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During this before activity, the students' prior knowledge will be assessed and activated by completing an ABC brainstorm of matter using the Alphabet Organizer tool. The digital tool allows the student to create an alphabet chart or book using words and pictures. The students can have voice and choice by choosing to create an alphabet chart with five words per letter or with a word, note, and picture for each letter. When the project is complete, the students can save their work, print their work, or share their work through an e-mail link. This web tool requires a computer with internet access and Adobe Flash Player.  

This activity was created as a result of the GAP Resource Summit.

Grade(s)

8

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Learning Activity

In this hands-on investigation, students will demonstrate how forces have an effect on objects. This lesson, “Move It!” is Day 1 in a series of lessons that help to explain how forces affect objects.  Students will identify objects that can be moved and demonstrate how movement puts objects in motion. In Day 2, “Push Me, Pull You”, students demonstrate that objects can be moved by pushing or pulling them. On Day 3, “Tug of War!”, students describe relative strengths and directions of the push or pull applied to an object.

This lesson results from a collaboration between the Alabama State Department of Education and ASTA.

Grade(s)

K

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Lesson Plan

In this PhET Activity, students will explore the relationships between the pressure, volume, temperature, and density of ideal gases. As an extension, students can visualize, using graphs, how the temperature and pressure of a gas impact the speed and kinetic energy of particles. This activity can be used as an exploratory introduction to the behavior of gases, as a digital lab, or to reinforce student knowledge of confined gases.

Grade(s)

9, 10, 11, 12

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

The teacher will present an informational text from the website, ReadWorks. Students will interact with this non-fiction text by annotating the text digitally. The students will answer the questions associated with the article as an assessment. This learning activity can introduce students to the concept of eclipses, serve as reinforcement after students have already learned this concept, or be used as an assessment at the conclusion of a lesson. 

Grade(s)

6

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

In this first episode of Crash Course Physics, Dr. Shini Somara introduces us to the ideas of motion in a straight line. She talks about displacement, acceleration, time, velocity, and the definition of acceleration.

Grade(s)

9, 10, 11, 12

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Students make observations and analyze data to investigate how the duration of daylight changes throughout a year. They consider their own experiences in addition to evidence gathered from videos, data tables, and a line graph to describe the pattern in the changing duration of daylight from January to December.

The associated lesson plan Investigating Daylight Throughout a Year provides more support for teachers and students, including handouts and materials for diverse learners, as well as information for customizing the data to your location.

Grade(s)

6

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Cows have adapted to an incredible range of environments as they have provided people with milk, meat, leather, and draft power. As a response to the many uses and habitats of cattle, a wide variety of breeds have been developed. Breeders of beef and dairy cattle carefully select cows from known breeds that will yield the most meat and milk. In this video from Nature, learn about the most desirable traits in both beef and dairy cows.

Grade(s)

7

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

This activity should be completed after teaching a lesson on animal adaptations and camouflage. Students will choose an animal and create an artwork by using a series of patterned dots to "camouflage" or blend their animal into the landscape. After completing their artwork, students will examine their artwork and demonstrate their scientific knowledge by answering reflection questions in their science journal. 

This activity was created as a result of the Arts COS Resource Development Summit.

Grade(s)

4

Subject Area

Arts Education
Science

Learning Resource Type

Learning Activity

In this lesson, students will gather quantitative information to construct a graph to show the period trends in electronegativity, electron affinity, and ionization energy. Once the trends are recognized, they will construct a model of these periodic trends using the Alabama Science in Motion Lab (Periodic Trends: Graphs and Straws). 

This lesson results from a collaboration between the Alabama State Department of Education and ASTA.

Grade(s)

9, 10, 11, 12

Subject Area

Digital Literacy and Computer Science
Science

Learning Resource Type

Lesson Plan

In this game, students will learn how carbon atoms move through different carbon reservoirs during the carbon cycle. Students can play the game as a single-player or join others in a multiplayer format. Students will begin to understand the delicate balance of the carbon cycle while playing this game. 

Grade(s)

6

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

We learn a lot about our surroundings thanks to sound. In this episode of Crash Course Physics, Dr. Shini goes over some of the basics (and some of the not so basics) of the Physics of Sound.

Grade(s)

9, 10, 11, 12

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Jump in with both feet as you watch oobleck (cornstarch and water mixture) videos and learn about three states of matter: solids, liquids, and gases. Learn to use captions and charts to make reading comprehension less messy and loads of fun.

Grade(s)

5

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

In these Hero Elementary activities, children explore solid and liquid materials. They observe, compare, and describe solid and liquid materials. They sort materials as solid or liquid. They find out how hot and cold can change the state of materials.

