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Showing page 1 of 4 pages. Viewing records 1-10 of 36 records returned.
| Weather and Atmosphere |
In this unit, students learn the basics about weather and the atmosphere. They investigate materials engineering as it applies to weather and the choices available to us for clothing to counteract the...
...moreIn this unit, students learn the basics about weather and the atmosphere. They investigate materials engineering as it applies to weather and the choices available to us for clothing to counteract the effects of weather. Students have the opportunity to design and analyze combinations of materials for use in specific weather conditions. In the next lesson, students also are introduced to air masses and weather forecasting instrumentation and how engineers work to improve these instruments for atmospheric measurements on Earth and in space. Then, students learn the distinguishing features of the four main types of weather fronts that accompany high and low pressure air masses and how those fronts are depicted on a weather map. During this specific lesson, students learn different ways that engineers help with storm prediction, analysis and protection. In the final lesson of this unit, students consider how weather forecasting plays an important part in their daily lives by learning about the history of weather forecasting and how improvements in weather technology have saved lives by providing advance warning of natural disasters.
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8 (6-8) |
Subject Areas: 2
Lessons: 4
Activities: 4
Details |
| Floaters and Sinkers |
This curricular unit introduces students to the important concept of density. The focus is on the more easily understood densities of solids, but students can also explore the densities of liquids an...
...moreThis curricular unit introduces students to the important concept of density. The focus is on the more easily understood densities of solids, but students can also explore the densities of liquids and gases. Students devise methods to determine the densities of solid objects, including the method of water displacement to determine volumes of irregularly-shaped objects. By comparing densities of various solids to the density of water, and by considering the behavior of different solids when placed in water, students conclude that ordinarily, objects with densities greater than water will sink, while those with densities less than water will float. Students then explore the principle of buoyancy, and through further experimentation arrive at Archimedes' principle, which states that a floating object displaces a mass of water equal to its own mass. They may also be surprised to discover that a floating object displaces more water than a sinking object of the same volume.
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8 (7-9) |
Subject Areas: 2
Lessons: 2
Activities: 3
Details |
| Energy of Motion |
The Energy of Motion unit begins with mechanical energy and its two simplest forms: kinetic and potential energy. Next, the concept that energy can change forms is introduced, with examples of kinetic...
...moreThe Energy of Motion unit begins with mechanical energy and its two simplest forms: kinetic and potential energy. Next, the concept that energy can change forms is introduced, with examples of kinetic and potential energy interrelationships. Using the example of a waterwheel, the concepts of work and power are examined. Conservation of momentum and collisions are explored, with analogies to popular sports, and how elastic and inelastic collisions are considered in the games' design. To show another energy transformation concept, the behavior of energy dissipating into heat by means of friction is presented. Finally, a summary lesson provides a review to tie all these energy of motion concepts together.
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7 (6-8) |
Subject Areas: 2
Lessons: 5
Activities: 9
Details |
| Cellular Respiration and Population Growth |
Two lessons and their associated activities explore cellular respiration and population growth in yeasts. Yeast cells are readily obtained and behave predictably, so they are very appropriate to use ...
...moreTwo lessons and their associated activities explore cellular respiration and population growth in yeasts. Yeast cells are readily obtained and behave predictably, so they are very appropriate to use in middle school classrooms. In the first lesson, students are introduced to yeast respiration through its role in the production of bread and alcoholic beverages. A discussion of the effects of alcohol on the human body is used both as an attention-getting device, and as a means to convey important information at an impressionable age. In the associated activity, students set up a simple way to indirectly observe and quantify the amount of respiration occurring in yeast-molasses cultures. Based on questions that arise from this activity, in the second lesson students work in small groups as they design and execute their own experiments to determine how environmental factors affect yeast population growth.
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7 (7-10) |
Subject Areas: 2
Lessons: 2
Activities: 2
Details |
| Marine Mapping |
The marine environment is unique and requires technologies that can use sound to gather information since there is little light underwater. The seafloor is characterized using underwater sound and ac...
...moreThe marine environment is unique and requires technologies that can use sound to gather information since there is little light underwater. The seafloor is characterized using underwater sound and acoustical systems. Current technological innovations are allowing scientists to further understand and apply information about animal locations and habitat. Remote sensing and exploration with underwater vehicles allows scientists to map and understand the sea floor. Similar technologies also aid in animal tracking, a method used within science and commercial industries. The teacher will use inquiry-based learning techniques to teach students the importance of habitat mapping and animal tracking.
