Next Generation Science Guy

Prank your students with this sensationalized assignment about a "dangerous substance." Students read about the substance, complete a worksheet about its properties and then convince family members to support a ban on the substance. What is the substance? H2O! Assignment comes with a school letterhead notice to send home with students, urging them that the science department needs them to learn about a chemical substance. Great way to start off the year, or a unit. Parents love it!

__Develop a sense of what must be true for an object to be considered “in motion.”__Measure the motion of an object moving in a straight line.__Model (represent) motion in multiple ways: graph, linear equation, etc.__Relate graphing terms (slope) to the motion of the object.The student will need several meter sticks taped end to end or a cm-marked track. The student will also need a timer and a battery-powered buggy. You may want to play an online metronome that beats at 60 beats per second. Stu

__Understand and apply the difference between accuracy and precision.__Make credible (believable and convincing) measurements based on the tool given.__Understand why all measurements include estimation and doubt.__Practice measuring common objects.This lesson teaches students how to measure length and liquid volume to one doubtful place value. It also teaches the difference between accuracy and precision.

__Explore how we can make and use mathematical models in everyday life.__Represent data graphically.__Develop a mathematical model from data in order to solve a new problem.__Construct, interpret, analyze, and defend graphs and models of measurable phenomena.

__Explore how we can make and use mathematical models from data and graphs.__Represent data graphically.__Construct, interpret, and analyze graphs.__Strengthen your graphing skills.

Reference sheet for students outlining the 4 major requirements of a graph. Rubric included for assessment of student graphs.

STEM/NGSS LESSON: The student develops a particle model of matter in motion to be applied to further lessons. Lesson include Understanding by Design (UbD) big ideas The student observes demonstrations and deduces that particles of matter must be in motion, and that temperature depends on particle speed (kinetic energy). Demonstrations require food coloring. Video links are available of the demos. Accompanies other lessons in Unit 2, but can also stand alone. NGSS Standards: MS-PS1-1 MS-PS1-4

Video guide for parts 1 and 2 of the classic Frames of Reference film.

Students explore and apply differences and similarities between two commonly-confused physics terms. Activity includes calculations and graphic analysis. Activity serves as a review or a preview of lessons on displacement and distance.

Learning Objectives___Establish a basic understanding of forces.___Solve problems involving forces acting in different directions.___Create free body diagrams of interacting forces.___Model a complex problem involving forces.___Develop a model of the relationship between forces and types of motion.___Observe the effect of balanced forces on an object.___Observe the effect of unbalanced forces on an object.

A middle school-friendly comprehensive reading on gravity, mass, and weight. Features: -Breakdown of Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation -What ifs (basketball on the Moon) -Your weight on other worlds -How to alter your weight -Slam dunk contest -An exploration of relevant extension links -A Summary 321 Review Activity

Students work unit vocabulary by creating a single word, symbol, and weird personal connection for each term. Assignment can be modified depending on grade level and vocab needs. Terms include: heat, temperature, thermal energy, kinetic energy, thermal equilibrium, conductor, insulator, etc.

Classroom demonstration/model in which a swinging object is analyzed in terms of kinetic energy to potential energy transfers. Concepts of friction, conservation of energy, and mechanical energy are introduced.

This NGSS/STEM supplement is designed to follow Lesson 3, but may also stand alone. Feature3: -Research and writing prompt on how a thermometer works. -321 Review to show understanding about thermal expansion and its applications Check out other lessons in Unit 2: Matter, Energy & Change

This zip file contains a trove of science vocabulary resources and activities to help the student move vocabulary into long term and permanent memory by making interesting and emotional connections to new terminology. An overview of the exercises is described here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4X5lR7wub03aVNLZW9Ed3o3ZlE Enjoy!

Students grapple with vocabulary in a personalized way. Higher DoK level thinking helps the student to summarize, synthesize, and symbolically represented a given vocabulary term. This template can be easily modified to suit your grade level and content area. Easy to use! Just add the words you want the student to learn.

In this NGSS/STEM lesson follow-up, students design particle models of ice, melting ice, and water in terms of kinetic energy, force of attraction between particles, and mass. Students then compare and contrast ice and water, and create a symbol showing that temperature does not change during a phase change, even though heat energy may be continuously added or removed.

In this NGSS/STEM lesson, students explore the mp/fp and cp/bp of various substances. Students hypothesize what state of matter various familiar materials would be at different planets, and make generalizations about the nature of matter and its properties. Students learn that substances can be defined and identified based on the unique temperatures at which they change phase.

Student is given information about a sample and is then asked to draw a model of it: Sample A has twice the mass of Sample B, but has the same volume. Draw it.

This NGSS/STEM supplement follows the Lesson 22 game activity that models phase change interactions and temperatures. A series of questions follow the activity in which students analyze the number of particles and energy before and after the changes that occur in the system. Students further explore phase changes by identifying those changes that are exothermic and endothermic.