Science

How Things Fly

ClarisWorks Slideshow and Draw, NASM and Websites

The flight of modern aircraft utilizes forces that are studied by eighth grade students as part of the physical science curriculum. While these forces are usually studied in a ?stand alone? mode, the problem of ?How Things Fly? integrates the interplay among these forces into a more meaningful context. Each student, in groups of four, will identify one of the four major forces involved with flight - Lift, Weight, Thrust or Drag - and create a Slideshow page illustrating that force along with an explanation of its importance to flight. Students will access research materials for this project through the Smithsonian Institution?s National Air and Space Museum?s (NASM) website and its links to other relevant Internet URLs.

Bohr Models

ClarisWorks Drawing

Students will be assigned a research project on an element of their choice. Included in the research will be a cover sheet designed in the computer lab, a written report, a computerized Bohr Model using ClarisWorks Drawing Application and a bibliography. Students will be given two days in the library and two days in the computer lab.

The Great Scientists

Internet

It is important that students understand that science is not just about information, but also the people behind the information. This provides students with an opportunity to realize that scientific concepts come from the minds of people and not a machine or computer. Students are also able to see what may have prompted a scientist to come up with a certain theory or invention based upon their life experiences. This allows students to link themselves to a historical figure and get a better understanding of how the world has been affected through their exploits. This may also expose students to scientists of different ethnicities and show them how all cultures have made a significant impact on the world we live in.

Home Energy Inventory

ClairsWorks Spreadsheet

This activity is an extension of the electricity unit taught in the eighth grade. As the students study about energy conversions involved with electricity, they can also become involved in the usage of energy in their homes. After the students collect information on several home appliances, they create a spreadsheet to calculate the energy output of each individual appliance and the total energy output for all appliances. This information can then be converted from hourly usage to cost per kilowatt hour and then put into a daily or monthly cost analysis.

Black Scientists

Internet

Black scientists have played a vital role in the history of our country. However, little is known about many of them. This project is designed to give us more information about the contributions of these men and women. In order to research this topic, students will use the Internet as one of their sources.

Energy Flow in Ecosystems

ClarisWorks Drawing

Energy is defined as the ability to do work. The energy that is available to organisms in an ecosystem is trapped by plants during the process of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis converts and stores light energy from the sun in the form of a simple sugar called glucose. Glucose is used by the plant to carry out its life processes. The rest of the energy is stored as carbohydrates or lipids, which are used by other organisms as food. It is important to remember that all food chains start with a producer that serves as food for herbivores. Herbivores are then eaten by carnivores or omnivores. These organisms use some of the available energy for life processes, but most of the energy is lost as body heat.

Light and Crystals
To use hydro-gel crystals in a hands-on activity to study light refraction through two media. Also, to stimulate critical thinking.

Weight & Velocity

ClarisWorks 4.0 & Assistants

In the Force, Work, and Energy Unit students learn about the factors which affect the motion of objects. This activity will help students to understand how increasing weight affects the velocity of a truck on an incline, which leads them into the study of acceleration, momentum, and Newton?s Second Law of Motion. Students will write their lab report on the computer using Claris 4.0 Word Processing and Assistants for their data table.

Friction and Newton's Three Laws of Motion

Computer with internet access, scanner, digital camera, and CD-ROM's

Students will choose a sport to communicate their understanding of friction and Newton's Three Laws of Motion. As a culminating activity, they will create a six page slide show that addresses the link between the sport to friction and the Laws of Motion.

? Eight Lunar Phases, Lunar Rotation and Revolutionary Periods

Computer with internet access and multimedia software

Students will create a slide show presentation in pairs to show their knowledge of the eight lunar phases and lunar rotation and revolutionary periods by creating a ten page (minimum) slide show document.

Investigating Motion, Forces, and Energy Lab Book

Computer and material appropriate to lab choice

The students will design their own experiment following the pattern of these two labs to measure the average speed of two different objects (i.e. two different cars, balls, trucks).

Acceleration, Drag, Gravity, Motion, Forces, and Friction

Video camera or desktop video camera, camera, ClarisWorks, Windows on Science or Glencoe videodisc(s),and student-made mousetrap cars

Students make and study mousetrap cars to facilitate and apply their understanding of acceleration, drag, gravity, motion, forces, and friction.

Heat of an Unknown Metal

Students will make a calorimeter to determine the specific heat of an unknown metal. Standard laboratory equipment will be used as well as a calculator based laboratory (CBL). This lab can be found in the Glencoe Laboratory Manual on pages 45-48.?

A MultiMedia Project: Minorities? and? Women In Science

Computer and internet access

Lunar Cycles

Computer with internet access

Students will access websites to research, collect and analyze information about Lunar Cycles.

Climate/Dust Bowl Cross-curricular with English)