Curated OER
The Birds and the Beaks
Young scholars explore the adaptations that birds have. In this adaptations lesson students view a video and create a concept map of birds and their adaptive traits.
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Wonder Underground
Students classify and record objects they find "underground." In this observation lesson, students dig into bins filled with soil and encounter various objects such as bark, twigs, etc. Students classify their findings.
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Classification
Students explore the observable properties of matter and utilize them in classification. They use a binary classification system to divide objects, then justify their scheme.
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Induction: Inquiry in Action
Students investigate the factors that affect the induced current in a loop of wire. They discuss Faraday's Law and Lenz's Law. Students identify the different variables that affect the magnetic flux and calculate the magnetic flux...
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The Artistic Process
Students experiment with and compare different types of natural resources and tools used by artists in ancient Rome. They describe changes in natural resources that result from human use of tools.
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Modeling Mitosis and Meiosis
Students construct and manipulate models of mitosis and meiosis and compare/contrast them. They create the models using index cards and yarn, interpret diagrams and photographs, and summarize written descriptions.
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What is the Thermal Depolymerization Process?
Students examine the differences between Boyle's Law and Charles' Law. They discuss the concept of thermal depolymerization. They answer discussion questions to end the lesson.
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Young Engineers: Understanding Engineering Through Cooking
Second graders explore different engineering careers. In this math instructional activity, 2nd graders create a winning cooking recipe. They role play a mock cookie sale during the culminating event.
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Reading the River - Biological Classification
Youngsters create a list of grocery store items and then work together to categorize them as if they were setting up the shelves of the market. Then they are given a box of miscellaneous objects to practice categorizing. With these two...
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Enzymes in Action: An Inquiry Approach to the Effects of Enzymes
Students experiment with enzymes as key components of chemical reactions in all living things through this series of lessons.
Alabama Learning Exchange
I'm so Crushed
As an experiment is demonstrated for them, students write down their observations and brainstorm questions that can help them understand what they saw. After watching the experiment again—which demonstrates a soda can collapsing due to...
Curated OER
Coffee Cooling
Pupils explore the factors that affect how long coffee stays hot. They develop a question and a testable hypothesis for one factor such as initial temperature or size of opening of the container. Then they design and conduct an...
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Determining the Geologic History of Rocks from a Gravel Deposit
Students apply the scientific method to identify rocks from glacial deposits, hypothesize how they got there and then test their hypothesis. They are given the experience of active, hands-on inquiry.
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The Captain And Lake Wilmar
Tenth graders examine the ecosystem of Lake Wilmar through three coordinated performance tasks. They first investigate the effects of pH on freshwater animals by comparing the zooplankton counts from three different areas. They then...
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Balsa Wood Airplane Flight and Speed Correlation
Ninth graders calculate the average speed of their balsa wood airplane. For this physics lesson, 9th graders build their own airplane and make necessary modifications to to make it fly straight. They interpret distance and time graph...
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Super Glue Fuming of Latent Fingerprints
Students explore latent fingerprinting. They observe a supervised demonstration of the process that real-life crime scene investigators sometimes use to identify latent fingerprints. In addition, they brainstorm ways to improve the...
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The Solar System: Why do we Explore?
Third graders act as scientists. In this property discovery lesson, 3rd graders explore the substance "Oobleck" (cornstarch, water, food coloring). They work in groups to investigate the substance and make observations as a scientist...
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Habitat for Plants! There's No Place Like Home!
Students compare and contrast conditions necessary for survival of aquatic and terrestrial plants, identify common and scientific names of plants,
and determine correlation between location and plant characteristics. Students then use...
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Simple Machines In Complex Machines
Students brainstorm the concept of a machine. They make lists of the characteristics that all machines share. The teacher uses questioning in order to get students to think more deeply about the subject. They create a lab to demonstrate...
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Toddler's Delight
Students are challenged to design a toy or something that can attach to a toddler's car seat to help distract them during long car trips. Students research toddler toys prior to beginning the design process in order to determine the...
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Buoyant Force
Students investigate the scientific concept of why some objects float when put in a liquid solution. They apply the laws of motion and force while conducting classroom activities. Students also take notes and answer target questions to...
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The Tree Detective - Basic Dendrology
Students identify tree species by their leaf characteristics. In this dendrology lesson plan, students learn leaf vocabulary and collect leaves. They identify the leaves using the leaf characteristics and the vocabulary that they learned.
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Biological Relationships - Coral Reef Memory Game and Chain Game
Students familiarize themselves with the interconnectedness of species within an ecosystem, and to use this knowledge to evaluate how the removal or decimation of one species can have far reaching effects.
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Classifying Living Things
Learners identify how to classify living things. They classify various concepts including family members, kinds of clothing, numbers, shapes, and vocabulary words. They discuss how to classify various concepts and classify pictures of...