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What Makes the Wind Blow?
Student study the properties of wind. They make a miniature hot-air balloon and compose diamond-shaped poems about the wind. They explain that as the sun warms air around the earth, the air rises. Colder air then moves in to fill the...
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Geography of the Wasatch Front
Learners examine and discuss urban geography and land-cover types along the Wasatch Front. They analyze thermal images, create collages, and predict surface and air temperatures from aerial photos in the Salt Lake City Valley.
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Geography of the Wasatch Front
Students identify the three main types of urban environments by learning characteristic land-cover types. They examine and analyze a thermal image of Salt Lake City. Then they predict surface and air temperatures from aerial photos.
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Fallout!
Students plot the locations of fallout from two disasters that polluted much of the world's air. They plot the ash fallout from the 1980 Mt. St. Helen's eruption to see what the wind patterns in the United States look like overall. Next...
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Chemical Changes
Students explore chemical changes. in this activity about the properties of chemical changes, students do experiments, observe, and record results. Students complete four experiments in order to observe chemical changes. In each...
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Let's Think About Water
Students explore the different forms that water can take and conduct simple experiments to demonstrate some of its properties in each state. They watch a short video that illustrates some of these concepts.
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TIES MSEE Sensor Lesson Plan
Students explain how a sensor works. In this technology lesson, students determine the air quality around their school. They record observations and share results to class.
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The Formation of Soil
Students identify the different components that make up soil. In this earth science lesson, students create a pamphlet for next year's class. They analyze how erosion and weathering shape the Earth.
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Pure Substances and Mixtures
Students compare and contrast the properties of substances and mixtures. In this chemistry lesson plan, students simulate spontaneous mixing by performing a short class activity. They differentiate heterogeneous and homogeneous mixtures.
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Water and Ice
Students explore the states of water. In this water states activity, students observe ice over time and the changes that take place. Students read a related text and draw their observations in a journal entry. Students discuss the...
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Understanding Waves
Students perform 3 hands-on activities to help them explain the terms "crest" and "trough" as related to sound, water, and light waves. All three waves types have troughs and crests. The activities use toys to demonstrate the properties...
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Transformation of Energy- Sound
Sixth graders investigate how sound is made by vibrating matter. They work with a ruler and a rubber band to produce different types of vibration which makes different pitches of sound. They record their observations of the noises made...
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Phases of Matter
Students describe the motion of solids, liquids and gases. In this chemistry lesson, students describe how temperature affect motion of the particles. They determine the physical properties of each phase.
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Polymers and Crystals
Learners experiment with crystals and polymers and examine their roles in food science.
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Rock Sorting Activity
Students organize rock samples according to their properties. In this earth science activity, students predict whether they are igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary. They compare their prediction with the actual type.
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Physics Post-Lab
Young scholars explore physics. In this science lesson, students discuss physics in their everyday lives. Young scholars complete a physics worksheet.
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Balloons: Math with the Montgolfier Balloon
Students discover the history of hot air balloons by watching one ascent. For this physics lesson, students utilize a Montgolfier Hot Air Balloon from an earlier lesson and record the temperature, rate of ascent and the volume....
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Designing Windmills
Students study mechanical engineering and how it plays a part in the creation of windmills. They design and test their own windmills using various materials and sail designs.
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Tornadoes
Middle schoolers examine the characteristics of a tornado. They practice using new vocabulary and participate in a question and answer session. They use the internet to gather more specific information.
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Sweet Twinkies, Density and Sugar Chomping Yeast: A Look at Physical and Chemical Reactions in the Kitchen
Students investigate matter. In this physical science lesson plan, students will learn about matter, physical states, and reactions. There are a series of four lab activities that will be conducted.
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Create a Cloud in a Bottle
Students look at how clouds form. In this cloud lesson plan, students make a cloud using water, 2 liter bottles and a match. They watch how the pressure and temperature changes the atmosphere in the bottle to create a cloud.
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Using Vegetation, Precipitation, and Surface Temperature to Study Climate Zones
Middle schoolers begin their examination of the climate zones found around the world. Using a software program, they identify the relationship between the vegetation, climate and temperatures of the different zones. They also plot...
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Flight Dreams - Flight Factors
Students investigate the physics of flight by experimenting in class. In this history of flight instructional activity, students define terms such as gravity, lift, and drag in order to better understand how a plane is able to stay in...
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Lightning!
Students use aluminum, a thumbtack, an eraser, and more to create static electricity. In this static electricity lesson plan, students use this experiment to simulate lightning.