In this series of activities, students identify erosion problems at their school, and then investigate splash, wind, and water erosion through classroom activities. After researching erosion, students will work collaboratively to create proposed solutions to schoolyard erosion problems.
In this lesson, students complete a series of activities in order to learn more about rocks and their characteristics.
It's a Small World After All! is actually two activities in one inquiry. In "How Much Biodiversity Exists in a Pond Microcosm?" students use microscopes to investigate the diversity of life that exists in pond water. In "What Is the Effect of Rice on Microcosm Biodiversity?" students conduct a controlled investigation to study the effect of a pollutant (rice) on a microcosm ecosystem. Note: The best time to start this inquiry is either September or May, when pond ecosystems are at their most active levels during the school year.
In this lesson, students complete a series of activities in order to practice classification skills and learn about the differences between living and nonliving things.
In this inquiry investigation, students conceptualize the Earth--Moon--Sun relationship in the solar system through observation of the moon's phases and modeling of the moon's orbit around the Earth. They will also participate in a "moondance."
In this lesson, students complete a series of activities to better understand how the relative motion and position of the sun, Earth, and moon affect the seasons.
In this game activity, students investigate how rocks are related to each other and learn about the rock cycle.
In this lesson, students complete a series of activities to better understand the interdependence of organisms within a wetland ecosystem and how energy flows through an ecosystem.
In this lesson, students investigate the question: "What will happen if objects with different masses are dropped at the same time?" Students hypothesize about the nature of falling objects, design an experimental test to answer the question using everyday objects, analyze data to form conclusions, and infer that mass does not affect the speed of falling objects. This activity culminates with the teacher demonstration (dropping a bowling ball and a golfball) to show that mass does not affect the speed of falling objects.
In this lesson, students work in teams of four as they conduct four controlled Jell-O experiments over a two-day period. Styrofoam, sugar, salt, and room temperature treatments are compared to control Jell-O to investigate the effect of these treatments on the phase change of Jell-O from liquid to solid (freezing point). The Take It Further section explores the environmental pros and cons of using salt (one of the Jell-O treatments) to improve roadway safety.