ScienceWithMsZ

This interactive WebQuest allows students to explore everything there is to know about sound waves! Includes topics such as: the motion of a longitudinal wavesound waves vs. light wavesspeed of sound in different mediumstemperature and speed of soundrelationship between frequency/pitch and amplitude/volume. The WebQuest uses two websites, including a JavaLab sound wave properties simulation, that requires headphones. *Answer key is included with purchase*

A great rainy day activity for students of all ages! In this engineering activity, students can create a wave machine that demonstrates wave motion and wave properties using bamboo skewers, gummy candy and duct tape. The concept that "waves transport energy but not matter" can be a difficult one for students to grasp - that's where the candy wave machine comes in handy! This highly interactive activity is particularly useful for visual and kinesthetic learners. Purchase of this activity comes

In this 3-part virtual lab, students will understand the ways in which astronomers measure star brightness. This lab covers both apparent and absolute magnitude. In Part 1, students watch a short video and read through a small webpage to answer 7 background questions about magnitude. In Part 2, they use the "Apparent magnitude, Absolute magnitude, and Distance to stars" JavaLab, created by DongJoon, to practice adjusting star brightness to their absolute magnitude by moving them to a distance of

In this 4 part lab exercise, students will learn how to delineate a watershed from a topographic map and calculate the area of a watershed using the dot-grid method. Part 1: What is a Watershed? Students will gain background knowledge of what a watershed is an how and why they are important by watching two YouTube videos and answering 12 comprehension questions. Part 2: Learning to Use Topographic Maps to Delineate Watersheds Students will use the article “How to Read a Topographic Map an

In this virtual lab, students will use the Runoff Simulation, created by Stroud Water Research Center, to determine how land cover and soil type can influence the movement of water. Students will first review the water cycle and the concept that when precipitation falls to the Earth's surface, it can then undergo three processes: 1) evapotranspiration 2) infiltration or 3) runoff. They will then use the simulation to make adjustments to land cover and soil type to better understand how these t

In this interactive webquest, students will be introduced to the Earth's layers and internal structure, the theory of plate tectonics, plate boundaries and motion and geologic features / natural disasters associated with each type of boundary. The webquest requires students to move through the interactive answering questions, filling out charts and labeling diagrams. The product includes 28 questions. Answer key is included.

In this lab, students will learn to use aquatic macroinvertebrate species to analyze biodiversity and stream health. Students will have 2 collected "samples" of macroinvertebrates collected at 2 different locations in a particular watershed. They will use the LeafPack Network biotic index calculator to identify/name each species present in their samples. Students will calculate biodiversity using the Simpson-D and Shannon-H index equations, and then will analyze stream health using the pollution

In this 4-part STEM activity students will build a model of an aquifer that they can manipulate using a rectangular clear plastic container, gravel, modeling clay and straws. The four parts of this activity are: 1) building a simple aquifer model, 2) changing water tables and springs, 3) removing groundwater and 4) contaminating groundwater. Reflection questions are included in each part of the activity. The vocabulary terms that will be covered and demonstrated are: groundwater, aquifer, perme

In this biology virtual lab, students will practice using 3 sampling methods (direct sampling, sampling with removal and mark-recapture) to estimate population size of tadpoles in a pond using a simulation created by VirtualBiologyLab.org. The lab includes an introduction to population size and population density, as well as explanations and examples of each method. In the second part of the lab, students will use the various features of the simulation to collect tadpoles, mark them, hold them,

*Excellent resource for the distance learning science classroom!* In this graphing activity, students collect air pressure data at various altitudes using an online calculator at www.baillielab.net. Students then plot their data in a line graph to analyze the relationship between altitude and air pressure. Answer key is included with purchase.

In this two part-lab, students will learn two techniques for delineating watersheds. In the first half of the lab students will answer questions about the article "How to Read a Topographic Map and Delineate a Watershed" from the USDA. These questions have students demonstrate the knowledge learned in the article in order to introduce or refresh topographic mapping skills. Then, students will put their knowledge to the test by using a topographic map of Indiana, Pennsylvania to delineate the Ful

In this cladistics lab, students will create a cladogram by observing and finding similarity in physical traits of 32 species of monsters. This hands-on lab is a great way for students to apply their knowledge of speciation, evolution, phylogenetics and phylogenetic trees/cladograms. Instructions and answer keys are included, as well as 32 pre-made monster cards. I have also included 2 guides to help students with the lab - Guide 1 shows students the physical structure of their tree and Guide 2

This product, created for high school level geology students, includes a 28-slide PPT and corresponding guided notes. A key for the guided notes is included as well. The topics covered in Earthquakes 101 include: A review of plate tectonics and plate boundariesTypes of faults and stressDefinition of an earthquakeAnatomy of an earthquake (epicenter vs. focus) Description and motion of seismic waves (P-waves, S-waves, Love, Rayleigh)Understanding how seismographs workReading seismographsLocating

Students analyze a data table of temperature measurements, create a line graph and answer reflection questions to determine the relationship between heat transfer and insulating/conducting materials. This is an excellent review activity to follow-up an insulator/conductor laboratory experiment or as a preface to conduction, convection and radiation. *Answer key is now included with purchase*

Assessment time! Wrap up your weather unit using this 35 point digital weather map and broadcasting project. In this project, students will be creating a weather map of the United States using a PPT document OR online weather map creator. They will then write a broadcast script which explains the weather conditions in New York City, Miami and Las Vegas based on their map. Prerequisite knowledge for this project includes an understanding of temperature, humidity, precipitation, atmospheric press

This digital, 30-point interactive WebQuest allows students to explore the ins and outs of volcanic eruptions using resources on the PBS website. The topics covered in this assignment include: An Overview of VolcanismTypes of VolcanoesFormation of Volcanoes Igneous RocksEffusive vs. Explosive EruptionsVolcanic HazardsAnswer key is included with purchase.

In this activity, students will learn to delineate watersheds using topographic maps. The activity starts with students answering questions from the USDA article titled "How to Read a Topographic Map and Delineate a Watershed." They will then use their knowledge from these questions to delineate the Fulton Run watershed, located in Indiana, Pennsylvania. There are two topographic maps included in the product - one for more advanced learners and one for less advanced learners. The map for less ad

This 100% digital stations activity helps students to understand the causes and effects of global climate change. At each station, students will use an online resource to collect evidence for anthropogenic climate change by analyzing data, graphs and maps. The topics covered in this activity include the greenhouse effect, human population growth, carbon dioxide emissions, global temperature change, arctic ice coverage and sea level rise. Due to the layering of this activity, it is best for stud

The atmospheric circulation PowerPoint contains 12 slides and covers the concepts... Convection cells (Hadley, Ferrel, Polar)Pressure belts and climate zonesCoriolis effectGlobal wind patterns (trade winds, westerlies, easterlies) Includes video clips and global winds simulation

In Part 1 of the two-part Locating Earthquakes Triangulation lab, students will use actual seismograms from three seismic stations to locate the epicenter of a mystery earthquake that occurred on April 25th, 2015. To do this, students will analyze the seismograms to determine the lag time between P-wave and S-wave arrival and calculate distance from the epicenter using a time travel graph. Students will then use the latitude and longitude coordinates of the three stations, along with the calcula