Grade(s)

2

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

In this activity, the students will read an article that explores the relationship between synthetic and natural materials. Next, the students will watch a short video clip related to synthetic materials in order to understand the impact these resources can have on society. As they watch the video, the students will assess its validity and purpose by using a graphic organizer.

This activity was created as a result of the DLCS COS Resource Development Summit.

Grade(s)

8

Subject Area

Science
Digital Literacy and Computer Science

Learning Resource Type

Learning Activity

This inquiry-based lesson provides an introduction to waves by using water waves to explore patterns of amplitude, wavelength, and frequency.  Students will investigate water waves in slow motion.

This lesson results from a collaboration between the Alabama State Department of Education and ASTA.

Grade(s)

4

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Lesson Plan

The teacher will present an informational text from the website, ReadWorks. The students and teacher can interact with this non-fiction text by annotating the text digitally. The students will answer the questions associated with the article as an assessment. This learning activity can be used to provide information regarding geologic events that happen over a short period of time, serve as reinforcement after students have already learned this concept, or be used as an assessment at the conclusion of a lesson. This learning activity includes a StepRead: StepReads are less complex versions of the original article. StepRead1 (SR1) is less complex than the original article, and StepRead2 (SR2) is less complex than SR1. This will allow the teacher to use this learning activity with students of varying ability levels. 

Grade(s)

2

Subject Area

English Language Arts
Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

In this episode of Crash Course Physics, Megneto helps Dr. Shini explain what induction is, how it works, and why magnetism is so seemingly complicated.

Grade(s)

9, 10, 11, 12

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Students learn about four factors that describe different types of weather—temperature, wind, precipitation, and sunlight and clouds—as they explore various weather conditions and find evidence that describes each type of weather in this interactive lesson by WGBH. Interactive activities engage students as they observe and identify evidence of changing weather conditions and record factors evident in various types of weather.  

Grade(s)

K

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Students investigate why summer days have more daylight hours than winter days, using data, observational videos, models, and informational text. They relate quantitative and qualitative data to models of the Earth-Sun system to discern a reason for the difference in the amount of daylight on a summer day and on a winter day. An extension activity enables students to apply learning to explain daylight differences in a southern hemisphere location. Investigating Daylight Throughout a Year can be used to provide foundational knowledge for this lesson. In that lesson, students use observations and quantitative data to characterize the differences in the amount of daylight in summer and in winter.

Grade(s)

6

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

In this lesson, students will use the concept of finding the probability of an offspring having more than one genetic trait simultaneously. They will use a shortcut method to find the probability and they will use a Punnett square calculator to check their answers. This lesson can be used to teach genetics in a science classroom or a practical "real world" application of probability calculations in a math classroom.

This activity was created as a result of the GAP Resource Summit.

Grade(s)

7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Subject Area

Mathematics
Science

Learning Resource Type

Learning Activity

Students research and create a brochure project on an endangered species of their choice integrating aspects of math, science, social studies, art, reading and writing. This project allows the students to make connections across the curriculum. Students present their ideas to a group of peers persuading the group to help save or become interested in helping the endangered species. Students are also encouraged to make connections between the activities of the human population and their effect on the natural world. 

This lesson results from a collaboration between the Alabama State Department of Education and ASTA.

Grade(s)

9, 10, 11, 12

Subject Area

English Language Arts
Science

Learning Resource Type

Lesson Plan

The teacher will present an informational text from the website, ReadWorks. The students and teacher can interact with this non-fiction text by annotating the text digitally. The students will answer the questions associated with the article as an assessment. This learning activity can be used to provide data about solid water (ice and snow) found on Earth. This activity includes a question set on cause and effect, which will help students describe the connection between scientific ideas and processes. 

Grade(s)

2

Subject Area

English Language Arts
Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Dihydrogen monoxide (better known as water) is the key to nearly everything. It falls from the sky, makes up 60% of our bodies, and just about every chemical process related to life takes place with it or in it. Without it, none of the chemical reactions that keep us alive would happen, none of the reactions that sustain any life form on earth would happen, and the majority of inorganic chemical reactions that shape the surface of the earth would not happen either. Every one of us uses water for all kinds of chemistry every day--our body chemistry, our food chemistry, and our laundry chemistry all take place in water. In this Crash Course Chemistry, we learn about some of the properties of water that make it so special. We explore its polarity and dielectric property; how electrolytes can be used to classify solutions; and we discover how to calculate a solution's molarity as well as how to dilute a solution using the dilution equation.

Grade(s)

9, 10, 11, 12

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

The sun is an average size star and the center of our solar system. One of the things surrounding it is an asteroid belt, and the four planets inside that belt are called the inner planets.

