The Science Teacher's Activity-A-Day, Grades 5-10: Over 180 Reproducible Pages of Quick, Fun Projects that Illustrate Basic Concepts

About This Book iii

About the Authors iv

Correlations of Activities to the National Science Content Standards xii

UNIT I. PHYSICAL SCIENCE

Section 1: Organization of Matter

1.1 Boyle’s Gas Law: Marshmallow Under Pressure 3

1.2 Buoyancy: Ketchup Packet Cartesian Divers 4

1.3 Counting Molecules and Atoms: Number of Molecules of Chalk in Your Signature 5

1.4 Identifying and Naming Isotopes: ‘‘EggCeptional’’ Isotopes 6

1.5 Chemical and Physical Changes: Examining Paper for Change 7

1.6 Physical Properties of Matter: Tootsie Roll Properties 8

1.7 Density: Can’t Hold a Good Ping-Pong Ball Down 9

1.8 Atomic Size in Picometers: Cutting Paper to Atom Size 10

1.9 Surface Tension: Why Some Insects Can Walk on Water 11

1.10 Birds in Flight: How Birds’ Wings Enable Them to Fly 12

1.11 Mendeleev’s Periodic Table: It Was All in the Cards 13

1.12 Volume of a Cylinder: The Long and Short of Volume 14

Section 2: Interactions of Matter

2.1 Acids and Bases: Cabbage Juice Indicators 16

2.2 Polymers: Water-Loving Chemicals in Diapers 17

2.3 Freezing Point: Why We Sprinkle Salt on Icy Roads 18

2.4 Exothermic and Endothermic Reactions: Hot Packs and Cold Packs 19

2.5 Chemical Reactions: Alka-Seltzer and Water Temperature 20

2.6 Balancing Chemical Equations: Rearranging Atomic Dots 21

2.7 Limiting Reactants: Putting a Halt to the Reaction 23

2.8 Writing Ionic Formulas: Equating the Ions 24

2.9 Single Replacement Reactions: Turning Iron into Copper 25

2.10 Double Replacement Reactions: Trading Partners 26

2.11 Polarity and Solubility: Breaking Bonds of Packing Peanuts 27

2.12 Surface Area and Solubility: Sweet Solutions 29

Section 3: Energy of Motion

3.1 Potential Energy and Kinetic Energy: Bouncing Golf Balls 31

3.2 Potential Energy: The Energy of Falling Objects 32

3.3 Friction Through a Fluid: Fluids and Falling 33

3.4 Newton’s First Law of Motion: Inertia—the Magician’s Friend 34

3.5 Law of Conservation of Momentum: Marble Collisions 35

3.6 Static Friction: Going Against the Grain 36

3.7 Newton’s Second Law of Motion: Acceleration of the Coffee Mug 37

3.8 Using the Speed Formula: Speedy Manipulations 38

3.9 Newton’s Third Law of Motion: What Is a Reaction? 39

3.10 Inclined Planes: Making Lifting Easier 41

3.11 Levers: First-Class Machines 42

3.12 The Three Classes of Levers: Lots of Levers and Lots of Class 43

Section 4: Heat, Light, and Sound Waves

4.1 Thermal Energy: What Does Temperature Really Measure? 46

4.2 Measuring Temperature: Human Thermometers 47

4.3 Refraction: A Real Light Bender 48

4.4 Concave and Convex Mirrors: An Up-Close Look at the Spoon 49

4.5 Magnifying Lens: Water Drop Microscopes 51

4.6 Mechanical Waves: The Stadium Wave 52

4.7 Transverse Waves: Anatomy of a String Wave 53

4.8 Compressional Waves: Making Waves with a Slinky 54

4.9 Sound and Its Mediums: Sound Matters 55

4.10 Sound Vibrations: Rubber Band Music 56

4.11 Sound and Water: Tuning Forks and Water 57

4.12 Energy Conductors and Insulators: The Cook’s Choice 58

Section 5: Magnetism and Electricity

5.1 Charging by Friction: Balloons and Dancing Salt Grains 60

5.2 Closed Circuits: A Battery, a Bulb, and a Paper Clip 61

5.3 Electrochemical Cell: Nine-Volt Battery Electrolysis 62

5.4 Resistance: Series and Parallel Circuits 63

5.5 Making Electricity: A Shocking Activity 64

5.6 Schematic Circuit Diagrams: Seeing the Circuit 65

