About the Authors.

Correlations of Activities to the National Science Content Standards.

UNIT I PHYSICAL SCIENCE.

Section 1: Organization of Matter.

1.1 Boyle’s Gas Law: Marshmallow Under Pressure.

1.2 Buoyancy: Ketchup Packet Cartesian Divers.

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

1.4 Identifying and Naming Isotopes: “EggCeptional” Isotopes.

1.5 Chemical and Physical Changes: Examining Paper for Change.

1.6 Physical Properties of Matter: Tootsie Roll Properties.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Section 2: Interactions of Matter.

2.1 Acids and Bases: Cabbage Juice Indicators.

2.2 Polymers: Water-Loving Chemicals in Diapers.

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

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

2.5 Chemical Reactions: Alka-Seltzer and Water Temperature.

2.6 Balancing Chemical Equations: Rearranging Atomic Dots.

2.7 Limiting Reactants: Putting a Halt to the Reaction.

2.8 Writing Ionic Formulas: Equating the Ions.

2.9 Single Replacement Reactions: Turning Iron into Copper.

2.10 Double Replacement Reactions: Trading Partners.

2.11 Polarity and Solubility: Breaking Bonds of Packing Peanuts.

2.12 Surface Area and Solubility: Sweet Solutions.

Section 3: Energy of Motion.

3.1 Potential Energy and Kinetic Energy: Bouncing Golf Balls.

3.2 Potential Energy: The Energy of Falling Objects.

3.3 Friction Through a Fluid: Fluids and Falling.

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

3.5 Law of Conservation of Momentum: Marble Collisions.

3.6 Static Friction: Going Against the Grain.

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

3.8 Using the Speed Formula: Speedy Manipulations.

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

3.10 Inclined Planes: Making Lifting Easier.

3.11 Levers: First-Class Machines.

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

Section 4: Heat, Light, and Sound Waves.

4.1 Thermal Energy: What Does Temperature Really Measure?

4.2 Measuring Temperature: Human Thermometers.

4.3 Refraction: A Real Light Bender.

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

4.5 Magnifying Lens: Water Drop Microscopes.

4.6 Mechanical Waves: The Stadium Wave.

4.7 Transverse Waves: Anatomy of a String Wave.

4.8 Compressional Waves: Making Waves with a Slinky.

4.9 Sound and Its Mediums: Sound Matters.

4.10 Sound Vibrations: Rubber Band Music.

4.11 Sound and Water: Tuning Forks and Water.

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

Section 5: Magnetism and Electricity.

5.1 Charging by Friction: Balloons and Dancing Salt Grains.

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

5.3 Electrochemical Cell: Nine-Volt Battery Electrolysis.

5.4 Resistance: Series and Parallel Circuits.

5.5 Making Electricity: A Shocking Activity.

5.6 Schematic Circuit Diagrams: Seeing the Circuit.

5.7 Electromagnets: The Art of Magnetizing a Nail.

5.8 Magnetic Field: Long-Distance Attraction.

5.9 Magnets: What’s in a Refrigerator Magnet?

5.10 Magnetizing Metals: The Magnetic Nail.

5.11 Magnets and Compasses: Which Way Is North?

5.12 Magnetic Forces: Force Blockers.

UNIT II LIFE SCIENCE.

Section 6: The Cell.

6.1 Characteristics of Life: Is It Alive?

6.2 Energy Molecules: ATP and ADP.

6.3 ATP and Lactic Acid: Muscle Fatigue.

6.4 The Cell Cycle, Part One: Getting Started.

6.5 The Cell Cycle, Part Two: The Process.

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

6.7 Proteins as Enzymes: Saltine Crackers and Amylase.

6.8 Plant Cell or Animal Cell: Shoestring Venn Diagram.

6.9 Enzymes: Temperature and Paperase.

6.10 The Mitochondria: Surface Area and the Folded Membrane.

6.11 Photosynthesis and Respiration: Formula Scramble.

Section 7: Genetics.

7.1 DNA: Candy Nucleotides.

7.2 Chromosomes: Learning to Speak “Chromosome.”

7.3 Genetic Diversity: Crossing Over During Meiosis.

7.4 Genetic Combinations: Tall and Short Pea Plants.

7.5 Mendel’s Law of Segregation: Cystic Fibrosis.

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

7.7 Pedigrees: The Higgenbothum Hairline.

7.8 Sex-Linked Traits: Flipping Over Color Blindness.

7.9 Gene Splicing: Human Growth Hormone and Recombinant DNA.

7.10 Protein Synthesis: Modeling Transcription.

Section 8: Evolution.

8.1 Natural Selection: Life as a Peppered Moth.

8.2 Advantageous Traits: Which Creature Is the Fittest?

8.3 Primate Adaptations: The Importance of the Opposable Thumb.

8.4 Steps of Natural Selection: Natural Selection Sequencing.

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

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

8.7 Variations and Survival: Pine Needle Variation.

8.8 Horse Evolution: Horse Height Over Time.

8.9 Fossil Dating: Stacking Up Rock Layers.

8.10 Antibiotic Resistance: Present-Day Evolution.

Section 9: Diversity of Life.