The classroom resource provides a slide show that will describe the components of the inner section of our solar system: the sun, the asteroid belt, and the four inner planets. This resource can provide background information for students before they create their own models. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding.

Grade(s)

6

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

In this lesson, students will develop an understanding that objects and materials can be tested to learn about their properties. Students will help plan and conduct different tests on the materials. Students will be able to explain that when testing materials to learn about their properties, all the materials need to be tested in the same way.

Students test a piece of aluminum foil, plastic from a zip-closing plastic bag, and copier paper to learn about some of their properties. Students conduct tests on the materials and then help design a strength test. The point is stressed that for a good, fair test each material needs to be tested in the same way. A simulation is shown that emphasizes the point that the different properties of materials are good for different uses.

Grade(s)

2

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

This activity can be used at the beginning of a lesson on thermal energy or energy transfer. The teacher will conduct a demonstration involving two balloons (one only filled with air, the other filled with air and water) and place them over a flame.  The students will then make predictions, observations, and provide explanations based on the demonstration.

This activity was developed during the ALEX Resource Development Summit

Grade(s)

8

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Learning Activity

Matter is made of particles too small to be seen.  But if we can’t see these particles, how do we know they exist?  In this lesson, students will plan and carry out investigations with air and simple solutions to provide evidence that all types of matter are made of tiny particles that are invisible to the human eye.

This lesson results from a collaboration between the Alabama State Department of Education and ASTA.

Grade(s)

5

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Lesson Plan

This resource presents a short slide show about the human digestive system. After utilizing this resource, the students can complete the short test to assess their understanding.

Grade(s)

4

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

In this episode of Crash Course Chemistry, Hank discusses why we need models in the world and how we can learn from them--even when they're almost completely wrong. Plus, learn the glory of the Lewis Dot Structure.

Grade(s)

9, 10, 11, 12

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Discover the science behind stormy weather like tornados, hurricanes, and floods with this lesson made for future meteorologists. Try to stay dry with a puddle-loving duck as you learn about changing weather patterns.

Grade(s)

2

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

In this lesson, students will develop a model to describe that matter is made up of tiny particles, too small to be seen. Students will use the model to describe the differences in attraction among the particles of a solid, liquid, and gas. Finally, students will use their models of solids, liquids, and gases to explain their observations in the lesson.

Grade(s)

5

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

The lesson will begin with students accessing their prior knowledge of weather and climates by completing a warm-up writing prompt. Students will then move to reading texts on the subjects of tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, and droughts to determine if and how climate affects these weather phenomena. In groups, students will create a half-poster that describes their findings in text and pictures. At the end of the lesson, students will view a graph to extend their learning about tornadoes and hint at a future lesson while also completing an "exit ticket" as a means of summative assessment. 

This unit was created as part of the ALEX Interdisciplinary Resource Development Summit.

Grade(s)

3

Subject Area

English Language Arts
Science

Learning Resource Type

Lesson Plan

In this activity, students will watch a quick video clip from YouTube that will demonstrate how dry ice can quickly freeze fruit, discuss properties of dry ice, and show how it sublimates. After watching the clip, students will then conduct seven different mini-laboratories with dry ice to expand their knowledge of the properties of matter and explore the process of sublimation - a solid transitioning directly to a gas skipping the liquid phase.  

This activity was created as a result of the ALEX Resource Development Summit.

Grade(s)

9, 10, 11, 12

Subject Area

Science

Learning Resource Type

Learning Activity

Students will begin by brainstorming a list of needs that must be met for an animal to survive in its habitat. Next, the students will observe an ant farm, created by the teacher prior to the lesson, and determine how the ants' needs are being met through their environment. Then, students will create a list of needs that must be met for a plant to survive in its habitat and compare this list to animals' survival needs. Lastly, the teacher will assist students in developing a plan to build a natural habitat conducive to meeting the needs of a plant. At the conclusion of the lesson, the students will construct a plant terrarium. 

This lesson was created as part of the 2016 NASA STEM Standards of Practice Project, a collaboration between the Alabama State Department of Education and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.

Grade(s)

K

Subject Area

English Language Arts
Science

Learning Resource Type

Lesson Plan

The teacher will present an informational text from the website, ReadWorks. Students will interact with this non-fiction text by annotating the text digitally. This article will explain how the moon creates tides on Earth by exerting the force of gravity on Earth's oceans, even though the two celestial objects are not in contact. Students could use this informational material to construct their own argument explaining how fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other. 

Grade(s)

8

Subject Area

English Language Arts
Science

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource
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