Rocketry

Students will discuss Newton's three laws of motion. Experimental design and proper scientific protocol are emphasized. Class is divided into groups to conduct a multi-trial experiment with the Newton Carts. Data is recorded then shared and graphed as a class. Observations and inferences based on data are discussed.

Sound

Through a series of interactive demonstrations and experiments, students are introduced to concepts of resonance, frequency, wavelength, and vibration. Students participate in a demonstration of the transmission of sound waves through the different states of matter. Students apply what they have learned about the relationship between wavelength, frequency, and pitch in a guided experiment involving tuning forks and resonating tubes. Data is recorded then shared and graphed as a class. Observations and inferences based on data are discussed, as is experimental error and good experimental design.

Light

Students observe the refraction and dispersion of different wavelengths of light using a large water prism. The concepts of wavelength and frequency as they apply to the visible spectrum are explored through hands-on demonstrations. The class is then divided into groups for a guided experiment in which students learn the answer to the question "why is the sky blue?"

Rocks and Minerals

Students will investigate and understand the rock cycle and the principles of mineral classification using minerals and rocks found in Virginia. In the first activity, groups of students use a flow chart and rock samples to review the characteristics of the three main types of rock in the rock cycle (igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary). During the second activity, students use mineral identification tests and a flowchart/classification key to identify mineral samples from Virginia.

Virginia Food Web

Students will investigate and understand how plants and animals in an ecosystem interact with one another and the non-living environment. Each student is given an organism found in the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Students will categorize these organisms into different niches and hypothesize the effects that removing certain organisms from their niches will have on the ecosystem. Life cycles, metamorphosis, and adaptations are discussed as they relate to the students' organisms. The interdependence of organisms within an ecosystem is emphasized while students construct a model food web.

Virginia Natural Resources

Students will be able to identify and locate Virginia's primary natural resources and discuss their importance and value. After several demonstrations and correlating discussions, students will be able to differentiate between natural and man-made resources and give examples. They will also be able to identify the regional locations of Virginia's main resources (mineral, agricultural, watershed, forest, air, land/soil, plants and animals) as well as the impact of man's activities on watersheds.

Astronomy

Students will investigate and understand the relative movements of the sun, Earth, and moon. Newton's first law of motion is reviewed in relation to the reason for the moon's orbit. Several kinesthetic activities review the concepts of rotation and revolution. Models are used to explore the reason we experience seasons on Earth. A combination model/kinesthetic activity explores the reason we see the phases of the moon.

Oceans and Currents

Students will investigate and understand the different types of currents (surface, density, salinity, and temperature) and their causes. Students, in groups, will conduct a hands-on lab activity that allows them to see density and salinity in action. Students will also record what they observe during a demonstration of temperature currents.

Weather

Students will investigate and understand how weather conditions and phenomena occur and can be predicted. After watching a dramatic demonstration of air pressure, students relate what they have witnessed to how air pressure affects weather conditions. Students create isobar maps using barometric readings. After reviewing the concept of convection, students create a take-home project that operates off of this principle. Students identify the symbols used to indicate fronts. Students then participate in a group game where teams compete to see who can correctly match meteorological instruments to their name, function, and units used.

An activity in which cloud types are identified by synthesizing information from two separate sources will be provided to the classroom teacher as an extension resource.

Microscopes (Classification and Kingdoms)

Students learn that some things are too small to be seen without magnification and that classification schemes must be flexible or change to accommodate new information gained by improved technology. Students are introduced to a brief history of microscopy and its impact on the evolution of the kingdom classification system. They then spend the remainder of the class period using the microscopes to explore the world not seen by the naked eye.