Science+Resources+grades+6-8

Post your grades 6-8 science resources here.

1. a) Physical science. b) Chemical reactions c) This covers the exact topic expected for middle school students on chemical reactions and is both very engaging as well as through in covering the subject matter. a) Planning and Carrying out Investigations. b) This episode (like all Bill Nye episodes) gives students an experiment/investigation they can try on their own (in this case using vinegar and baking soda to create carbon dioxide gas). a) Energy and Matter: Flows, Cycles, and Conservation. b) Chemical reactions are a property of matter and this episode explores thoroughly how chemical reactions are a part of our everyday lives such as vinegar and baking soda making CO2 or the chemical reactions in a baking cake.
 * Your name:** Kurt Handrich
 * Title:** Bill Nye: Chemical Reactions video
 * Location:** [] (Can also be found in school resources such as “Safari Montage”)
 * Type of Resource:** Video
 * Disciplinary Core Idea:**
 * Scientific and Engineering Practices:**
 * Cross Cutting Concepts**:
 * Description:** This episode would be very appropriate for 6th-8th grades. It is an episode of the popular “Bill Nye the Science Guy” TV show which uses the format of humor, hands on experiments, and MTV style television to engage students in learning science. This particular episode is on chemical reactions and shows Bill in his lab using explosive reactions, youth doing home experiments, out in the world real life scientists, and numerous other engaging experiences to draw the students in. It is definitely best in a middle school as it presents complex scientific ideas that would be beyond many elementary students. I would use it as an introduction to the topic, possibly stopping in the middle to have the students try the vinegar and baking soda experiment themselves before finishing the video. I would want to follow it up with additional classroom instruction and hands on experiences as it is not a standalone resource.

2. a.) Physical Science b.) Matter / Atoms c.) Students can watch this video to get an engaging lesson on atoms, while also learning about matter, molecules, protons, electrons, neutrons, nucleus, energy and more. a.) Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information b.) Students are learning about atoms and more on the video and then they are discussing and sharing their thoughts about what they learned with their class. a.) Scale, Proportion, and Quantity b.) Students are learning that atoms are the smallest components of matter that cannot be broken down or cut apart any further. These atoms are the basic building blocks used to make other things.
 * Name:** Karla Atkinson
 * Title:** Bill Nye the Science Guy - Atoms
 * Location:** [] (Many schools own these DVDs)
 * Type of Resource:** Video
 * Disciplinary Core Idea:**
 * Scientific and Engineering Practices:**
 * Cross Cutting Concepts:**
 * Description:** This is a great video to use for upper elementary or middle school students, 6-8 grades. By using and talking about normal everyday items and referring to it as matter, students will start to understand that every “thing” in the world is matter. They show the example of what an atom is by chopping a large block of cheese in half, then in half again, and again, and again, until the piece of cheese is too small to divide in half again, even when using a microscope. This is a good way of illustrating that something that cannot be cut in half any more (is in its smallest form) is called an atom. There are a few points in the video I would stop and ask students questions, such as: How small is an atom? & How many atoms could we put on the head of a pin? (1 million) The video also had an experiment for students to try and they had a nuclear physicist on the video, talking about studying the inside of atoms, which is a nice science career link for students to think about. The video ended with a catchy song named, “Atoms in My Life.” Bill Nye has MANY videos about different science topics. Students LOVE watching and learning from them!

3. a.) Physical Science b.) Gravity c.) Students will learn about gravity by dropping objects of different size and weights to the floor. a.) Analyzing and Interpreting Data b.) Students will conduct experiments dropping objects to the ground and recording which objects landed first, last, or at the same time, followed by discussion of possible reasons for the results. a.) Cause and Effect: Mechanism and Explanation b.) Students will understand how the force of gravity along with air resistance determines the rate of speed that an object will fall.
 * Name:** Karla Atkinson
 * Title:** Gravity Gets You Down
 * Location:** []
 * Type of Resource:** Lesson Plan/Lab
 * Disciplinary Core Idea:**
 * Scientific and Engineering Practices:**
 * Cross Cutting Concepts:**
 * Description:** This would be a good lesson for students in middle school, grades 6-8. Students are able to learn about gravity and air resistance through an experiment using objects of different size and weight. They will discuss prior to the experiments what they expect will happen. Then after the experiment they will share what actually happened along, followed by a discussion about why they think they got the results they did. They will discuss the effect that gravity and air resistance can have on falling objects and their rate of speed while falling. This lesson plan includes some good discussion questions to follow up with. A few of them include: Describe how the human body has adapted to the force of gravity on Earth over time. How might it have evolved if gravity had not been present? & Discuss Newton’s Law of Motion. Which law or laws involve the force of gravity? Give examples of each law of motion that occurs in your everyday life. These questions give the topic relevancy to the student’s daily lives, which will motivate them to learn. (There are many other interesting lesson plans at [|www.discoveryeducation.com])