9.1 The Six Kingdoms: Kingdom Match Game.

9.2 Vascular Plants: Checking Out a Fern Frond.

9.3 Flower Parts: Dissecting the Flower.

9.4 Food Storage in Seeds: Dissecting a Dicot.

9.5 Seed Dispersal: Where Plants Come From.

9.6 Animal Symmetry: What Symmetry Is This?

9.7 Viruses: Nuts and Bolts of a Bacteriophage.

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

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

9.10 Taxonomic Categories: Addressing Classification.

Section 10: Ecology.

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

10.2 Population Growth Rate: Growing Exponentially.

10.3 Food Web: Piecing Together a Food Web Puzzle.

10.4 Population Estimations: Mark and Recapture of Wildlife.

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

10.6 Symbiosis: Want Ads for Mutualism.

10.7 Human Pollution: Plastic Killers.

10.8 Plant Growth Requirements: When Seeds Get Too Crowded.

10.9 Packaging and the Environment: Convenience or Conservation?

10.10 Arthropod Behavior: Response of the Pill Bugs.

Section 11: Body Systems.

11.1 The Role of Bile in Digestion: Emulsifying Fat.

11.2 Tendons: Visualizing How the Fingers Work.

11.3 The Heart: The Strongest Muscle of the Body.

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

11.5 Lung Capacity During Exercise: Balloons and Vital Capacity.

11.6 Blood Vessels: Arteries or Veins?

11.7 Muscle Interactions: Pairing of the Biceps and Triceps.

11.8 Mechanical Digestion: The Initial Breakdown of Digestion.

11.9 Peristalsis During Digestion: Moving Food Through the Esophagus.

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

UNIT III EARTH SCIENCE.

Section 12: Structure of Earth Systems.

12.1 Core Sampling: Seeing Inside the Cupcake.

12.2 Metamorphic Rocks: Pressure and the Candy Bar.

12.3 Sedimentation: Making Sedimentary Rocks.

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

12.5 Physical Weathering of Rocks: Sugar Cube Breakdown.

12.6 Mineral Hardness: Mineral Ranks.

12.7 Cross Section of the Earth: Egg Modeling.

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

12.9 Groundwater and Permeability: Just Passing Through.

12.10 Water in the Ocean: Sink or Float?

12.11 Ocean Currents: Temperatures Start the Motion.

12.12 Bottle Eruption: Volcanic Activity.

Section 13: Earth’s History.

13.1 Inferences from Fossils: Who Was Here?

13.2 Magnetic Rocks: Lodestones.

13.3 Radioactive Rocks: The Age of Rocks.

13.4 Continental Drift: Puzzling Over the Continents.

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

13.6 Fossil Molds and Casts: Making Fossils.

13.7 Glaciers: Ice in Motion.

13.8 Deformation of Rocks: Rocks Under Stress.

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

13.10 Graded Bedding: Breaking the Law.

13.11 Seismic Waves: Human Wave Form.

13.12 Mountain Building: Paper Peaks.

Section 14: Meteorology.

14.1 Temperature Inversions: Weather Patterns and Pollution.

14.2 Cloud Formation: The Cloudy Bottle.

14.3 Warm Air Rises: Refrigerated Balloons.

14.4 Water Vapor: Dew on the Beaker.

14.5 Rain Gauge: Let It Pour.

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

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

14.8 Heat Transfer: Spiraling Upward.

14.9 Read a Climatogram: Quick Take on Climate.

14.10 Air Has Weight: Living Under Pressure.

14.11 Make It Rain: Bottle Rainstorm.

14.12 Winds: Air Masses in Motion.

Section 15: The Universe.

15.1 Telescopes: An Eye on the Universe.

15.2 Light-Years: Universal Time.

15.3 Star Constellations: How Many Do You Know?

15.4 Viewing Constellations: Moving Patterns in the Sky.

15.5 The Gyroscopic Effect: Spacecraft Navigation.

15.6 Space Shuttle Orbits: Holding Onto Your Marbles.

15.7 Gravity and Space Instruments: Writing in Space.

15.8 Visible Light: A Blend of Colors.

15.9 Infrared Light: Feel the Heat.

15.10 Star Magnitude: The Brightness of Stars.

15.11 Inertia in Space: Objects Keep Moving.

15.12 The Parallax Effect: A Different Perspective.

Section 16: The Solar System.

16.1 Planetary Revolutions: Birthdays on Mercury and Jupiter.

16.2 Jupiter’s Atmosphere: A Stormy Planet.

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

16.4 Planet Formations: How the Planets Were Made.

16.5 Surviving on the Moon: Lunar Trek.

16.6 Solar Eclipse: Blocking the Sun.

16.7 Astrolabe: Medieval Measurements.

16.8 Precession of Earth: Spinning on the Axis.

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

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

16.11 Auroras: Party Lights in the Sky.

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

Teacher’s Notes.

Answer Key.