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Communication Methods
Students explore communications by participating in a science class activity. In this communication technology lesson, students discuss the process of morse code, its history, and the electromagnets used to create the device. Students...
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Native American Three Sisters Gardens
Students investigate companion planting. In this communtiy gardening lesson students explore the tradition of the Native American Three Sisters gardening approach. Students act as botanists, anthropologists, folklorists, and curators.
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The Wonders of Bacteria
Students explore the evolution and features of bacteria through a series of activities. In this biology lesson, students collect data and graph bacterial growth. They design a brochure about bacteria's role in society.
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Rising Temperatures Threaten Penguins
Students examine the continent of Antarctica, then read a news article about the decline in the Antarctic penguin population. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and vocabulary activity,...
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Scientists Breed See-Through Frogs
Students participate in a pre-reading activity, then read a news article about the breeding of transparent frogs. In this biology and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a question and a vocabulary activity,...
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Big Dipper Story Wheel
Learners research a Canadian Indian Tale. In this constellation lesson plan, students hear the story "Never-Ending Bear Hunt" which describes the constellations from the Native American perspective. They create their own constellation...
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Inclined Plane and Pulley
High schoolers describe how inclined plane and pulleys make work easier. For this physics lesson, students calculate work done and mechanical advantage of both simple machines. They collect data from the experiment and construct graphs.
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The Wilderness Concept: Our National Parks, History and Issues
Students examine the history of the National parks. In groups, they discuss the concepts of conservation and preservation. They discuss the use of natural resources and how some are renewable and non-renewable. To end the lesson, they...
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Thirstin's Groundwater Movement Activity
Students examine how ground water flows through different materials. In groups, they identify the different types of rocks in various aquifers. To end the lesson, they pretend to be water as others pretend to be rocks and try to make...
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One Part A Mini Lab: Water Contamination
Students investigate the effects of ground water contamination. In this ground water contamination lesson plan, students create a mini well and simulate ground water flow through the well with a contaminate (food coloring). They make...
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A Chemical Balancing Act
High schoolers decompose glucose and write an equation for the reaction. In this decomposition reaction lesson plan, students burn a sample of glucose and test the products for water using cobalt chloride paper. They write a balanced...
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Chemistry Is a Gas
Students investigate the gas laws and how they apply to changes in gases. In this gas laws lesson, students use Boyle's Law and Charles' law to show the relationships between pressure and volume and volume and temperature of gases.
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Why Cheerios Don't Sink
Students investigate Archimedes' Principle and show how it relates to density. In this Archimedes' Principle lesson plan, students experiment with a beaker of water, a Styrofoam "boat" and a weight. They predict what will happen when the...
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Projectile Motion
High schoolers determine the angle of launch that will give a projectile its greatest range. In this projectile motion lesson, students recognize that the motion of a projectile results from the combined horizontal and vertical...
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Magnets
Learners explore magnetism by observing a series of 8 magnet "tricks" performed by the instructor. In this magnets instructional activity, students predict which items will be attracted to a magnet and experiment to see if they predicted...
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Models of the Earth and Moon
Students explore the earth's rotation and phases of the moon. In this planets lesson, students rotate and revolve around a light representing the sun. Students use movement and props to simulate what causes the phases of the moon as well...
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Magnetism
Students investigate the properties of magnets. In this magnetism lesson plan, students construct a magnetic crane and observe the attraction of metal objects.
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Just a Little Bit of Effort: Exploring Levers
Middle schoolers build models of types of levers. In this simple machines lesson, students use dowels and modified wooden rulers to build different types of levers. They compete to create the most efficient lever in the class.
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The Apple Pie Tree
Students read The Apple Pie Tree and discuss the story and talk about what was living in the tree. In this life comprehension lesson, students write the main idea of the book in a few sentences.
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Our Desert Backyard
Students make observations of their own backyard. In this environment lesson, students keep records of the plants and animals they see in their home or school yard. Students make notes of how the weather and environment changes over...
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Does Dye Die? Foreign Chemicals in Our Environment
Students conduct an experiment to observe photolysis in the lab. In this chemistry lesson, students explain the mechanism behind photolysis. They test the impact of a non-toxic marker to plant metabolism.
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It's Just Right
Students conduct an experiment to determine the temperature tolerance of yeasts. In this biology lesson, students collect data and compare them by plotting graphs. They explain how extreme temperatures affect organisms.
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pH Basics
At some point, all science learners experiment with pH. In this brief lesson, they simply use pH strips or a meter to find the pH of six different solutions. A useful worksheet that displays a data chart is included for your students.
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Feeding the Birds
Students build bird feeders. In this aviary instructional activity, students build different types of bird feeders. This web page includes information on which type of feeder attracts which birds and what food to use with the certain...