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Rain On
Fourth graders study the water cycle and clouds. In this water cycle and cloud lesson plan, 4th graders determine the definition of condensation and watch a demonstration in which the teacher makes a cloud in a bottle. They discuss the...
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Local Hydrologic Cycle
Students draw the water cycle as it occurs in their community. In this water cycle lesson, students observe demonstrations of sublimation and infiltration. They also use photographs or their own drawings of their...
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Ocean Exhibits
Ninth graders create an ocean museum. They work in partners to create their own exhibit. Each exhibit must have an interactive computer placard containing their information. The exhibits must also have a hands-on component.
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Planting Seeds Around the World
First graders discuss the book The Lorax and research what living things need. In this environmental lesson plan, 1st graders investigate how humans affect the growth of plants. Students conduct an experiment with sunflowers.
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Scale Drawings of Dinosaurs
Students, working in groups, make scale drawings of dinosaurs. The four groups then assemble their assigned parts into one composite drawing.
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Solar Energy Connection
Students conduct solar experiments. They calculate the solar gain and operate a solar cell devise used to generate electricity. Students compare and contrast solar energy gain with students in India. They analyze the difference...
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Beach Zonation
Young scholars investigate the characteristics of the beach environment and explore beach zonation. After gathering samples from different areas of the beach, young scholars discuss how the beaches work and the characteristic of each...
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Meteor Showers
Learners use the Internet to discover the wonderful world of comets and meteor showers. They discover how to spot one and predict them using a calendar. They also examine the makeup of meteoroids and meteorites.
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Me And My Shadow
Students investigate the concept of a shadow. They design a tool to create shadows for an experiment. They make observations and record the size and shape of shadows. The lesson contains background information for the teacher to deliver...
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Weather Observation Journal
Young scholars record weather for a period of one month. In this weather lesson, students observe weather for one month on a large pictograph. Young scholars record clouds, wind, temperature and any other weather conditions they observe....
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Name That Tune
Students complete a fingerprint oil lab in order to simulate how geologists use the oil and natural gas in rocks to hear sound waves that signify there are oil in those rocks. In this rocks lesson plan, students learn that the rock...
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Glove Gardens
Students investigate how seeds sprout. In this scientific inquiry lesson, students make predictions on which seeds will grow the fastest and observe the seeds over a period of time. Observations are recorded into a journal.
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The Water Cycle
Students simulate the water cycle. In this water cycle activity, students create a model of the water cycle. Students draw the water cycle and write a paragraph explaining their drawing.
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Simple Machines: The Wede & Lever
Students describe how wedge and lever makes work easier. In this physics instructional activity, students analyze experimental data by creating a graph to see the trends. They calculate the work done and mechanical advantage of these...
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How Plants Help Us Breathe
Third graders discuss how humans breathe and how plants help us to stay alive. In groups, they identify and label the different parts of plants and describe their functions. They compare and contrast the ways plants and animals breathe...
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Forests of the Sea
Students read about and conduct experiments to learn about the vegetation under Monterey Bay. In this Monterey Bay lesson, students read about and look at brightly colored pictures of the different types of seaweed that grows in the bay....
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Write Picture Captions
Students notice and investigate a large range of devices for presenting texts-captions. Students write original captions for several audiences. Students write a fictional news story based around a certain caption.
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Studying Fossils: Hominoid Skull Comparison
Students collect data on the differences in Hominid skulls using acrylic casts of fossil skulls. They measure a series of structures on skulls from six different species then use the data to determine evolutionary relationships between...
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Image Classification
Students explore what are "multi-spectral" or "multi-band" images? They investigate how landscapes change over time- at least over the time-span of satellite imagery, particulary due to human influences. Students explore how to train...
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Cleaning Water: How Filters Work
Students construct their own water filter to obtain clean water. In this filtration instructional activity, students produce tainted water in order to properly filter it with filtration devices made in class.
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Microorganisms: Good Guys or Bad Guys?
Students discover the role microorganisms play in our lives. In this decomposition lesson, students examine decaying foods and plants in order to analyze the different bacteria that grows. Students discuss the good and bad of...
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Simple Thermodynamics of Transportation
Students watch videos about various modes of transportation, they examine the energy transformations that occur in each, and they be introduced to the laws of thermodynamics.
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The Water Cycle and Sources of Pollution
Students make an island that has a construction site on it. They spill siulated pollution and trash on top of the island and then water it to simulate rain. They will observe how the rain washes dirt, sand, and pollution off the island...
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Coral Reefs
Learners research an inhabitant of a Caribbean coral reef using a list of common organisms that live on or near it. Students then write a description of their organism and draw a picture or a 3-D model of it. Eventually they all work...