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7 (6-8) |
Subject Areas: 2
Lessons: 2
Activities: 2
Details |
| Asteroid Impact |
Asteroid Impact is an 8-10 class long (350-450 min) earth science curricular unit where student teams are posed with the scenario that an asteroid will impact earth. They must design the location and ...
...moreAsteroid Impact is an 8-10 class long (350-450 min) earth science curricular unit where student teams are posed with the scenario that an asteroid will impact earth. They must design the location and size of underground caverns to save the people from uninhabitable earth for one year. Driven by this adventure scenario, student teams (1) explore general and geological maps, (2) determine the area of their classroom to help determine the cavern size required, (3) learn about map scales, (4) test rocks, (5) identify important and not-so-important rock properties for underground caverns, and (6) choose a final location and size. The unit also reinforces a number of math, reading and writing standards.
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7 (6-8) |
Subject Areas: 1
Lessons: 8
Activities: 8
Details |
| Environmental Engineering |
In this unit, students explore the various roles of environmental engineers, including: environmental cleanup, water quality, groundwater resources, surface water and groundwater flow, water contamina...
...moreIn this unit, students explore the various roles of environmental engineers, including: environmental cleanup, water quality, groundwater resources, surface water and groundwater flow, water contamination, waste disposal and air pollution. Specifically, students learn about the factors that affect water quality and the conditions that allow for different animals and plants to survive in their environment. Next, students learn about groundwater and how environmental engineers study groundwater to predict the distribution of surface pollution. Students also learn how water flows through the ground, what an aquifer is and what soil properties are used to predict groundwater flow. Additionally, students discover that the water they drink everyday comes from many different sources, including surface water and groundwater. They investigate possible scenarios of drinking water contamination and how contaminants can negatively affect the organisms that come in contact with them. Students learn about the three most common methods of waste disposal and how environmental engineers continue to develop technologies to dispose of trash. Lastly, students learn what causes air pollution and how to investigate the different pollutants that exist, such as toxic gases and particulate matter. Also, they investigate the technologies developed by engineers to reduce air pollution.
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7 (6-8) |
Subject Areas: 1
Lessons: 7
Activities: 12
Details |
| Mission to Mars |
The Mission to Mars curricular unit introduces students to Mars — the Red Planet. Students discover why scientists are so interested in studying this mysterious planet. Many interesting facts about ...
...moreThe Mission to Mars curricular unit introduces students to Mars — the Red Planet. Students discover why scientists are so interested in studying this mysterious planet. Many interesting facts about Mars are revealed, and the history of Martian exploration is reviewed. Students will learn about the development of robotics and how robots are beneficial to science, society and the exploration of space. Details on engineers' involvement in space exploration are presented. Furthermore, students will learn how orbits allow astronauts to move from planet to planet and what type of equipment is used by scientists and engineers to safely explore space. Lastly, the specific details on and human risks for a possible future manned mission to Mars (and back to Earth again!) are discussed.
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7 (6-8) |
Subject Areas: 2
Lessons: 6
Activities: 7
Details |
| Plot Your Course - Navigation |
In this unit, students learn the very basics of navigation, including the different kinds of navigation and their purpose. The concepts of relative and absolute location, latitude, longitude and cardi...
...moreIn this unit, students learn the very basics of navigation, including the different kinds of navigation and their purpose. The concepts of relative and absolute location, latitude, longitude and cardinal directions are discussed, as well as the use and principles of a map and compass. Students will discover the history of navigation and learn the importance of math and how it ties into navigational techniques. Understanding how trilateration can determine one's location leads to a lesson on the global positioning system and how to use a GPS receiver. The unit concludes with an overview of orbits and spacecraft trajectories from Earth to other planets.
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7 (6-8) |
Subject Areas: 3
Lessons: 10
Activities: 23
Details |
| Spectroscopy |
Students learn how using a spectrograph helps us understand the composition of light sources. Using simple materials and holographic diffraction gratings (available online at a variety of sites, inclu...
...moreStudents learn how using a spectrograph helps us understand the composition of light sources. Using simple materials and holographic diffraction gratings (available online at a variety of sites, including Edmund Scientifics and the Rainbow Symphony Store for ~50 cents each), students create and customize their own spectrographs - just like engineers. They gather data about different light sources, make comparisons between sources, and theorize about their composition. Before building spectrographs, students learn and apply several methods to identify and interpret patterns, specifically different ways of displaying visual spectra. They also use spectral data from the Cassini mission to Saturn and its moon, Titan, to determine the chemical composition of the planet's rings and its moon's atmosphere.
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7 (6-8) |
Subject Areas: 1
Lessons: 0
Activities: 6
Details |
Showing page 1 of 4 pages. Viewing records 1-10 of 36 records returned.
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