4. a) Earth and Space Science b) Variable based on which workshop is chosen, but I’ll discuss constellations for 6th-8th grade c) Students will learn the Greek and Native American myths behind constellations, then get to make their own star locator to find stars, constellations, and planets. a) Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information b) Students will learn the myths behind constellations, then actually find the constellations for themselves, deciding what is or isn’t truth in the original myths. a) Stability and chagne b) Students will learn the mythical roots behind astrology, then see the scientific aspect of it that is provable thousands of years later. The Space Place also offers free workshops and guest presentations on Saturdays for families. This is a wonderful hidden resource for the Madison community!
 * Your name:** Erica Frye
 * Title:** UW Space Place
 * Location:** 2300 South Park Street, Madison (website: http://www.spaceplace.wisc.edu/index.shtml)
 * Type of Resource:** Community resource-fieldtrip
 * Disciplinary Core Idea:**
 * Scientific and Engineering Practices:**
 * Cross Cutting Concepts**:
 * Description:** The UW Space Place is an affordable resource for K-8 students in Madison. Groups of 15-50 people can visit in one group, with only a $3/student charge (adult chaperones are free). Each workshop is approximately an hour long, and the students, regardless of age, will have a fun project to take home after their visit. The Space Place fieldtrip page recommends that teachers leave enough time for approximately a half hour of free exploration after the workshop is over so students can experience everything the Space Place has to offer.

5. a) Physical Science b) Air pressure, density, forces and motion, and energy c) This site offers video clips of several science investigations for students with the above topics, all of which are included within physical science. a) Constructing explanations and designing solutions b) All of the video investigations are divided into at least two parts, which allows for students to predict what will happen, based on prior knowledge, then try to explain the result they see in the subsequent part. a) Patterns b) These video clips would best be used with additional hands-on experiments, which would allow students to see repeating patterns.
 * Your name:** Erica Frye
 * Title:** Physical Science Investigations
 * Location:** http://www.wviz.org/psi
 * Type of Resource:** Community resource-fieldtrip
 * Disciplinary Core Idea:**
 * Scientific and Engineering Practices:**
 * Cross Cutting Concepts**:
 * Description:** Physical Science Investigation, or PSI (yes, there’s a CSI feel to the website), is a great resource for middle school teachers. The website is specifically designed to work with inquiry-based classroom work. Each video comes with a lab report outline and investigation sheet (which I wouldn’t use), as well as T-charts, additional links, and teacher resources. As I mentioned earlier, each topic’s video is divided into two segments, which allows students to predict what will happen, then try to explain what happened at the end. These videos would be phenomenal to use as an engagement strategy for any physical science investigation.

6. Name: Melissa Butler Title: Interactive Universe Location: [] Type of Resource: Interactive Website Disciplinary Core Idea: a) Earth/Space b) Earth and the Solar System c) Students study different aspects of the solar system. Scientific and Engineering Practices: a) Analyzing and Interpreting Data b) Students analyze and compare the different measurements of their choice (size, density, etc) of different aspects of the solar system. Cross Cutting Concepts: a) Scale, Proportion, and Quantity b) Students are comparing different measurements of things in the solar system. Description: This would be applicable for students in grades 6-8. Students explore the website, reading up on different parts of the solar system. They can then choose a type of measurement that they would like to compare between different parts of the solar system and with one thing on earth that would help make it more understandable. For example, a student might choose to compare the sizes of some different of a couple of planets and a comet. They would then find something that we know about the size of on earth to make it more understandable (like the size of school). I like the website and how interactive it is and I also like giving the students a lot of choice in what they will study.

7.

Using SimCity (online city simulation game) to explore energy production, use and impacts on cultural, economic and environmental systems.
Name: Kurt N. Smith – knsmith1@wolfmail.stritch.edu Title: Power to the People: Energy Consumption, Costs & Consequences Location: [] - [|__http://www.simcityedu.org/unit-plans/power-to-the-people-energy-consumption-costs-consequences__] Type of Resource: Interactive/ Lab Exploration __Disciplinary Core Idea: Earth Science__ __ESS3.A - Natural Resources__ Resource availability has guided the development of human society and use of natural resources has associated costs, risks, and benefits. __ESS3.C - Human impacts on Earth systems__ Societal activities have had major effects on the land, ocean, atmosphere, and even outer space. Societal activities can also help protect Earth’s resources and environments. The lesson requires the students to simulate how the use of different resources to generate energy has an environmental, economic and cultural impact on human development. __Scientific and Engineering Practices: Developing and using models__ Develop and/or use a model to generate data to test ideas about phenomena in natural or designed systems, including those representing inputs and outputs, and those at unobservable scales. The students construct an environmental simulation that responds to their ideas about phenomena just like a real city based upon the artificial intelligence incorporated into the program. __Cross Cutting Concepts: Cause and Effect: Mechanism and Explanation__ Students can control the input (cause) and see the effects that their designs have on their simulation in both the short term and the long term to various systems. __Description:__ This interactive exploration would be appropriate for 5th, 6th, 7th or 8th grade students. Students would need to have access to a Windows computer and the internet in order to construct and test cities and explore how the use of different sources of energy impact the cultural, economic and environmental systems of their simulation. Using a game is the ideal way to reach those students who may find science boring and without connection to their daily lives. The latest version of SimCity has multiplayer capabilities so students can choose to work together on multi-city simulations or explore ideas on their own.

