Matter and Energy Flow

Materials, properties of matter, phases (solid, liquid, gases); energy flow, including processes in living systems (respiration, fermentation, photosynthesis, energy reactions in cells)
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Do Plants Need Light?
Lesson
Students learn about plant growth and development by conducting an experiment that demonstrates the importance of light to plants.
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Energy for Life (energy from food)
Lesson
Students observe and quantify the growth of yeast (a single-celled fungus) when it is given table sugar as a food source.
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Energy Sources (calories equal energy)
Lesson
Students measure and compare the amount of heat energy released from two different types of food.
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Finding the Carbon in Sugar
Lesson
Students learn about combustion and energy by observing (1) a candle burn within a sealed jar and (2) the burning of white sugar.
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Food Webs
Lesson
Students construct possible food webs for six different ecosystems and learn about producers, consumers, herbivores, carnivores and decomposers.
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Fuel for Living Things
Lesson
Students observe and discuss what happens when yeast cells are provided with a source of food (sugar).
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Gases Matter
Lesson
Students are introduced to the concept of gases. If students already have explored gases, this lesson may be used as a review.
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Gravity and Buoyancy
Lesson
Students learn about environments with gravity and those with reduced gravity by observing the behavior of a water-filled plastic bag, both inside and outside of a container of water.
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Greenhouse S'Mores
Lesson
Students learn about the greenhouse effect by observing the reflective or heat-trapping qualities of different materials.
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How Does Light Affect Root Growth?
Lesson
Students build an experiment chamber, test the effects of light on Brassica rapa roots, and compare their results with outcomes from plant experiments conducted aboard the ISS.
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Moving Air
Lesson
Students observe how warming or cooling a small amount of air changes the amount of space it occupies inside a bubble.