In this lesson, students complete water quality tests such as pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, phosphates, and salinity for a water sample. After following these activities, students should understand the purpose of these tests, know how to run accurate water quality tests, and see how these parameters relate to the quality of the water in an estuary.
Material Type: Lesson Plan
In this lesson, students investigate epidemics and the spread of disease. Selected students, with certain characteristics in common, are given "DZ" signs representing a fictitious disease. Then students observe how the disease is distributed and develop hypotheses about what might have caused that "DZ" distribution.
Material Type: Lesson Plan
Students begin by brainstorming a list of ways that organisms may interact within an ecosystem. Then students will have an opportunity to share their list with a peer and with the class. Next, students will create a jot chart that will detail the five relationships that may exist between organisms in an ecosystem: competition, predation, mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. At the conclusion of the lesson, students will examine food webs and predict the patterns of interactions that may exist between and among organisms in an ecosystem.
Material Type: Lesson Plan
In this lesson, students diagram the flow of energy through living systems, including food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids.
Material Type: Lesson Plan
In this STEM lesson, students use the engineering design process to build and test a model coring drill capable of penetrating several sediment layers respresented by different colors of clay/dough. Then they will use their drill to explore the sediment beds at 4-6 "sites."
Material Type: Lesson Plan
In this lesson, students are introduced to the five types of renewable energy resources by engaging in various activities to help them understand the transformation of energy (solar, water and wind) into electricity. Students explore the different roles engineers who work in renewable energy fields have in creating a sustainable environment – an environment that contributes to greater health, happiness and safety.
Material Type: Lesson Plan
In this multimedia lesson, students learn about energy resources that can be harvested from the oceans. Associated interactive activities include "Wave Power," where students view the wave-energy generation process, "Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion," where students examine and compare two diagrams of OTEC facilities, and "Methane Hydrates," where students investigate the conditions that affect the stability of methane hydrates.
Material Type: Interactive
In this lesson, students will learn about the techniques and outcomes of genetic technology, and discover how North Carolina scientists are using genetic technology to turn soybeans into vaccines, and to strengthen silkworm silk using spider DNA.
Material Type: Lesson Plan
Students are introduced to natural selection, specifically how it unfolds from generation to generation.
Material Type: Lesson Plan