8.

Students learn how AM radios work through basic concepts about waves and magnetic fields.
Name: Kurt N. Smith – knsmith1@wolfmail.stritch.edu Title: Riding the Radio Waves Location: [|__http://www.teachengineering.org/__] - [|__http://www.teachengineering.org/view_lesson.php?url=collection/duk_/lessons/duk_amradio_tech_less/duk_amradio_tech_less.xml__] Type of Resource: Lesson Plan __Disciplinary Core Idea: Physical Science__ PS4.B Electromagnetic radiation Both an electromagnetic wave model and a photon model explain features of electromagnetic radiation broadly and describe common applications of electromagnetic radiation. The lesson allows students to explore the concepts of both waves (transverse and longitudinal waves, amplitude and frequency) and magnetic fields __Scientific and Engineering Practices: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions__ Apply scientific ideas, principles, and/or evidence to construct, revise and/or use an explanation for real-world phenomena, examples, or events. The students will apply the concepts of waves and magnetic field to construct an explanation for how an AM radio transmitter works. __Cross Cutting Concepts: Systems and System Models__ Students will create a representation of an AM transmitter through the hands on activity included in this lesson that allows them to understand the connection between magnetism and radio waves __Description:__ This lesson plan is described as appropriate for grade 7 through 9. TeachEngineering.org is a resource from the American Society for Engineering Education. The lesson involves the use of a electromagnet, a radio, and an "old school" tape player to demonstrate the transfer of the signal from the radio to the tape player by the use of a transmitting antenna. This specific lesson plan as presented does not align with the inquiry model in the sequence of activities presented. There is a strong engagement strategy and presentation of the understanding of wave forms. Students stand in a line with their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them. The teacher then moves the first student to create a wave through all of the students. By rearranging the activities this lesson can easily be "inquirized".

9.

Recorded Lecture from the Western Region Colloquium of the USGS
Name: Kurt N. Smith – knsmith1@wolfmail.stritch.edu Title: Unscientific Publishing: Top Ten Reasons to Worry about the Future of Scientific Publications Location: [|__http://education.usgs.gov/lectures.html__] - [|__http://media.wr.usgs.gov/colloquium/WRC_15feb07.mp4__] Type of Resource: Community Resource (Free Material) __Disciplinary Core Idea: Engineering, Technology and Application of Science__ N.A. Resource availability has guided the development of human society and use of natural resources has associated costs, risks, and benefits. This lecture provides students with an example of how the distribution of science, technology and engineering information to the scientific community and the public has changed over time and are influenced by economic forces __Scientific and Engineering Practices: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information__ Gather, read, and synthesize information from multiple appropriate sources and assess the credibility, accuracy, and possible bias of each publication and methods used, and describe how they are supported or not supported by evidence. The students are provided with background and examples of the concerns that scientists have with the distribution, credibility, accuracy, and accessibility of scientific publishing to the general public. __Cross Cutting Concepts: N.A. - Appendix H: Understandings about the Nature of Science__ Science knowledge is cumulative and many people, from many generations and nations, have contributed to science knowledge. Students can control the input (cause) and see the effects that their designs have on their simulation in both the short term and the long term to various systems. __Description:__ This lecture would be appropriate for 6th, 7th or 8th grade students as good background knowledge to understand the current process of distributing of scientific information between scientists and to the public. Though this lesson does not clearly support one of the (3) main Disciplinary Cores with substandard (PS, LS, ES) this lesson supports the idea of studying science as if students were scientists. This 50 minute lecture could form the basis for a "flipped classroom" lesson, with teacher editing to cut out off-topic discussions and the Q&A session. The workshop session during class would involve students doing library research to find examples of good scientific publications and bad scientific publication using the characteristics the lecturer presented.

10.

