?
Students determine what a resistor does as they construct parallel circuits. In this circuitry lesson, students experiment with batteries, alligator clips, a resistor and a three-way switch to find out what a resistor does. They continue...
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Cycles, Systems, and Webs
Fourth graders review the parts of the plant and their functions. In this plant lesson plan, 4th graders recognize that plants must transfer energy to make food. Students understand the interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem.
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Metalloids
Pupils discuss metalloids, their use as semiconductors, and their impact on the computer industry. They work in groups to create a visual timeline showing the evolution of the computer.
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Magnetic Discovery Bottle
Students examine how to conduct simple investigations and use simple equipment to gather data. In this magnet lesson students decide what types of objects are attracted to magnets.
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Wind Power for Educators
Students explore wind power as a renewable resource. In this wind power instructional activity students build models of wind turbines and experiment with different changes to see if it increases efficiency.
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All Steamed Up
Students examine the energy conversions and simple machines are involved in the operation of a steam engine. They make a replica of a small steam engine.
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Sedimentary Size and Structures
Middle schoolers interpret the Earth's history from models. In this investigative lesson plan students create sedimentary deposit models.
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Please Turn Up the Lights!
Eighth graders discuss series and parallel circuits and design an investigation to test a hypothesis on total resistance of series and parallel circuits in combination. After discussion, groups design their experiments, run tests, and...
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Help Wanted: A Lighting Engineer For Popular Rock Group
Students are assigned to groups, and determine each member's role in the group. They will design an experiment to determine a way to produce the three primary and five secondary colors. Students discuss color and mood. They listen to a...
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Conserving Energy Resources
Seventh graders research on energy conversion. After they have researched several types of energy resources, teams of two to four create posters which depict how these resources can be conserved.
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Solar Power
Students discover how engineers use solar energy to heat buildings. They investigate the thermal properties of different materials. They evaluate the usefulness of each material.
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Waterwheel Work
Young scholars investigate the history of the waterwheel and common uses for water turbines today. They construct an experimental waterwheel using a two-liter plastic bottle, measure the rate of revolution of a waterwheel, and complete...
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Investigating and Using Biomass Gases
Students examine the definitions of biomas gasification and generate their own biomass gas. In this renewable energy lesson plan students collect gases and roast a marshmallow.
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100 Years of Flight
Students investigate Bernoulli's principle of air pressure and how it
relates to the lift of an airplane. Students identify various Aeronautical vocabulary terms. Students construct a paper glider and experiment with the control surfaces...
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Motions and Forces
Middle schoolers explore motions, forces and magnetism. They investigate magnetism as a force and examine the construction of a magnet. Students examine the force that magnetism produces.
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Exploring Magnetism in Solar Flares
Students apply concepts of magnetism to help them understand the production of solar flares. In this solar flare lesson, students complete activities and graphic organizers to help them learn about magnetic fields on the surface of the...
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The Day the Atom Died (Grade K-1)
Students investigate what is wrong with the Rutherford atomic model. In this chemistry instructional activity, students answer questions about the atomic model after watching a video. They draw conclusions from the video and discuss how...
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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,...