Animal Studies
Catalog no. GH-97-2401
ISBN 0-89278-963-8
Adopted for use at grades: 3–5
Subject: Characteristics and behaviors of animals
By caring for and observing three animals from
different habitats—the dwarf African frog, the
fiddler crab, and the millipede—students learn about
what animals need to survive, the primary parts of
their anatomical structure, and the ways in which
they are suited for life in a particular
environment. Students create and maintain individual
logs in which they record their observations of each
animal over time. These observations focus on animal
behavior, including methods for food getting,
movement, and protection. Toward the end of the
unit, students apply what they have learned about
structure, habitat, survival needs, and behavior to
study a fourth classroom animal: the human. They
also conduct an animal research project and decide
how they will present their findings to the class.
Balancing and
Weighing
Catalog no. GH-97-1701
ISBN 0-89278-978-6
Adopted for use at grades:
1–3
Subject: Relationship between balance and weight
This unit introduces students to the relationship
between balance and weight. Experiences with a beam
balance introduce students to the concept that
amount of weight, position of weight, and position
of the fulcrum affect balance. Work with an
equal-arm balance challenges students to place
objects in serial order on the basis of weight and
to appreciate that weighing is the process of
balancing an object against a certain number of
standard objects. In the final lessons, students
turn to a series of problem-solving investigations
with the equal-arm balance and cupfuls of four
different foods. These activities provide an
opportunity to explore the relationship between
weight, density, and volume.
Changes
Catalog no. GH-97-1801
ISBN 0-89278-981-6
Adopted for use at grades: 1–3
Subject:
Changes in the state of substances
Students expand their understanding of solids,
liquids, and gases by exploring changes in state.
They investigate freezing, melting, evaporation, and
condensation of water. In a sequence of lessons,
students produce a mixture of two solids and a
mixture of solids with liquids and observe the
results. They work through several methods to
separate mixtures: sieving, filtration, evaporation,
and chromatography. The students set up races that
involve sugar dissolving in water and observe the
effects of particle size and water temperature on
the rate at which the sugar dissolves. They also
observe crystals formed as a result of evaporation.
Students observe some changes that occur immediately
and some that occur over time, and they begin to
recognize the characteristics of chemical reactions.
They investigate rusting, and they observe and
collect the gas formed by mixing an effervescent
tablet in water. Students have several opportunities
to practice their new skills in lessons in which
they devise ways of separating a mystery mixture and
plan and carry out investigations that involve other
changes.
Chemical Tests
Catalog no. GH-97-2101
ISBN 0-89278-969-7
Adopted for use at grades:
2–4
Subject: Basic chemistry concepts
This unit introduces students to the science of
chemistry by challenging them to explore and
determine the identity of five common household
chemicals: sugar, alum, talc, baking soda, and
cornstarch. Students begin by focusing on the
physical properties of color, form, and texture.
Next, they explore chemical properties by observing
how the five powders interact with water, vinegar,
iodine, and red cabbage juice. These tests enable
them to explore phenomena such as crystallization
and to observe the processes of evaporation and
filtration. Finally, students apply their skills and
their knowledge of the five chemicals to identify a
variety of “mystery” mixtures. As a result of
conducting these investigations, students develop
scientific skills such as observing and recording
results, forming conclusions on the basis of
experience, communicating results, and applying
their knowledge to solve problems.
Comparing and
Measuring
Catalog no. GH-97-1301
ISBN 0-89278-990-5
Adopted for use at grades: K–2
Subject:
Concepts of measurement
Students explore the concepts that underlie the
science skills of comparing and measuring. The
lessons are based on a developmental sequence that
includes three activities: comparing, matching, and
measuring. Initially, students compare lengths by
matching measuring tape to their own heights and the
lengths of their arms and legs. They make the
transition from matching to measuring length by
quantifying nonstandard units of measure (in this
case, their own feet) and discover that using
nonstandard units of measure produces varied
results. Finally, students use standard units of
measure, such as Unifix® cubes and measuring strips,
to measure height, width, and distance. In so doing,
students begin to understand key measuring concepts,
such as using beginning and ending points, a common
starting line, and standard units of measure.
