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The Water Cycle - Main Components
Present the water cycle to your middle schoolers with this lesson. After an anticipatory set, they participate in a Q & A session about the terms associated with the water cycle: evaporation, transpiration, condensation, and...
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Hurricanes
Young scholars research the formation and life-span of hurricanes and, after analyzing statistics, try their hand at plotting and predicting the course a hurricane.
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Latitude
Young scholars examine the theory of finding latitude and discuss the uses of an astrolabe, cross-staff and octant. They determine an Astronomical Table for their classroom.
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Compass Deviation
Students identify and describe the difference between the magnetic north pole and true north. They consider why sailors could not steer a straight course to the New World from the Old.
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Genes, Environments, and Behavior 2
Students explore the genetic and environmental factors that interact to produce variation in behavior across a population. They are introduced to the various approaches scientists use to explore this interaction. Students explore how...
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Snow Goggles
Students assemble snow goggle models and discuss how snow goggles change the amount of light shining in their eyes.
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Life on the Moon
Students study the physical properties of the Moon. In this life on the moon lesson students describe the ways life on the Moon would be different than on Earth.
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Ocean Animals - A Kindergarten Research Project
Something’s fishy! Assign each of your pupils an individual sea creature and investigate the oceans. Young oceanographers utilize Kidspiration software to research a creature, illustrate an image, and create fact cards about their...
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This is Your Life
Middle or high-school pupils choose a scientist to research. They collect biographical information and explore their contributions to scientific understanding. With all that they compile, they create a scrapbook of the scientists' life....
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Urban Ecosystems 2: Why are There Cities? A Historical Perspective
Second in a series of five lessons, this lesson encourages preteens to consider cities as urban ecosystems. First, they keep a food diary for a few days. They visit the Natrional Agricultural Statistics Service website for current data...
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Chart Making for Navigators
Students discuss the importance and function of nautical maps for sailors. They, in groups, take soundings of a simulated bay in a shoebox and develop a nautical chart that enable them to navigate the shoebox safely.
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Why Does the Cocoa Tree Need a Tropical Rainforest to Grow?
Fourth graders explore the requirements a cocoa plant needs to survive. They research where chocolate comes from and how humans can affect the growth of cocoa trees. Students create a 3-D model of a cocoa tree and compare and contrast...
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The Magic School bus Inside A Hurricane
Students investigate the concept of a hurricane by using the cartoon series "The Magic Schoolbus" to simulate the fantasy of traveling through a hurricane. The lesson uses a KWL graphic organizer in order to guide student inquiry and as...
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Oil Well That Ends Well
Focusing on the effect of oil spills on the environment, learners conduct experiments to explore this issue. First, they create an ocean environment using materials provided. Then, they make a simulated crude oil substance from vegetable...
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Lesson 2 - Design Process-Measuring Wind Speed
A terrific activity focused on the design process. It begins with a presentation, "Design: Solve a Problem," which lists the steps of the process and then introduces the specific challenge: to build a device that measures wind speed....
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Dinosaurs
Students are introduced to the various types of dinosaurs and write in their journals about their favorite one. After listening to a story and watching a filmstrip, they color a few pages in their Dinosaur Friends Book. They also examine...
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The Alphabet Garden
Third graders transplant, tend and observe a plant for each letter of the alphabet in a school garden. They work individually to research and select a plant that will grow in their local climate. Students then care for and observe the...
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Strange New Planet
Fourth graders gather data and simulate a Mars spacecraft mission using multi-sensory observations.
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Making a Pinhole Camera
Young scholars are introduced to the basic straight line pattern of travel that light takes. A cereal box and wax paper provide the pinhole camera that captures the light's inverted image. Shifting this pattern provides additional...
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Infection Wars
Students observe blood cells under a microscope and make drawings of their observations. They write and act out a short play starring blood cells, antibodies and bacteria to demonstrate fighting infection.
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Motion Lotion
Students view a video to explain the meaning of friction. In a hands-on experiment using gelatin, students test the effects of lubrication on friction. They complete a worksheet imbedded in the instructional activity to describe their...
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Up and Atom
"Up and Atom" is a mini-unit introducing middle-schoolers to the wonders of elements. Participants draw atom models, examine the periodic table, compare samples of metals to nonmetals, identify unknown elements, and more! The beginning...
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UP AND ATOM
If you are willing to sort through this outline and overlook the portions relating to inaccessible videos, you will find a wealth of support for your introductory chemistry unit. Narrative is presented to help you help learners navigate...
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Illinois Biodiversity
Students examine the amount of biodiversity in the state of Illinois. They practice using new vocabulary and listening to stories about animals. After given time to reflect, they write their own haiku. They work together to create a...