5.7 Electromagnets: The Art of Magnetizing a Nail 67

5.8 Magnetic Field: Long-Distance Attraction 69

5.9 Magnets: What’s in a Refrigerator Magnet? 70

5.10 Magnetizing Metals: The Magnetic Nail 71

5.11 Magnets and Compasses: Which Way Is North? 72

5.12 Magnetic Forces: Force Blockers 74

UNIT II. LIFE SCIENCE

Section 6: The Cell

6.1 Characteristics of Life: Is It Alive? 77

6.2 Energy Molecules: ATP and ADP 78

6.3 ATP and Lactic Acid: Muscle Fatigue 79

6.4 The Cell Cycle, Part One: Getting Started 80

6.5 The Cell Cycle, Part Two: The Process 81

6.6 Cell Transport: When It Comes to Cells, Small Is Good 82

6.7 Proteins as Enzymes: Saltine Crackers and Amylase 83

6.8 Plant Cell or Animal Cell: Shoestring Venn Diagram 84

6.9 Enzymes: Temperature and Paperase 86

6.10 The Mitochondria: Surface Area and the Folded Membrane 87

6.11 Photosynthesis and Respiration: Formula Scramble 88

Section 7: Genetics

7.1 DNA: Candy Nucleotides 90

7.2 Chromosomes: Learning to Speak ‘‘Chromosome’’ 92

7.3 Genetic Diversity: Crossing Over During Meiosis 93

7.4 Genetic Combinations: Tall and Short Pea Plants 95

7.5 Mendel’s Law of Segregation: Cystic Fibrosis 96

7.6 Dominant and Recessive Genes in Cat Breeding: Curly-Eared Cats 97

7.7 Pedigrees: The Higgenbothum Hairline 98

7.8 Sex-Linked Traits: Flipping Over Color Blindness 99

7.9 Gene Splicing: Human Growth Hormone and Recombinant DNA 100

7.10 Protein Synthesis: Modeling Transcription 101

Section 8: Evolution

8.1 Natural Selection: Life as a Peppered Moth 103

8.2 Advantageous Traits: Which Creature Is the Fittest? 105

8.3 Primate Adaptations: The Importance of the Opposable Thumb 106

8.4 Steps of Natural Selection: Natural Selection Sequencing 107

8.5 Plant Adaptations: Features for Survival in the Rain Forest 108

8.6 Adaptive Radiation: The Beaks of Darwin’s Finches 109

8.7 Variations and Survival: Pine Needle Variation 110

8.8 Horse Evolution: Horse Height Over Time 111

8.9 Fossil Dating: Stacking Up Rock Layers 112

8.10 Antibiotic Resistance: Present-Day Evolution 115

Section 9: Diversity of Life

9.1 The Six Kingdoms: Kingdom Match Game 117

9.2 Vascular Plants: Checking Out a Fern Frond 119

9.3 Flower Parts: Dissecting the Flower 120

9.4 Food Storage in Seeds: Dissecting a Dicot 122

9.5 Seed Dispersal: Where Plants Come From 123

9.6 Animal Symmetry: What Symmetry Is This? 124

9.7 Viruses: Nuts and Bolts of a Bacteriophage 125

9.8 Bird Digestion: Why Birds Don’t Need Teeth 126

9.9 Examining a Fungus: Close-Up Look at a Mushroom 127

9.10 Taxonomic Categories: Addressing Classification 129

Section 10: Ecology

10.1 Energy Flow Through the Food Chain: The 10 Percent Rule of Energy Flow 131

10.2 Population Growth Rate: Growing Exponentially 132

10.3 Food Web: Piecing Together a Food Web Puzzle 133

10.4 Population Estimations: Mark and Recapture of Wildlife 134

10.5 The Importance of Niches: Extinction and the Paper Clip Niche 135

10.6 Symbiosis: Want Ads for Mutualism 136

10.7 Human Pollution: Plastic Killers 137

10.8 Plant Growth Requirements: When Seeds Get Too Crowded 138

10.9 Packaging and the Environment: Convenience or Conservation? 139

10.10 Arthropod Behavior: Response of the Pill Bugs 140

Section 11: Body Systems

11.1 The Role of Bile in Digestion: Emulsifying Fat 143

11.2 Tendons: Visualizing How the Fingers Work 144

11.3 The Heart: The Strongest Muscle of the Body 145

11.4 Partnering of the Brain and Eyes: Putting the Fish in the Bowl 146

11.5 Lung Capacity During Exercise: Balloons and Vital Capacity 148

11.6 Blood Vessels: Arteries or Veins? 149