An online simulation student can use to experiment with natural selection
Name: Kurt N. Smith – knsmith1@wolfmail.stritch.edu Title: Natural Selection Simulation Location: [|__http://phet.colorado.edu/en/about__] - [|__http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/natural-selection__] Type of Resource: Interactive/ Lab Exploration __Disciplinary Core Idea: Life Science__ LS4.C Adaptation Species can change over time in response to changes in environmental conditions through adaptation by natural selection acting over generations. Traits that support successful survival and reproduction in the new environment become more common.ESS3.C - Human impacts on Earth systems The simulation allows students to experiment and explore how the concepts of mutations and limiting factors influence natural selection. __Scientific and Engineering Practices: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations__ Collect data to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence to answer scientific questions or test design solutions under a range of conditions. Students will need to develop a scientific approach to working with the variables of (3) types of mutation, (2) limiting factors and (2) environments in order to collect data to develop a hypothesis. __Cross Cutting Concepts: Cause and Effect: Mechanism and Explanation__ Students will use cause and effect relationships to predict phenomena in natural systems, but also understand that some cause and effect relationships in systems can only be described using probability. __Description:__ This interactive exploration would be appropriate for 7th or 8th grade students. The simulation allows students to control the adaptation of a single bunny pair by the introduction of mutations, controlling if these mutations are dominant or recessive genes, and modifying the controlling factors in the environment (food source and predators) Students would need to have access to a computer in order to access the flash based simulation. There are multiple lesson plans included with this resource that cover middle school through high school classes. This is the first resource that I have found that has a lesson plan that is in the 5E – Inquiry Based organizational format.

11. Season 1: Blowin’ in the Wind [] Activity: []
 * Your Name**: Kelly Thomsen
 * Title**: SciGirls – Blowin’ in the Wind
 * Location**:

a. Physical Science b. wind turbines c. This video can be used to engage and excite students to create their own wind turbine to power something of their choosing. a. Planning and Carrying out investigations, Analyzing and Interpreting Data, Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions b. The video demonstrates the process real scientists go through when they investigate a topic/problem, brainstorm and design a solution, and test that solution. a. Energy and Matter b. The main idea is to learn how to transfer one type of energy into another. This resource is a TV series to excite and engage girls in science. I think it could be used in an upper elementary school or middle school classroom. I found the videos very interesting and engaging. In the video the girls start with a real world problem, do research and brainstorm solutions, design and create prototypes and test them. Each video is about 30 minutes, however you can choose to watch each section of the process separately. There is also an activity for the students to try that is like what they did on the video. I watched bits and pieces of a couple. I really liked how the girls sought out experts or mentors for advice during the brainstorming/researching stage.
 * Type of Resource**: Videos/Lab
 * Disciplinary Core Idea:**
 * Scientific and Engineering Practices**:
 * Cross Cutting Concepts**:
 * Description**:

12. **Name:** Galen Pardo **Title:** Satellite Meteorology: For Grades 7-12 **Location:** [] **Type of Resource:** Interactive “learning modules” **Description:** This website provides ten different learning modules on the topics of weather satellites, weather satellites and orbits, electromagnetic radiation, cloud identification, satellite images, satellite winds, forecasting, wild weather, monitoring the global environment, and the SUOMI NPP, JPSS, and GOES-R satellites. Each one of these topics has a slide show that contains a wealth of information on the respective topics, and interactive simulations where students can play with the different variables of a particular system and witness the cause and effect relationship of these factors and how they relate to the given topic. These slide shows would be most appropriate with upper middle school students. I would use this site as a way for kids to start exploring the effects of certain variables found in weather systems so as to give them some ideas of variables they might want to test in an experiment of their
 * Disciplinary Core Idea: **
 * 1) Earth and Space Sciences
 * 2) Earth Systems
 * 3) Weather and Climate
 * 4) I would use this website to have students explore the different factors that affect the observation and formation of clouds and weather systems.
 * Scientific and Engineering Practices **
 * 1) Collect data to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence to answer scientific questions or test design solutions under a range of conditions.
 * 2) This resource provides tones of information but it also provides interactive simulations where you can change the conditions to observe the effects.
 * Cross Cutting Concepts **
 * 1) Cause and Effect
 * 2) The interactive learning modules provide simulations where the students can observe the cause and effect relationships of the different factors affecting weather systems.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">13.


 * Name:** Galen Pardo


 * Title:** Information Goes From Chromosome to Protein: Animated Outline


 * Location:** __[]__


 * Type of Resource:** Web-based cell model animation


 * Disciplinary Core Idea:**


 * 1) Life Sciences
 * 2) [|From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes]
 * 3) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">I would use this website as a resource for students to gain ideas on how they might create their own representation of the different functions of the cell organelles.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">**Scientific and Engineering Practices:**


 * 1) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Develop a model to describe unobservable mechanisms.
 * 2) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Students can see the different cell organelles in action and gain a better idea of how to represent these different mechanisms in their own models.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">**Cross Cutting Concepts:**


 * 1) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Complex and microscopic structures and systems can be visualized, modeled, and used to describe how their function depends on the relationships among its parts, therefore complex natural structures/systems can be analyzed to determine how they function.
 * 2) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">The animations allow for students to see these unobservable mechanisms interact allowing for a better understanding of their relationships among the different organelles.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">**Description:** This resource is appropriate for upper elementary and middle school students. The website is very basic but has wonderful step by step animations, with written descriptions, for several different topics surrounding cell anatomy. I found that the most useful, all-encompassing, animation on this website was the one on cell function. This animation uses the process of forming proteins from chromosomes to illustrate the function of the different cell organelles. I would use this as a resource for students to use in developing their own models of the different cell mechanisms. Students who might be focusing on individual parts of the cell can use the other animations on this site that focus in on more specific mechanisms found in the cell. This site also includes a few other animation topics such as viruses, water, and evolution, all of which do a great job of providing an active visualization for the unobservable, or not easily observable.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">14.