Ecosystems
Catalog no. GH-97-2801
ISBN 0-89278-948-4
Adopted for use at grades: 4–6
Subject:
Environmental interrelationships
Students begin the unit by setting up a terrarium in
which they grow grass, mustard, and alfalfa plants.
They then add crickets and isopods. They also set up
an aquarium into which they introduce snails,
guppies, elodea, algae, and duckweed. By connecting
the terrarium and aquarium bottles to create an “ecocolumn,”
students are able to observe the relationship
between the two environments and the organisms
living within them. Using test ecocolumns that
contain only plants, students simulate the effects
of pollutants—such as road salt, fertilizer, and
acid rain—on an environment. Students then use a
food chain wheel to make inferences about the
effects these pollutants might have on their own
miniature ecosystems. Later, students read about,
explore, and discuss the Chesapeake Bay as a model
ecosystem. They analyze this ecosystem from the
viewpoint of various users—waterman, dairy farmer,
land developer, recreational boater, and
resident—and present their findings to the class.
This activity enables students to appreciate the
trade-offs that must be made to reach mutually
acceptable solutions to environmental problems.
Electric Circuits
Catalog no. GH-97-2601
ISBN 0-89278-957-3
Adopted for use at grades:
3–5
Subject: Electricity and electric circuits
Students are first introduced to the basic
properties of electricity as they learn about
electric circuits and the parts of a light bulb.
Next, students learn about conductors and insulators
and about the symbols used to represent the parts of
a circuit in circuit diagrams. Students also explore
different kinds of circuits, learn about switches,
construct a flashlight, and investigate the
properties of diodes. Finally, students apply their
knowledge and skills to wire a cardboard house.
Experiments with
Plants
GH-97-3101
ISBN 0-89278-939-5
Adopted for use at grades: 5–7
Subject: Investigations of plant growth
Students apply the knowledge and skills they have
gained in earlier STC® life science units to
investigate some of the variables that affect plant
growth and development. The main objective of the
unit is to enable students to design and conduct a
controlled experiment. They begin by studying the
key variables that affect the life, health, and
reproduction of the Wisconsin Fast Plant® (Brassica
rapa) and how they can manipulate these variables.
Working in teams, students formulate a question
about the plant and carry out a controlled
experiment designed to answer that question. During
the ensuing weeks, they observe the plants and
record their data. Each team then shares its results
with the class. Final activities entail germinating
seeds that students have gathered from the plants
and exploring tropisms.
Floating and Sinking
Catalog no. GH-97-2501
ISBN 0-89278-942-5
Adopted for use at grades: 4–6
Subject:
Buoyancy
In this unit, students investigate the phenomenon of
buoyancy. They begin by making a spring scale with
which they weigh various objects. They make clay
boats, test their boats’ buoyancy, and discover that
altering the shape of the boats affects buoyancy.
Students are then challenged to design a boat that
has a certain loading capacity. These experiments
allow them to witness several surprising phenomena;
for example, some “floaters” are heavier than some
“sinkers,” and large objects are not always heavier
than smaller objects. Students then turn their
attention to differences between objects placed in
fresh water and in salt water. They construct a
hydrometer that compares the levels at which objects
float in both types of water.
Food Chemistry
Catalog no. GH-97-2901
ISBN 0-89278-945-X
Adopted for use at grades: 4–6
Subject:
Basic food and nutrition concepts
Students explore basic concepts related to food and
nutrition. They set up their own classroom
laboratory and perform physical and chemical tests
to identify the presence of starch, glucose, fats,
and proteins in common foods. Some of the tests are
relatively simple and produce “yes-or-no” results;
others require multiple steps. Still other tests,
such as the glucose test, produce results that
require interpretation. Through readings, students
discover how proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, as
well as vitamins, are related to good health. They
also learn how to interpret food labels. In a final
challenge, students apply their knowledge and skills
to analyze the nutritional components of a
marshmallow.
