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Catapults!
Students work together to discover the relationship between the angle of catapults and the flight of different objects. They discover the heavier the object the more force is needed. They examine how engineers use this information to...
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Earth's Revolution and Rotation
Eighth graders investigate the regular motions of the sun, Earth and the moon and explain how these are related to days, years, seasons, eclipses, tides and moon cycles. They participate in an exercise where they explore the...
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Weather: It Works, or Not?
Young scholars discover the techniques meteorologists use to examine the atmosphere. In groups, they build their own weather station and observe the various weather conditions. They identify the types of weather patterns that allow the...
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SETI WebQuest and the Drake Equation
Students complete a WebQuest where they research the Internet for extraterrestrial intelligence. In this extraterrestrial lesson plan, students also explore how the Drake Equation can predict the occurrence of life elsewhere.
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Mars Geologic Mapping
Students identify and interpret photographic details of a Martian surface image, design, and create a simple features map. They identify and interpret the geologic history of a part of Mars' surface and then, analyze and discuss the...
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Exploring Magnetism
Pupils participate in several activities that allow them to better understand magnetism. For this exploratory lesson students take part in different activities to help them to better understand magnetic fields, circuits and...
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Robots
Students play the parts of robots and their controllers. In this robot lesson plan, students learn about robots, and use verbal commands to simulate how a robot would command to it's controller.
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NASA's Mars gamble pays off
Students read an article about NASA and Mars and complete short answer questions about the article. For this Mars lesson plan, students also create a scale model of the solar system.
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Habitat
Fourth graders study the components of a habitat. In this animal habitat lesson, 4th graders define the elements of a habitat. Students discuss intertidal habitats and make a habitat for a crab.
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Momentum
Students learn the concepts of momentum and its conservation, using the recoil of a cannon as an example. They examine how momentum is a vector, allowing its conservation to be applied to problems in 2 and 3 dimensions.
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Flying Through the Solar System
Learners create a model of the solar system out of candy. They write a book about their travels through the Solar System, beginning at age ten and reaching Pluto at age seventy.
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Whose Water Is It?
Students role-play as San Francisco residents in 1908 who support or oppose the building of a dam in Yosemite National Park. They create posters and write letters to representatives defending their positions.
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Look At Those Leaves!
Students observe, measure and sort leaves. In this leaf lesson students divide into groups and observe the different kinds of leaves.
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Heavens Above
Middle schoolers study the stars and their positions. In this astronomy lesson students see how scientists can predict the positions of the stars and can tell how they would have appeared in the past.
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Images of Our Changing Earth
Students identify and explain that remote sensing can detect changes on the Earth's surface that occur over time, and name at least three: urbanization, deforestation, and succession. They select a global change issue to investigate and...
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Earth's Tilt Creates Seasons
Students examine how the Earth's tilt creates the seasons. In this seasons lesson, students study a diagram that shows the rotation of the earth around the sun and how it tilts during the rotation. They answer 4 discussion questions and...
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Comets
Students explore the nature and composition of a comet. They research comet facts, legends, and myths. They identify different types of comets and describe what happens to a comet as it travels closer to the Sun.
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What Do Magnets Do?
Second graders discover the physical properties of magnets. In this physics instructional activity, 2nd graders investigate the differences between natural and man made magnets and the uses of each. Students complete 4...
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Remote Sensing
Ninth graders participate in a variety of activities designed to reinforce the concept of light and the electromagnetic spectrum. They research and analyze data from remotely sensed images. They present their findings in a PowerPoint...
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The Difference Between Comets, Meteors And Asteroids
Students use Venn diagrams to highlight the similarities and differences between comets, meteors, and asteroids.
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Energy and the Environment: What Can We Do?
Learners consider the impacts of global warming and brainstorm ways to help decrease their contribution to the problem. In this climate change lesson, students are exposed to facts concerning global warming and think of ways to...
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Tracking and Tracing Sunspots
Students examine sunspots. In this sunspot lesson, students use applets to investigate the movement of sunspots. Students research sunspots and evaluate the rotation of the sun. Lesson references outside resources not available in this...
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Star Party- Closing Lesson
Students study the stars and galaxies. For this universe lesson students complete their unit by participating in an evening bonfire to share what they learned.