 * Name: ** Cassie Paulsen


 * Title: ** Drilling to Antarctica’s Rock Core


 * Location: ** []

And []


 * Type of Resource: ** Video


 * Disciplinary Core Idea: **


 * 1) STEM
 * 2) Links among engineering, technology & society
 * 3) The video is about a research project that hopes to answer the question of how our planet has changed over the years and to hopefully predict how it might change in the future


 * Scientific & Engineer Practices: **


 * 1) Asking questions & defining problems; analyzing & interpreting data
 * 2) Students can follow along with the scientists and come up with their own questions and answers, as well has predict what could happen and how the data could be analyzed


 * Cross Cutting Concepts: **


 * 1) Cause & effect: mechanism & explanation
 * 2) Students can go further than watching the video, do research about the ANDRILL project and look for their own causes and effects regarding this project and the history of our geological record.


 * Description: **

I think would be great in a middle school setting. I think I would combine this video with the website and other resources regarding the ANDRILL project, in hopes to give students a better understanding of what this group is and why their work is important. I think I would try to implement group discussion as well.

15.


 * Name: ** Cassie Paulsen


 * Title: ** Food Chains / Middle School


 * Location: ** []


 * Type of Resource: ** Lesson Plan/Lab


 * Disciplinary Core Idea: **


 * 1) Life/Environmental
 * 2) Ecology/Ecosystems
 * 3) According The Free Dictionary ([|www.thefreedictionary.com]), a food chain is “a succession of organisms in an ecological community that constitutes a continuation of food energy from one organism to another as each consumes a lower member and in turn is preyed upon by a higher member.” So, in my words – food chains are very important to ecosystems.


 * Scientific & Engineer Practices: **


 * 1) Developing & using models; Asking questions & defining problems
 * 2) The lab starts out with the questions “what would happen to the chain if a link broke off?” From the beginning students are being asked to solve a problem. Later they do an activity where they are creating their own chain with animals given to them by their teacher – they’re creating their own model of a food chain


 * Cross Cutting Concepts: **


 * 1) Cause & effect: mechanism & explanation; energy & matter: flows, cycles & conservation
 * 2) This is another cause & effect – if one animal/organism disappears from the chain, what happens? These animals/organisms gain their energy from whatever is below them in the chain.


 * Description: **

I think this is a lab that would be appropriate for fifth-eighth graders. Some of the words may be too hard to understand for younger students, but by fifth grade these terms should start becoming a part of their vocabulary. I like this activity, I think I could easily link this to other areas, like economics – a flood happened, and the corn harvest of shot. Farmers are losing money, but are we able to get that source of food or energy for ourselves? What about insects that eat the corn in the field, what about them? I would love to involve technology, look to see if there are presentations with visuals of how a piece of grass is a key part in a hawk’s diet or something along those lines.

16.


 * Name:** Megan York


 * Title:** Impact Craters


 * Location:** []


 * Type of Resource:** Lesson Plan/Lab


 * Disciplinary Core Idea:**

a) Earth and Space Science


 * 1) a. Space Objects, Planetary Surfaces
 * 2) b. This activity is intended to simulate how craters were formed on the moon’s surface

b) Physical Science


 * 1) a. Force, Impact
 * 2) b. The students experiment with how weight and distance affect the impact crater formed when dropping various objects into a material.


 * Scientific and Engineering Practices:**

a) Planning and Carrying out Investigations


 * 1) a. Students are given several variables to manipulate (material type, object, distance). Students should plan an investigation to explore the effects of these variables

b) Analyzing and Interpreting Data


 * 1) a. Students look at the data gathered from their investigation to determine what has an affect on the crater size

c) Using Mathematics, Information and Computer Technology, and Computational Thinking


 * 1) a. Students form relationships using math from the data collected (linear, exponential, etc.)


 * Cross Cutting Concepts:**

a) Patterns


 * 1) a. Students look for patterns within the data

b) Cause and Effect: Mechanism and Explanation


 * 1) a. Students are examining how the variables change the crater formed

c) Energy and Matter: Flows, Cycles, and Conservation


 * 1) a. The formation of the crater is formed based off of energy transfers, and is based in Newton’s Third Law


 * Description:**

This could be used in upper elementary, but I see it fitting best with the standards in middle school (especially MS-PS2-1). The activity allows students many variables to manipulate, and you can instruct them on a proper investigation so they can assess the impact of each variable independently on the crater size. Due to the number of variables built in, the activity allows for a lot of student choice.

