Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Trends in Alkane Boiling Points
Students will develop a mathematical model of alkane boiling points by graphing the number of carbons in the alkane chain against its boiling point.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Lichen Hunt: Identifying/classifying Lichens by Their Physical Char
In this activity, students will learn what a lichen is. They will be able to explore the school forest in order to pick their own lichen to identify and classify into a group according to its physical characteristics. Students will also...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Bernoulli's Balloons
You hold up two balloons on strings of equal length about 5 centimeters apart and blow between them. They will come together because you weakened the force between them. You can do the same thing with the balloons about 30 centimeters...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: How Do Light Bulbs Work?
A guided inquiry that involves observation of the parts of a light bulb in a lab.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Flame Test
In this physical science experiment, students investigate the release of energy by observing the color of light produced when salts are heated in the flame of a burner. Students will identify the metal ion of the substance by the color...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Determining the Density, P H and Water Content of Various Area Soils
In this chemistry field lab, young scholars will determine the density, pH, and water content of 4 types of soil. Students compare class data and write a lab report describing their results and then analyze their findings to report on...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Bird Characteristics
In this lesson, students will learn bird characteristics through observation and classifying activities. Indoors they will be introduced to bird study through learning about John James Audubon, followed by a basic drawing lesson to aid...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Creation of Dichotomous Keys From a Bio Blitz
An outdoor lab where middle schoolers investigate the environment and decide a method of survey to identify trees in their area. To finish the exercise they will create a dichotomous key of the ten they identified.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: What Lives Under a Rock?
After reading and discussing the book "Under One Rock: Bugs, Slugs, and Other Ughs" by Anthony D. Frederick, students are equipped with tools for observing nature and are taken on a guided walk. They find a rock to overturn, and record...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Healthy Waters
By the end of this lesson, students will understand how we can use macroinvertebrates to determine the quality of water in a river or stream.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Exploring Sound: Length Makes a Difference
Students begin to explore the relationship between the length of an object and the sound it produces as it vibrates, by using a wood or plastic ruler and the edge of a desk or table.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Loopy Lewis Dot Diagrams
Students will use colored fruit loops to organize valence electrons to develop and master the basics of Lewis Dot diagrams. They will develop processing and critical thinking skills and also master a model of bonding.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Minnesota Tree Blitz
This activity serves as an introduction to tree identification and helps middle schoolers learn about the natural world around them. While exploring trees of Minnesota, students will recognize biodiversity of trees and learn how to...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating Iron Fortified Food
After studying that iron is attracted to magnets, students will use magnets to find food-grade iron filings from iron-fortified food.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: At the Speed of Bowling
In this lab students will measure the energy of a bowling ball with vernier motion detectors. The students will calculate the energy of the ball at the beginning, mid point, and end of a bowling alley. Students will inquire about the...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Name That (Bird) Tune
After completing this lesson plan, students will be able to identify 3-4 birds by their song and develop observation skills necessary for listening to birds in their natural surroundings.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Habitat Part 2
This activity is designed for students to examine soil and determine which soil will be the best for plant growth. The students will also investigate the effect of sunlight on plants and the importance of sunlight in producing chlorophyll.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Inertia: An Object in Motion Will Tend to Stay in Motion
This activity is a take off of Galileo's experiment with the inclined planes to show that an object in motion would stay in a straight line motion if no outside forces acted were acting on it. In this version, young scholars will roll a...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Habitat Part 1
Students investigate creatures living under a rock and then present their findings on a class display and writing in a journal.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Impact of Natural Disasters on the Earth
Through demonstrations and other research, students explore the impact of various natural disasters on the earth. The disasters include floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanoes, and earthquakes.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Science of Collisons: Using Newton's Laws in Forensics & the Courtroom
In this physical science related activity, learners will use inquiry skills and investigative procedures to determine which vehicle is at fault in a collision between a car and tractor-trailer.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Uncovering Plate Tectonics
In this investigation, young scholars will be given an opportunity to make the connection between plate boundary movement and the topographic features of the earth.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating Projectile Motion: Predicting Point of Impact
Students discuss forces acting on objects in a trajectory motion. They review notes, study equations, solve projectile motion problems, and determine experimentally the impact point of a ball in projectile motion.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Eggs and the Equinox
In this guided inquiry activity, students work to address the myth, "Eggs will balance on end on the equinox." Students to come up with their own procedure to test this question and perform the experiment.