Land and Water
Catalog no. GH-97-2301
ISBN 0-89278-960-3
Adopted for use at grades:
3–5
Subject: Interactions between land and water
Students investigate the interactions between land
and water. Using a stream table as their model,
students observe how runoff causes stream formation;
how groundwater forms; how soil is eroded,
transported, and deposited; and how water shapes
land. Students create hills, build dams, and grow
vegetation. Miniature valleys, waterfalls, and
canyons form in the stream tables as water flows
over the soil. Students also deepen their
appreciation for the vastness of stream systems by
creating aerial diagrams of their stream table
results. The stream table also serves as a basis for
investigations of the water cycle. Through observing
the model, manipulating certain parts of it, and
testing interactions under various conditions,
students discover how water changes the shape of
land and how land formations, in turn, affect the
flow of water. They connect the models to real-world
examples and apply the concepts they have learned to
photographs of land and water on earth. Through
these applications, students are encouraged to
observe land and water each day and search for
evidence of interactions between land and water in
the world around them.
The Life
Cycle of Butterflies
Catalog no. GH-97-1501
ISBN 0-89278-987-5
Adopted for use at grades: 1–3
Subject:
Animal life cycles
This unit introduces students to the concept of life
cycles by inviting them to investigate one
organism—the painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui).
During an eight-week period, students observe,
record, and describe the metamorphosis from
caterpillar to chrysalis and from chrysalis to
butterfly. In many cases, they watch the butterfly
lay eggs. The butterfly ultimately dies a natural
death, thereby completing students’ observations of
the life cycle. The children compare the life cycle
of the butterfly with that of other organisms, an
experience that deepens their understanding of the
diversity of life and the patterns that characterize
animal life cycles.
Magnets and Motors
Catalog no. GH-97-3401
ISBN 0-89278-933-6
Adopted for use at grades: 5–7
Subject:
Electromagnetism
This unit, which builds on the knowledge that
students gained in the STC® Electric Circuits unit,
offers students the opportunity to explore the
properties of magnets and the magnetic properties of
electric currents. The unit includes information on
the historical development of scientists’
understanding of the use of magnetism, electricity,
and electromagnetism. Students begin by studying
magnets and making a compass. They then investigate
the relationship between magnetism and electricity,
as they explore the characteristics of switches and
circuits. Finally, students experiment with three
different motors. Applying their learning and
experience, they dismantle, experiment with, and
reassemble a manufactured motor.
Measuring Time
Catalog no. GH-97-3201
ISBN 0-89278-936-0
Adopted for use at grades: 5–7
Subject:
Exploring and investigating time
In the first part of this unit, students explore the
use of natural phenomena, such as the phases of the
moon, to keep time. In the second section, students
conduct experiments using some of the instruments
that have been used to keep time throughout the
centuries. They build and experiment with a water
clock and investigate the characteristics of the
pendulum. Finally, they apply what they have learned
to assemble and evaluate a clock escapement and
modify the device in order to make it more accurate.
The unit provides students with an opportunity to
learn how to measure time, to investigate machines,
to explore concepts such as energy and motion, and
to learn about the science of astronomy.
Microworlds
Catalog no. GH-97-2701
ISBN 0-89278-951-4
Adopted for use at grades:
4–6
Subject: Introduction to lenses, microscopes,
and microorganisms
Students examine everyday objects as well as
microorganisms with a variety of magnifying devices.
They begin by investigating several common objects
with the unaided eye. Using a variety of lenses,
including hand lenses, acrylic spheres, and water
drops, they learn that a magnifying lens must be
transparent and curved. Next, students use a
microscope to view inanimate objects. They learn
proper focusing and lighting techniques, as well as
how to prepare slides. Students prepare a section of
onion skin and observe its cells. Students’
attention then turns to living specimens. Using a
microscope, they view three microorganisms—Volvox,
Blepharisma, and the vinegar eel. They study the
cell structure of these organisms and observe how
the organisms feed, grow, and multiply. In a final
challenge, students use the microscope to examine
cultures they have grown from hay and grass
infusions.
