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Students learn about rainshadow/orographic effect by making observations of mountain range and ocean location, direction of prevailing winds, and vegetation on each side of the mountain range in a region that exhibits rainshadow effect. Students then collect temperature and rainfall data from the same region and write an explanation for the climate categories found in the region investigated during the explore phase. Students apply their understanding of the processes that drive by rainshadow effect by explaining why large lakes located in cold climate regions can cause lake snow effect.

In this lab, students simulate the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria.

Students learn about apparent pathway of the sun by making observations from a simulator depicting the apparent pathway of the sun and creating a diagram that they use to explain why Longyearbyen, Norway goes months without daylight. Students extend their thinking about apparent pathway of the sun and angle of insolation by creating a diagrammatic model of a solar panel that would optimally harness the energy from the Sun.

Students learn about the role of adaptations in natural selection through this mandated State Lab.

This Core Resource focuses on the definition of systems, the idea of momentum, and the idea of momentum conservation. When interactions are happening within a system, the total momentum does not change. Students use multiple representations, including momentum bar charts, to keep track of the total momentum in a system, to solve problems, and to make arguments.

This Core Resource focuses on the relationship between position and velocity. Students learn to create position-time and velocity-time graphs. Velocity is defined as the slope on the position-time graph. The idea is developed from an experiment with toy cars and student discussion of their results. Finally, students practice using multiple representations and using graphs to create arguments.

This Core Resource focuses on the flow of charge in series and parallel circuits. Two indirect detectors are used in forming a model for what is happening in the wire: the relative brightness of identical bulbs, and the deflection of a magnetic compass placed under the wires of the circuit. From a series of lab observations, students are able to determine that current (flow of charge) is equal everywhere in a series circuit, (electrical devices do not use up electric charge, charge is conserved) and in parallel circuits, the total flow of charge into a junction equals the total flow of charge out of the junction. Qualitatively, students also see that the flow of charge is inversely related to the resistance of the circuit provided by the bulbs and that flow of charge increases as the resistance decreases by adding additional parallel branches.

This Core Resource focuses on developing Newton’s 1st Law. Students come up with the rule themselves by observing a series of situations involving “tapping” an object. The cycle is interrupted in the Elaborate phase by a separate cycle (Big Idea 3: A force is an interaction between two objects.). Both cycles conclude with the Evaluate phase described here, where students use their new ideas about forces, along with Newton’s 1st Law, to solve practical problems.

This Core Resource focuses on how the total momentum of a system can change. It reinforces the idea of system choice and introduces new representations (force-time graphs) that can be used to see how the total momentum of a system will change due to an outside force.