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Mapping a Refuge
Students record observations gathered while at a national wildlife refuge. In this lesson on wildlife refuges, students choose an observation spot and record seasonal changes throughout the year.
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Water Cycle
Third graders observe the changes that occur in the water cycle after doing a water cycle demonstration in a plastic bag. In this water cycle lesson plan, 3rd graders reflect on what they see and identify the stages.
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Moon Phases, Day/Night
Fifth graders observe a demonstration that shows how the alignment of the sun, moon, earth relate to the phases of the moon that occur each month. They describe the moon's phases after experimenting in a small group setting and recording...
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Life Cycle of the Butterfly
Students observe and analyze the life cycle and metamorphosis of the Painted Lady Butterfly. They write observation journal entries three times a week and summarize what they observed. Using KidPix computer software they create pictures...
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Momentum
Students explore the concept of "transfer of momentum". In this physics lesson, students observe the results of two objects or people as they make contact in different ways. Students on roller blades and model cars of different weights...
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Apples, Apples, Apples
Students complete activities using apples that help improve their science, math, and reading skills. In this apple lesson, students read the book Apples, Apples Apples and visit an orchard or farmer's market to buy a variety of apples....
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Weather, Migrations, and Plants
Students research the effects of day-to-day weather on animal migrations, plant growth and other seasonal events. They consult maps, observe and record local conditions, keep journals and use their collected data check hypotheses.
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Gases
Second graders work with gases to determine what the effects of temperature are on volume and air pressure by working with balloons. Also, they experiment with vinegar and baking soda. They predict the outcomes of these experiments, and...
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Aristotelian and Newtonian Motion
Students use a quotation from Einstein as a reference to categorize their descriptions as either Newtonian or Aristotelian. They discuss the idealized nature of the Newtonian approach. Students describe the events they observe when an...
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Erosion
Fifth graders study what erosion is, what causes it, and ways to slow its progress. They complete an experiment that depicts soil moving down a slope as water is poured on it to show how moving water erodes land. Next, they observe...
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Sundials: Keeping Time Like Native Americans
Learners explore the use of sundials. They observe the shadows cast by the sun and record the times at various points throughout the day. They create sundials and record the location of the shadows and the time of day. They view a...
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Dayna Lykins, Leanna Prater
Fourth graders compare and contrast gliding flight and true flight. They investigate the basic principles of aeronautics. The class participates in activities to observe lift and the effect of air. Students design and fly their own...
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Prop Stories
Students observe and demonstrate pantomime and improvisation. They define and discuss improvisation and pantomime, then in small groups discuss and brainstorm ideas using a bag of props. Students then create and present a scene using...
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Arthur's Teacher's Trouble
First graders are working on a literature focus unit based on Arthur's Teacher Trouble. The purpose of this language arts lesson is to strengthen observation skills.The teacher will explain the project to the entire class and be...
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Ice Melting
Students design investigations to test various materials to prevent heat gain in frozen water. The task assess students' knowledge of scientific inquiry including the following skills: observation, data collection, measurement,...
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Lead Particulate Simulation
Students visualize contaminate particles as they are released into the air and observe their ultimate settling. They watch a demonstration about lead particles and discuss the various ways that lead particles can be introduced into the air.
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Electricity: Series and Parallel Circuits
Fourth graders explore electricity and electrical circuits. They explore series and parallel circuits using Christmas lights. Students pull lights out of each strand of lights. They observe the results when the light bulb is pulled out....
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Let's Build
Students observe and discuss a picture of Curious George building a bridge and discuss what it means to build, plan and design a project. As a class, they list things they need to do in oder to build something and explore how a compass...
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Momentum Conserved
Students explore Newton's Laws of Motion and how momentum is conserved. In this physics instructional activity, students observe experiments in which various items collide. Students draw conclusions as to how "momentum" defined as "mass...
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Build a Weather Vane
Learners construct a weather vane using their knowledge of some geometric shapes. For this weather lesson, students work in pairs to create a weather vane in order to measure wind direction. Learners follow precise directions to ensure...
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Onion Cells
Students observe the cells of an onion by wet mounting it and viewing it in a microscope. In this hands on lesson students make their own wet mount slide of an onion and are able to identify the cells in it such as, the nucleus,...
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Rice: The Global Crop
Students understand the uniqueness of the rice plant and how it grows. Students compare rice growing in Indonesia and California, observing the steps common to the process everywhere. Students comprehend the concepts labor-intensive and...
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Circular Motion
Students investigate circular motion in two different activities. In the first, students observe the path of a rolling marble on a paper plate. In the second, students play a game of catch using a tennis ball inside a plastic bag. ...
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Wonderful, Wild Weather
Students study the different types of weather, how it affect what they wear, and how it is related to the seasons. They compare the seasons and tell how they prepare for the change in seasons. They design a creative presentation about...