Curated OER
Our Amazing, Powerful Sun
Young scholars examine where energy comes from and how it can be used. In this solar energy instructional activity students explore different aspects of the sun.
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"If you build it..."
Students utilize prior knowledge to erect and assemble a building from a drawing using spaghetti noodles and marshmallows. In this building lesson, students visualize a three dimensional structure from looking at a picture and converting...
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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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Chemical Wonders
Students read about and discuss how chemical engineers use different states of matter to create substances. In this chemical engineering lesson plan, students also give examples of the 3 kinds of matter.
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Aerospace/Aeronautical Engineering: Build a Paper Airplane
Students brainstorm what it is like to fly on an airplane and discuss the parts of a plane. Students construct a paper plane of their own, decorate it, have a competition, and discuss the importance of each part of a plane and the role...
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Recycling-Taking it Easy on the Environment
High schoolers review the garbage/landfill graphs included with the lesson plan. They discuss the information on the graphs and discuss which garbage products come from their homes. Students collect examples of over packaging to share...
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To Go Solar or Not to Go Solar!
Middle schoolers imagine that they are on a panel to consider if a solar energy system would be advantageous to a new school as it is being built. They read the included handout and then each play a role as a participant in a community...
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Genetics
Students create a checklist of traits common in all of their families. Uisng a table, they compare and contrast their family members to non-family members. They also review dominant and recessive traits and discuss how knowing about...
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Climate Change: What's Hot? What's Happening?
Students conduct a web-based project to analyze recent or on-going climate change research in the North. They are exposed to the application of science in current research on climate change.
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Musical Plates
Sixth graders engage in a study of the plates and how they are part of the formation of the ever changing landscape of planet earth. They access web sites that have applications for observation and conducting different activities. The...
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Electrical Engineers for a Day
Students build a robot out of a 3-¿¿ inch floppy disk drive, two floppy disks, and some other miscellaneous supplies. They apply information they gather about electrical circuits from a web-based circuit design program.
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Weather Instrument Use and Application
Eighth graders measure temperature, wind speed and pressure using Skymaster SM-28. In this earth science lesson, 8th graders collect data and record observations taken from outdoors. They explain why numerical values are different in...
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Using Adjectives to Describe Observations
Seventh graders write observations of organisms based on both audio and video sources. They describe organisms which they view using appropriate adjectives.
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Earth History Part II
Eighth graders hypothesize what caused the break up of continents. In this earth science lesson, 8th graders study about the events that took place during Mesozoic and Cenozoic Era. They reconstruct a supercontinent and report their...
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Weather Elements and Instruments
Eighth graders identify the different weather elements. In this earth science lesson, 8th graders explain the difference between relative humidity and dew point. They discuss the different instruments used to predict weather.
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Generators: Three Mile Island vs. Hoover Dam
Students are given a history of electricity and its development into the modern age lifeline upon which we so depend. The methods of power generation are introduced, and further discussion of each technology's pros and cons follows. ...
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Weather Forecasting Basics
Eighth graders analyze weather diagrams and weather maps. In this earth science lesson, 8th graders explain why it is important to know the weather. They complete a handout at the end of the lesson.
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Cycles Review
Eighth graders discuss the four major cycles of matter. For this general science lesson, 8th graders decide which of the four is the most important. They share their opinion in class.
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Sarita Wetland Restoration
Students collaborate on the plannng and implementation of the Sarita Wetland Restoration. The Sarita Wetland is the remnant of former Lake Sarita that was drained in the early 1900's. The goal of the entire project is to improve water...
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Scientific Inquiry
Students make inferences about what activities occur at different places in school. They form a hypothesis as to how space is used. They simulate how archeaologists explore past people by designing and conducting a research project.
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How Do Things Fall?
Students observe falling objects. They discover the rate of falling is based on air resistance and not the weight of the objects. They discuss how engineers use this type of information to design aerodynamic shapes.
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Are We Alone
Seventh graders collect/analyze data and draw conclusions; support reasoning by using a variety of evidence; construct logical arguments; access information at remote sites using telecommunications; apply the concept of percent;...
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Mineral Lab
Eighth graders examine the physical properties of different minerals. In this earth science instructional activity, 8th graders explain the uses of minerals in their daily lives. They complete the mineral identification table during the...
