Curated OER
So Many Inventions!
Students listen to a teacher read aloud of two books about Chinese inventions. They examine some items that were invented by Chinese inventors such as dominoes, an abacus, a silk scarf, or kite. Next, they determine how a compass works...
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Vitamin C Testing
Learners determine which of three beverage samples contains the most vitamin C. They then apply their knowledge to an additional situation. Students use beverages that have a large, definite difference of vitamin C content to...
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Enzyme Grabbers
Students perform simple experiments to show properties of enzymes through studying how apple sauce can turn into apple juice and experimenting with papaya seeds. Students witness how enzymes speed up reactions through witnessing the...
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Habitat Preservation Project
Students demonstrate what happens when nature takes back land after humans have managed it. They find an area in the schoolyard, and mark it off with a boundary. Students build a simple fence with string and stakes. They put up a sign...
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The Lorax
Students read The Lorax and discuss how human actions can affect the environment. They conduct a simple experiment to see how much air pollution is in the air that they breathe.
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Solids and Water
Students investigate mixtures made of water and familiar solid materials. They observe and discuss the changes that occur immediately and set the mixtures aside for a day. Finally, students observe the mixtures, note changes, and graph...
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Radio Astronomy and Radio Telescope
Students construct a simple radio telescope. In this astronomy lesson, students explain how this telescope works and what information it collects.
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What Part of the Earth's Surface is Covered by Oceans?
Third graders investigate oceans. For this Earth science lesson, 3rd graders predict how much of the Earth's surface is covered by oceans. Students determine if their predictions are accurate by throwing a globe to each other and then...
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How Many Drops?
Students conduct a simple test to determine how many drops of each of three liquids can be placed on a penny before spilling over. They come up with an explanation for their observations about different amounts of liquids a penny can hold.
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Track Stories
Students identify animal tracks. In this animal track lesson, students look at "track stories" and identify the animals that made the tracks. Students discuss if they believe the animals are predators or prey.
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Forms of Water
Students experiment to show the three forms of water. They watch a "hand" made of ice as it melts observing and drawing what they see.
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Bernoulli's Principle: Wind and Wings
Students investigate Bernoulli's aeronautical discoveries. Working in groups they conduct simple experiments with paper that demonstrate how airplane wings work and how they are affected by air pressure.
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Clearing the Air
Students learn to recognize air as an actual substance and come to understand that clean air is important and why. They become aware of adverse effects that air pollution can cause and examine how simple steps can be used to keep our air...
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Build a Pizza Box Solar Oven
Students build a solar oven. In this solar energy lesson, students follow directions that show them how to build a solar oven made from a pizza box that can heat up food.
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Static Electricity
In this electricity worksheet, students read about static and current electricity and then draw pictures of an electric cell and circuits. Students draw 3 pictures total.
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Toy Dissection Graph
Learners explore simple machines and how they are made. They examine the parts of the simple machine and collect information about its parts. Using Excel, students create circle and bar graphs from the collected data.
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Science: When Autumn Leaves Fall
Students conduct Internet research to discover the reason why leaves change color in autumn. On a nature walk around school grounds, they collect leaves of various colors and shapes over a three-week period. finally, students select...
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Seeing Interference Fringes with a Telescope
Students construct an interferometer using a simple telescope. For this physics lesson, students explain how light waves create the fringe patterns. They observe patterns made by different objects in the sky and compare them.
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The Science of Papermaking and Paper Recycling: A Research Experience for Teachers
Students explore the concept of paper recycling and the fiber that is yielded from the process. Students perform a coarse screening of recycled fiber and calculate the yield of the process.
Cornell University
Bridge Building
Bridge the gaps in your knowledge of bridges. Individuals learn about bridge types by building models. The activity introduces beam bridges, arch bridges, truss bridges, and suspension bridges.
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We're Off To the Races!
Second graders use a magnet to "race" objects from one side of a racing track to another. They predict what the results are, then run the race. Pupils sort and graph which items were successfully moved, they attempt to race again. This...
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Busted Bubbles
Using the scientific method, and bubble gum, learners conduct a motivating experiment. After conducting a series of tests involving bubble gum, they graph and analyze their results. This is the type of activity everyone loves.
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Magic Color
First graders discover that a chemical reaction is responsible for the effects seen with Crayola Color Wonder markers. They observe that the color changes are the result of a chemical reaction between chemicals in the Color Wonder paper...