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Plate Tectonics Day 3 Sea Floor Spreading: Evidence for Continental Drift
Middle schoolers are introduced to Sea Floor Spreading and how it provides evidence for Hess's and Deitz's theory of Continental Drift. They use paleomagnetic data to calculate the rate of Sea Floor Spreading.
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Radiation Comparison Before and After 9-11
Using the NASA website, class members try to determine if changes could be detected in cloud cover, temperature, and/or radiation measurements due to the lack of contrails that resulted from the halt in air traffic after the attacks of...
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Sea Water Mixing and Sinking
Students investigate the role of temperature and salinity in determining seawater density. They use a Temperature-Salinity Diagram to examine the effects of mixing on density.
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Setting the Story: Techniques for Creating a Realistic Setting
“It was a dark and stormy night.” Thus begins the 1830's novel Paul Clifford and, of course, all of Snoopy’s novels! Encourage young writers to craft settings for their stories that go beyond Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s often-mocked phrase...
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Differences Between Ground and Air Temperatures
Students examine the differences between air temperature and ground temperature. In this investigative instructional activity students find NASA data on the Internet and use it to create a graph.
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The Sky and the Dichotomous Key
Students use a dichotomous key to distinguish between different types of clouds
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Types of Sentences
In this grammar activity, students identify twenty sentences as correct as is, fragments, contains a comma splice or is a fused sentence.
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Town Growth and Immigration
Fourth graders describe how Michigan has changed and stayed the same over time. They explain reasons why people settled/settle in Michigan, then explain the role of geography on the settlement of Michigan.
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Seasons and Cloud Cover, Are They Related?
Students use NASA satellite data to see cloud cover over Africa. In this seasons lesson students access data and import it into Excel.
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Prewriting
As a class, 7th graders observe examples of brainstorming and then complete brainstorming worksheets themselves. They compose and describe planning strategies. Prior to writing an essay, they identify the purpose and the audience.
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Metaphors in Context
Do your class members know where the phrase "raining cats and dogs" come from? They will after viewing a presentation about metaphors. The concise definitions and clear examples make for a strong introduction to this element of...
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The Rainforests
Students visit various rainforest websites and answer questions about the rainforest in Spanish. They create an oral and visual presentation on the rainforests, urging conservation of the rainforests.
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Analysis of Atmospheric Conditions for a High Mountain Retreat
Students examine the relationship between altitude, atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity at a particular location. They practice science and math in real world applications. They write reports detailing their scientific...
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High Mountain Retreat
Learners explore and analyze atmospheric conditions for a high mountain retreat. They examine the relationship between altitude, atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity at a particular location. In addition, they write reports...
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Using Vegetation, Precipitation, and Surface Temperature to Study Climate Zones
Middle schoolers begin their examination of the climate zones found around the world. Using a software program, they identify the relationship between the vegetation, climate and temperatures of the different zones. They also plot...
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Exploring the Night Sky: Summer
Students explain how moon phases occur. They describe and explain at least two common misconceptions that people have about the moon. Students explain what a star is. They explain 3 ways that the night sky has been used throughout history.
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Arizona
Students engage in a series of lessons about Arizona. They perform experiments and participate in activities across the curriculum. They perform research on websites imbedded in this plan to complete a variety of tasks.
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Great Lakes Ecology
Eighth graders identify the Great Lakes, and describe the habitat of life of a loon. They are able to point to and explain one of the major river systems that enters the Great Lakes with a focus on the Clinton River and the food webs...
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Scientist Tracking Network
Students correlate surface radiation with mean surface temperature of several geographic regions. They observe how these parameters change with latitude and construct an understanding of the relationship of solar radiation to seasonal...
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Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
Students explore erosion. Through multi-media and hands-on activities, students identify the effects of wave erosion and hurricanes on a barrier island. Students watch a video and create a cause and effect chart of their observations. ...
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The Iditarod Adventure
Students use the internet to follow the Alaskan Iditarod race as well as perform research. This project-based activity will result in students creating many desktop publishing documents.
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Lesson 1: The Creek War - Return to Nativism or International Pawn? Religious War or International Conflict?
Young scholars investigate the countries and peoples involved in the Creek Indian War. They study the complex relationships between American and European settlers and the native Alabamians in the early 19th Century.
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Teaching The Personality Profile
Young scholars write a comprehensive personality profile feature that demonstrates knowledge of the Wall Street Journal formula of feature writing and the concept of show, don't tell. They experience a press conference interview situation.
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Understanding Hurricanes and the ER-2
Young scholars study hurricanes; in particular, what they look like, how they are formed, how they are categorized, how they are named, and how they are tracked. They examine the science of hurricanes as well as the mathematics of...