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Energy Conservation
Students complete a variety of activities as they examine forms of energy, use of energy, different technologies to harness energy and the ethical implications of these sources and technologies.
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Quiz: Weather Terminology #1
In this science worksheet, 3rd graders focus on the weather. Students respond to ten fill in the blank questions regarding specific terminology used in weather.
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How Green Are You?
Students investigate environmental care by listing ways they preserve the Earth each day. In this green living habits lesson, students collaborate in groups to brainstorm ways they can "be green" more often in their communities. Students...
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The Radish Experiment
First graders grow radishes. In this Science instructional activity, 1st graders observe the growth of radishes in both the light and dark. Students discuss what plants need to live.
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How Do You Dew?
Young scholars examine how the processes of condensation and evaporation occur. They describe the relationship between heat energy, evaporation and condensation of water on Earth. They give examples of the processes of evaporation and...
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Rotten Truth
Students complete activities to study decomposition. In this decomposition lesson, students work in pairs to observe a decay buffet experiment. Students keep compost bag journals. Students define and discuss the process of decomposition.
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Shedding Light on the Weather with Relative Humidity
Learners study weather using a graphing calculator in this lesson plan. They collect data for temperature and relative humidity for every hour over a day from the newspaper, then place the data in their handheld calculator and examine it...
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Weather in Your City
Students observe weather conditions of a particular city. Multiple intelligences are explored within this lesson. They locate their particular city on a United States map. Each student writes about their discoveries in his/her journal...
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Science: Studies of Earth
Using a digital camera to document local landscapes as they are today, students will explore how changes in human land use are impacting local environments. Students will also explore some of the social impacts of various land uses in...
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Back to the Earth
Students conduct an experiment in which they bury four objects (apple, lettuce, plastic and styrofoam) in the ground and come back to observe them a month later. They consider what biodegrades and how it affects our planet.
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Mars Calendar Project
Learners design a calendar that displays time on Mars. They explore the differences between time on Earth and time on Mars while making the calendar.
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Structure of the Earth System
Eighth graders describe the steps in the water cycle. They discuss factors that affect runoff and explain the differences between stalactites and stalagmites. They discover the importance of ground water.
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Permeability of Earth Materials
Students observe and classify the permeability of a variety of materials.
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Earth Processes
Fourth graders explore and discuss the process of evaporation. They discuss how wet things become dry. Students observe the process of evaporation and they make predictions about the observations they make about evaporation. Students...
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Designing a Study
Students explore features to consider when designing a scientific study. In this science research lesson, students examine different methods of data collection and consider which method would be appropriate for determining how many types...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Are You Bigfoot?
Scholars independently explore several websites to calculate their ecological footprint. Using their new found knowledge, they answer six short-answer questions and take part in a grand conversation with their peers about how...
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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...
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True North, Magnetic North
Young scholars explain why compass angles need to be corrected for regional magnetic variation. They observe the difference between magnetic and true north. Each student measures the angle of variation for a town in a different state.
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Bringing Climate Change Into the Classroom
Young scholars investigate the greenhouse effect and examine the potential effects of climate change in the Arctic. They construct a mini-greenhouse and test its effect on temperature, analyze historical climate statistics, and conduct...
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Continental Drift
Be sure to come prepared to discuss the theory of Pangaea and the two super-continents, Laurasia and Gondwanaland. Collaborative learners look for fossil evidence that supports the theory that one super-continent divided into two. They...
Google
Create Your Own Google Logo
You'll have oodles of Google Doodles. Scholars create their own Google logos using the Scratch coding program. After watching videos on how to add blocks of code in Scratch, they use their newfound knowledge to design a logo based on a...
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How Much Water is Available in the Atmosphere for Precipitation?
Students explore the relationship between the amount of water in the atmosphere available for precipitation and the actual precipitation observed by satellite. They examine seasonal changes in precipitation. They practice using Internet...
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Freshwater Fish Anatomy & Taxonomy
Tenth graders use a classification key to identify organisms. In this classification lesson students identify freshwater species of fish and document their observations.
Polar Trec
Mini-Ocean Bathymetric Mapping Research Cruise
Middle or high schoolers transform into oceanographers in a week-long simulation. To begin, each group follows directions to create a model of the ocean floor with specified features. Next, the groups prepare to set sail on a research...