17. a) Earth Science b) Physical Science c) Engineering, Technology and Application of Science a) Planning and Carrying out Investigations b) Developing and Using Models a) Cause and Effect: Mechanism and Explanation b) Energy and Matter: Flows, Cycles, and Conservation This looks like an amazing resource for all K-8 (12!). They have a variety of programs designed for elementary through high school. Field trips are relatively inexpensive ($3/person) and there are a wide variety of topics (not all are listed here). The center has many resources that may not be available in the typical classroom (electron microscope, PCR – polymerase chain reaction – equipment, and more sophisticated chemicals). All of the field trips are hands-on and – through the limited descriptions on the website – seem to encourage student-led discoveries, especially in the higher-level trips.
 * Name:** Megan York
 * Title:** Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery
 * Location:** [|http://discovery.wisc.edu/home/town-center/programs--events/field-trips/ - Discover]
 * Type of Resource:** Community Resource: Field Trip
 * Disciplinary Core Idea:**
 * 1) a. Discover the Town Center – Fossil Explorations
 * 2) b. The field trip examines fossils, how they are created, and what they can tell scientists (4-ESS1-1).
 * 1) a. “The Wonders of Physics”
 * 2) b. The field trip “covers the six main areas of classical physics: motion, heat, sound, electricity, magnetism and light.”
 * 1) a. Materials Science Field trips
 * 2) b. These sessions look at modern materials and expand the knowledge. Topics can include creating liquid crystals from a laptop screen and making a solar cell from a raspberry.
 * Scientific and Engineering Practices:**
 * Students conduct investigations and can manipulate various factors, depending on field trip chosen.
 * Students creates models of the topics discussed, such as the solar cell from a raspberry
 * Cross Cutting Concepts:**
 * Some of the field trips discuss how scientific principles work, such as the formation of fossils, how materials used to form liquid crystals effect the product, etc.
 * The physics field trip investigates the major areas of physics, and touches on these principles.
 * Description:**

18. Becky Mallory <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Title: Phases of the Moon <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Location: [|__http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/telling-time-by-the-light-of-the-moon.cfm__] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Type of Resource: Lesson Plan <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Disciplinary Core Idea: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">a) Earth and Space Science <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">b) Earth and the Solar System <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">c) Students are learning the phases of the moon, how to tell time by the light of the moon and earth’s relationship with the moon and sun . <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Scientific and Engineering Practices: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">a) Developing and Using Models <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">b) Students are making their own flip books that demonstrate the cycle of the moon and other related concepts/vocabulary like elongation, local solar time and diameter of the moon. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Cross Cutting Concepts: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">a) Patterns <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">b) The key is for students to see how the moon changes over time and how the process repeats itself; they will expand their understanding of this pattern by learning about various concepts the phases of the moon affect. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Description: This lesson plan is meant for grades 6-8. The plan walks you through everything from the objectives to the assessment and includes additional suggestions for discussion questions. It includes templates for the flip book and how to tell time according to the phases of the moon and other additional print outs. I liked how this lesson used a performance assessment that involves the students holding a basketball out in front of them and positioning their body in different ways to demonstrate the moon’s relationship to the earth when it’s in different phases. There are a couple things I would change, including a different engagement strategy. When I visited my cooperating teacher for my student teaching placement she was teaching the phases of the moon and had a really catchy song/rap that had arm motions and everything. It got stuck in my head and likely did the same for the students. She also used a fun (and tasty) oreo lab, where students broke off pieces of the outside of the oreo, revealing varying amounts of the white center, as a way to show students what the different phases look like.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">19. Becky Mallory <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Title: Biology Concepts w/ Animations & Activities <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Location: [|__http://www.biologyinmotion.com/__] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Type of Resource: Interactive Website <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Disciplinary Core Idea: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">a) Life Science <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">b) Structure and Function; Natural Selection; Inheritance of Traits <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">c) I’d use this website as a supplement to lessons on the following topics: evolution; ATP and energy storage; fat digestion and bile; thyroid gland; cardiovascular system; cell division; physiology of kidneys. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Scientific and Engineering Practices: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">a) Obtaining, Evaluating and Communicating Information <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">b) Students would be “in the driver’s seat,” doing the clicking and dragging on this interactive website that demonstrates how different biological structures work through animations and mini lessons. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Cross Cutting Concepts: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">a) Structure and Function <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">b) Students will investigate the role of different systems within the human body by looking at a range of biological concepts. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Description: This interactive website is fun and informative; it could be used for upper elementary students and middle schoolers. There are several mini lessons that are animated and interactive. Students could either work in groups or on their own in the computer lab- answering and asking questions about the material. I would find out what prior knowledge students have on topics like the cardiovascular system or how we inherit genes. We could use a KWL chart and come up with questions we have together prior to looking at the site. There is a lot of scientific vocabulary on this site so I would want to make sure we were making anchor charts and practicing using the different words in different contexts. Some of the simulations (ex. evolution lab) were not very user-friendly, but there is a lot of good material in the introduction to the simulations and conclusions. I would mostly use this site as a fun way to review or supplement material. It would be great for visual and kinesthetic learners since there are graphics and the students have to click and move things.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">20. Becky Mallory <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Title: Technology & the Environment for Middle School <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Location: [|__http://msp.ehe.osu.edu/wiki/index.php/MSP:MiddleSchoolPortal/Technology_and_the_Environment:_A_Middle_School_Mix#Wastewater_Treatment__] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Type of Resource: Community Resource-free materials, lesson ideas <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Disciplinary Core Idea: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">a) Engineering, Technology and Application of Science <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">b) Developing Possible Solutions <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">c) This resources gives suggestions for scenarios that require the students to act as scientists and come up with solutions to environmental issues. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Scientific and Engineering Practices: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">a) Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions; Analyzing and Interpreting Data <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">b) Students will be looking at the impact technology has on environment and other related topics such as pollution. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Cross Cutting Concepts: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">a) Cause and Effect: Mechanism and Explanation <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">b) The objective is for students to understand the influence technology has on the environment, looking at it from several different perspectives through a variety of activities. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Description: This website gives teachers ideas for how to plan activities to have the students act as scientists. I would use it for grades 6-8 because the content is tied to National Standards for kids at that age. The topics covered include pollution, wastewater treatment, and careers related to technology and the environment. I would develop lessons using this resource that would ask students to use problem solving skills, interpret data and come up with solutions to challenges that we face as a population.

