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Hovercraft Racers!
Students gain first-hand experience on how friction affects motion. They build a hovercraft using air from a balloon to levitate a craft made from a compact disk (CD), learning that a bed of air under an object significantly reduces the...
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The Magic School Bus Plays Ball
Students learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students work in small groups to find how movement changes when there is more - and less - friction.
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The Physical Setting
Tenth graders examine chemical reactions. For this chemistry lesson students choose an investigation that they wish to perform based on their interest.
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State of Matter - Atoms
Learners examine and discuss how atoms change from solid to liquid to gas. They inflate a balloon by melting ice that converts to steam, and discuss the results.
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Buoyant Force
Students investigate the scientific concept of why some objects float when put in a liquid solution. They apply the laws of motion and force while conducting classroom activities. Students also take notes and answer target questions to...
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Perpetual Motion
Students discuss movement of air currents and then experiment to create visible models of air currents. Students connect the model to weather patterns.
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Avalanche!
Pupils explain that when forces on an object are balanced, the motion of object does not change. They describe how an object changes its motion when forces on it are unbalanced. They plan and conduct a scientific investigation to test a...
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Friction
Students explore how friction change motion and why friction is important. Students set up an incline plane. They slide wooden blocks down the incline plane and measure the distance from the end of the track that the block moved....
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Sleet and Hail Have Their Own Seasons
Second graders explain the definition of hail and sleet. In this precipitation lesson, 2nd graders discuss when hail and sleet fall and the results of hail falling.
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Twister: The Tornado Story
Students examine dangerous weather by researching tornadoes. In this extreme weather lesson, students identify the states included in Tornado Alley. Students create a virtual tornado using 2 plastic bottles.
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Introduction to Friction
Students study the properties of the frictional force between two surfaces in contact. They inspect various phenomena in nature where friction plays an important role and demonstrate
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Landforms in a Tub
Fifth graders use common household items to build landforms and simulate weathering and erosion.
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Ocean Currents and Sea Surface Temperature
Students use satellite data to explore sea surface temperature. They explore the relationship between the rotation of the Earth, the path of ocean current and air pressure centers. After studying maps of sea surface temperature and ocean...
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The Great Heat Escape
Students observe a demonstration on the role of thermal conductivity in heat transfer. In this thermal conductivity instructional activity, students design and conduct an experiment to compare the thermal conductivity of four...
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What is a Gas?
Students develop a scientific model of gas behavior. For this gas lesson plan, students observe different balloons filled with different densities of gases. They complete an activity where they model the behavior of gases using marbles,...
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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.
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.
Pennsylvania Department of Education
The Digestive System
Fourth graders simulate how the digestive system works. In this hands-on simulation, 4th graders complete six group activities that help students visualize how our body breaks down food into nutrients.
Curated OER
Heat And Heat Transfer
Students role play molecules in a container as the container is heated to develop a definition of heat and temperature. They also observe demonstrations of conduction, convection, radiation, and phase transfer. Using these observations...
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"States of Matter"
Students investigate the different states of matter by experimenting in class. In this matter lesson, students participate in a lab activity moving from one station to the next creating different formations of matter. Students view the...
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Food Webs
Fourth graders discover how organisms depend upon each other in an ecosystem. In this ecosystems lesson plan, 4th graders use food webs to discuss the interdependence between organisms in an ecosystem.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: The Ruff Ruffman Show: Fish Force
Use science inquiry to predict and investigate forces and motion to help rescue Ruff's plushie from the penguins' ice rink in this sports science game.