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STEM Lessons - Model Eliciting Activity
Students will compare the cost of pre-made solar car kits to cars made from a 3-D printer. In the second part of the activity, students will research other available 3-D printers and determine what attributes are important to consider. There is also an optional solar panel car race for day 3.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.
In this Model-Eliciting Activity (MEA), students will have the opportunity to analyze and organize data about tablet devices that their school is looking to purchase for daily use in the classroom.
In this MEA, students compare different tablet devices. They will be given empirical evidence and must organize this data to allow for interpreting key factors to determine which device is best suited for the client. Basically, students are given data and must use this information to make a recommendation to the principal about which tablet or device should be purchased with the school's funds. They will have to provide evidence to support their recommendation. This MEA is designed to help students with data that is collected from an investigation or a lab. In the past, students were able to generate data, but in this MEA they are given the data and asked to make it relevant.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx
Original Student Tutorials Science - Grades K-8
You'll explore how science does and does not influence decision-making about climate change, sea turtles, and human health, in this interactive tutorial.
Learn how science can help us make informed decisions that improve our lives as you complete this interactive tutorial.
Original Student Tutorials Mathematics - Grades 6-8
Learn how math models can show why social distancing during a epidemic or pandemic is important in this interactive tutorial.
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Original Student Tutorials
You'll explore how science does and does not influence decision-making about climate change, sea turtles, and human health, in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how math models can show why social distancing during a epidemic or pandemic is important in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how science can help us make informed decisions that improve our lives as you complete this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Educational Game
Students attempt to save towns from damage prior to the arrival of several different natural disasters. Students will learn the importance of early prevention and actions to protect others, themselves and their property when faced with a natural disaster. Certain disasters are more appropriate for particular grade levels. Each scenario takes between 20 and 45 minutes to play, depending on the disaster for which your students are trying to prepare. There are five scenarios available, hurricane, tsunami, flood, earthquake, and wildfire. Each scenario can be played on easy, medium or hard difficulty levels. As with life, there are no "perfect solutions" to each scenario and no "perfect score", so students can play multiple times and the scenarios will still be slightly different.These simulation are part of a larger website that provides multiple links for natural disasters.
Type: Educational Game
Text Resource
This Frequently Asked Question page can be used by educators and students as a scientific resource to answer the question, "Why isn't Pluto a planet?". From the International Astronomical Union, the definitive answer from the governing body that classified Pluto as a dwarf planet.
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The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds and manages the U.S. Antarctic Program, which coordinates almost all U.S. science on the continent, including research carried out by other federal agencies. Read about research projects conducted by scientists who come to the pole from nations around the globe and the history of three research stations.
Type: Resource Collection