Name: Michael Sheahan

Title: Search for Ice and Snow

Location: http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/techlp/techlp050.shtml

Type of Resource: Online lesson plan

Disciplinary Core Idea:

A. Earth Science

B. Environmental Science-Ecosystems

C. This lesson explores and would ultimately compare different ecosystems over time

using maps, satellite images and data.

Scientific and Engineering Practices:

A. Engaging in Arguments from Evidence, Obtaining, Evaluating and Communicating

Information, Developing and Using Models

B. Students will gather information from maps, satellite images and data. They will then

use that information to construct a visual, written and oral argument about climate

change.

Cross Cutting Concepts

A. Stability and Change

B. Students will explore how the world’s climate has changed over the last 200 years

and argue how those changes may impact the stability of the world’s ecosystem.

Description: This lesson would be a week-long, appropriate for 5th-8th grade. at the end of a unit on climate and ecosystems. I would tweak the lesson plan from the site to make it a bit more interactive and relevant. The lesson on the site is simply to find places in the world that have snow and ice by examining satellite photos and a world map. While I would teach this lesson to help familiarize students with maps and identifying climatological features, ultimately I would want them to use the information to engage in a debate about climate change. I would like to extend the time frame of photos and also introduce data in order to get students to compare and analyze information. They would then use the information they gathered (I would have them work in groups of 4 or 5) and create a visual, written and oral presentation of their findings. The idea is to explore whether the climate is changing at different/faster rate than has been true for the last 200 years. I would hope to get to a conversation about a possible reason for the extreme changes were a result of the rise in human population. Tackling the human causes of climate change would be a great unit to follow up with after this project. We could use the inquiry process to explore the possible reasons behind the changes in world climate over the last 100 years.

Possible NGSS Connections:

MS-ESS2-6. Develop and use a model to describe howunequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns ofatmospheric and oceanic circulation that determineregional climates.

MS-ESS3-4. Construct an argument supported by evidence for howincreases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resourcesimpact Earth's systems.

Title: Human Body Project

Location: http://questgarden.com/97/36/0/100227172343/index.htm

http://www.innerbody.com/

Type of Resource: Online lesson plan, Interactive online tool (which could be used on a whiteboard)

Disciplinary Core Idea:

A. Life Science

B. Human processes associated with the body

C. Students will identify one question they have about how the human body works and

determine how that process interacts with other body processes.

Science and Engineering Practices:

A. Planning and Carrying out investigations

B. Students will come up with their own questions and then investigate the questions

using at least 4 different resources provided in the lesson plan.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

A. Systems and System Models

B. Students will be exploring human systems, how those systems manifest themselves

everyday life, as well as how they interact with other processes.

Description: This is a project designed for 3rd-5th grade, but I think it could work for middle school as well. The idea is an inquiry-based lesson based on questions students come up with about how their body systems work. Each student will work independently to create a questions and then research that question using a set of predefined resources. Students will then present their information in the format of their choice-speech, radio show, poster, song, paper, etc. I would add the innerbody.com resource as a requirement for presentation. It would give every student the opportunity to use the smart board as well as present a clear picture to every classmate which system was being presented on.