11.7 Muscle Interactions: Pairing of the Biceps and Triceps 150

11.8 Mechanical Digestion: The Initial Breakdown of Digestion 152

11.9 Peristalsis During Digestion: Moving Food Through the Esophagus 153

11.10 Why We Sweat: Staying Cool with the Sweat Glands 155

UNIT III. EARTH SCIENCE

Section 12: Structure of Earth Systems

12.1 Core Sampling: Seeing Inside the Cupcake 158

12.2 Metamorphic Rocks: Pressure and the Candy Bar 159

12.3 Sedimentation: Making Sedimentary Rocks 160

12.4 Soil Conservation: How Much of the Earth Is Usable Soil? 161

12.5 Physical Weathering of Rocks: Sugar Cube Breakdown 162

12.6 Mineral Hardness: Mineral Ranks 163

12.7 Cross Section of the Earth: Egg Modeling 165

12.8 Porosity of Soil Samples: Soil’s Holding Power 166

12.9 Groundwater and Permeability: Just Passing Through 167

12.10 Water in the Ocean: Sink or Float? 168

12.11 Ocean Currents: Temperatures Start the Motion 169

12.12 Bottle Eruption: Volcanic Activity 170

Section 13: Earth’s History

13.1 Inferences from Fossils: Who Was Here? 172

13.2 Magnetic Rocks: Lodestones 173

13.3 Radioactive Rocks: The Age of Rocks 174

13.4 Continental Drift: Puzzling Over the Continents 175

13.5 Strength of Earthquakes: It’s the Cracker’s Fault 176

13.6 Fossil Molds and Casts: Making Fossils 177

13.7 Glaciers: Ice in Motion 178

13.8 Deformation of Rocks: Rocks Under Stress 179

13.9 Geologic Time Scale Model: Earth’s History on a Football Field 181

13.10 Graded Bedding: Breaking the Law 182

13.11 Seismic Waves: Human Wave Form 183

13.12 Mountain Building: Paper Peaks 184

Section 14: Meteorology

14.1 Temperature Inversions: Weather Patterns and Pollution 186

14.2 Cloud Formation: The Cloudy Bottle 187

14.3 Warm Air Rises: Refrigerated Balloons 188

14.4 Water Vapor: Dew on the Beaker 189

14.5 Rain Gauge: Let It Pour 190

14.6 The Loss of Ozone: Oxygen Is Not Just for Breathing 191

14.7 Temperature: Do You Want That in Celsius or Fahrenheit? 192

14.8 Heat Transfer: Spiraling Upward 194

14.9 Read a Climatogram: Quick Take on Climate 195

14.10 Air Has Weight: Living Under Pressure 197

14.11 Make It Rain: Bottle Rainstorm 198

14.12 Winds: Air Masses in Motion 199

Section 15: The Universe

15.1 Telescopes: An Eye on the Universe 201

15.2 Light-Years: Universal Time 202

15.3 Star Constellations: How Many Do You Know? 203

15.4 Viewing Constellations: Moving Patterns in the Sky 204

15.5 The Gyroscopic Effect: Spacecraft Navigation 206

15.6 Space Shuttle Orbits: Holding Onto Your Marbles 207

15.7 Gravity and Space Instruments: Writing in Space 209

15.8 Visible Light: A Blend of Colors 210

15.9 Infrared Light: Feel the Heat 211

15.10 Star Magnitude: The Brightness of Stars 212

15.11 Inertia in Space: Objects Keep Moving 213

15.12 The Parallax Effect: A Different Perspective 214

Section 16: The Solar System

16.1 Planetary Revolutions: Birthdays on Mercury and Jupiter 216

16.2 Jupiter’s Atmosphere: A Stormy Planet 217

16.3 Orbiting the Sun: Earth’s Trip Around the Sun 218

16.4 Planet Formations: How the Planets Were Made 220

16.5 Surviving on the Moon: Lunar Trek 221

16.6 Solar Eclipse: Blocking the Sun 222

16.7 Astrolabe: Medieval Measurements 223

16.8 Precession of Earth: Spinning on the Axis 225

16.9 Lunar Surface Regolith: After the Meteorites Hit the Moon 227

16.10 Weight and Gravity: Weighing In on the Earth, Moon, and Sun 228

16.11 Auroras: Party Lights in the Sky 229

16.12 Moon Face: The Moon’s Revolution and Rotation 231

Teacher’s Notes 232

Answer Key 239