Possible NGSS Standard Connections:

MS-LS1-3. Use argument supported by evidence for how the body is a system of interacting subsystems composed of groups of cells.

HS-LS1-2. Develop and use a model to illustratethe hierarchical organizationof interacting systemsthat provide specific functions within multicellular organisms.

HS-LS1-3. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence thatfeedback mechanismsmaintain homeostasis.

Title: Rube Goldberg

Location: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w

Type of Resource: YouTube Video

Disciplinary Core Idea:

A. Physical Science

B. Forces and Interactions

C. A Rube Goldberg machine illustrates motion and stability of an object and how forces

interact.

Scientific Engineering Practices:

A. Developing and using models

B. Students can design and create a rube Goldberg Machine to model “if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or a pull.”(http://www.nextgenscience.org/search-performance-expectations?term_node_tid_depth%5B%5D=134)

Cross Cutting Concepts:

A. Cause and Effect: Mechanism and Explanation

B. Students will create and explain how their machines affected the force and speed of an object. They will also make predictions prior to creating their machines as to whether or not their designs will work.

Description: Designing and creating a Rube Goldberg Machine is great way to illustrate force cause and effect. I would show the video as an engagement strategy to get the students excited about the project. In addition to the video, there is information on the making of the video. This information would illustrate all the planning and trial and error that went into creating the giant machine. Students would then create a design and make predictions on how certain items would behave. They would then create their machines and compare their predictions to the actual behavior. An optional activity would be to then make adjustments to their design based on the testing of the machine. Students would have to justify why they made adjustments, retest and share the results.

Possible NGSS Standard Connections:

K-PS2-2. Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or pull.

Title: Paper Airplane

Location: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wedcZp07raE

TypeofResource: Youtube Video

Disciplinary Core Idea:

A. Engineering, Technology and Application of Science

B. Engineering Design

C. Students will design and create paper airplanes that will travel as far as possible.

Scientific and Engineering Practices:

A. Developing and Using Models

B. Students will need to make decisions in their designs concerning what types of

shapes fly best. They will then need to justify their decisions before folding the paper to

fly.

Cross Cutting Concepts:

A. Structure and Function

B. Students will need to understand and predict how their designs will affect the plane’s

flight.

Description: I would show the video as an engagement activity. I would then tell the students that will need to design a paper airplane to travel as far as possible. They will all get the same materials, paper and tape. They will have to sketch out a design first and explain in writing and aloud how their design is going to affect the flight of the airplane. After they fly their planes they will need to record their findings and then explain whether their predictions were accurate or not and why. This could lead into a conversation and lesson about lift or design. It also gives students the opportunity to practice with prediction and data collection.

Possible NGSS Standard Connections:

K-2-ETS1-2. Develop a simplesketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate howthe shape of an object helps it functionas needed to solve a given problem.

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Sheri Hicken, Cohort #30


 * 1 | Title:** //Sizing up the Clouds to Forecast the Weather//


 * Location:** NASA - Activities for the Classroom | [] (Click link for //Sizing up the Clouds//)


 * Type of Resource:** Hands-on Activity///Learning Center//


 * Disciplinary Core Idea:**

a) Earth & Space Science

b) ESS2.D: Weather and Climate (K-ESS2-1: Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time)

c) Learners will share their experiences and understanding about clouds and discuss as a group why forecasting the weather can be tricky business.


 * Scientific and Engineering Practices:**

a) Analyzing and Interpreting Data; Engaging in Argument from Evidence

b) To make a precipitation estimate for each cloud, learners will set up a data sheet to record different observations they make of the three "clouds"; five different modes to measure their "estimates" will be used.


 * Cross Cutting Concepts**:

a) Patterns; Systems and Systems and Models

b) Different types of clouds will be talked about including how the type of cloud is "shaped" depending on their altitude, moisture content, winds, and other atmospheric conditions, while tools such as a CPR beam (flashlight) or "A-train" satellites (postal scale) will be used to replicate methods meteorologists use to estimate precipitation content of clouds.


 * Description:** "In this activity, you set up three simulated “clouds” representing three different cloud types. Learners will use different methods to estimate the “precipitation” contents of each cloud type. Each method is roughly analogous to methods actually used in weather forecasting. Finally, the “precipitation” from each cloud will be released, and the learners will compare their estimates to what is actually experienced on the “ground.” In addition to gaining an appreciation of weather forecasting issues and technologies, students will practice math skills, including estimating, percentages, ratios, and averages." (__source__: cloudsat_clouddemo.pdf)

Using the lesson as is, would be a better fit for older elementary and middle school; however, adaptations like using labeled cloud pictures could be made to make it appropriate for younger grades such as K-2. (Other potential adaptations might include: Showing a 7-minute weather forecasting video (source: []) or conducting a read aloud from a few weather-related children's books, //It Looked Like Spilled Milk// or //Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs//, noted within this lesson - [])