Motion and Design
Catalog no. GH-97-3001
ISBN 0-89278-954-9
Adopted for use at grades: 3–5
Subject:
Properties and characteristics of motion
Students explore the physics of motion and to apply
these concepts to technological design. Using
plastic construction materials, weights, rubber
bands, and propellers, students design and build
vehicles. Students record their designs using
technical two-view and three-view drawings. They
test how fast the vehicles move and use their
findings to redesign the vehicles to move more
efficiently. Cost analysis is one of the students’
design requirements. As students design their
vehicles, they intuitively apply concepts such as
friction and kinetic and potential energy. They also
explore the effect of gravity on motion. The unit
concludes by challenging students to solve a design
challenge and to present their findings to the
class.
Organisms
Catalog no. GH-97-1101
ISBN 0-89278-999-9
Adopted for use at grades: K–2
Subject:
Basic characteristics of living things
This unit helps students develop an understanding of
and sensitivity to living things. Students create
and maintain a woodland habitat containing pine
seedlings, moss, pill bugs, and bess beetles or
millipedes. They also set up and observe a
freshwater habitat into which they introduce elodea
and cabomba plants, pond snails, and guppies. With
both plants and animals in each habitat, students
have the opportunity to observe how these organisms
coexist. Through studying the needs and
characteristics of a variety of organisms, the
students are able to draw conclusions about how
plants and animals are similar and different. In a
final lesson, students apply to humans what they
have learned about organisms, exploring how human
beings are similar to and different from other
living things.
Plant Growth
and Development
Catalog no. GH-97-1901
ISBN 0-89278-975-1
Adopted for use at grades: 2–4
Subject:
Plant life cycle
Students observe each stage in the life cycle of a
simple plant. Working with Wisconsin Fast Plants® (Brassica
rapa), which germinate, mature, and go to seed
within a 40-day period, students plant seeds and
watch the seedlings emerge. Later, they thin and
transplant seedlings. As they watch their plants
grow, students learn that plants need nutrients from
the soil, as well as water and light, to thrive. As
the unit expands to focus on the interdependence of
living things, students cross-pollinate the flowers
with dried honeybees. Finally, they harvest mature
seeds and determine seed yields. These experiences
deepen students’ understanding of the
characteristics of living organisms and their
relationship with and dependence on their
environment.
Rocks and Minerals
Catalog no. GH-97-2001
ISBN 0-89278-972-7
Adopted for use at grades: 2–4
Subject:
Rocks and minerals
Students explore the differences and similarities
between rocks and minerals by investigating samples
of these earth materials, performing a series of
tests similar to geologists’ field tests, and
reading about rocks and minerals and how they are
used. The first lessons focus on rocks. The students
then turn their attention to a set of 12 minerals
and test them to identify properties such as streak
color, luster, transparency, hardness, shape, and
magnetism. After completing these observations,
students compile them into their own “Minerals Field
Guide.” In a culminating activity, they are
challenged to apply their knowledge and skills to
identify new minerals. They then report on how rocks
and minerals are used.
Soils
Catalog no. GH-97-1601
ISBN 0-89278-984-0
Adopted for use at grades: 1–3
Subject:
Components and properties of soil
Students investigate the chief components of
soil—sand, clay, and humus—and explore the
relationship between soil and plant growth. Early in
the unit, they create their own compost bags. This
activity enables them to observe the decomposition
of organic materials over time. Students observe and
read about earthworms to learn about their
connection to plant roots and soil. The students
also conduct tests that enable them to observe and
compare such properties of soil as odor, appearance,
and texture. Phenomena such as settling, water
content, and soil consistency are also explored.
These observations are then related to plant growth,
as students plant cucumber seeds in a clear plastic
tube. By observing root growth, students learn about
the role of roots in keeping the plant anchored and
upright. In a final activity, students apply what
they have learned to investigate a sample of local
garden soil.
Solids and Liquids
Catalog no. GH-97-1401
ISBN 0-89278-993-X
Adopted for use at grades: K–2
Subject:
Properties of solids and liquids
Students investigate the similarities and
differences in a variety of common solids and
liquids. First, they observe, describe, and compare
a collection of solid objects, focusing on such
properties as color, shape, texture, and hardness.
They also perform tests to determine whether the
objects roll or stack and float or sink, as well as
whether they are attracted to a magnet.
Investigations of liquids center on how various
liquids look and feel, their fluidity, how they mix
with water, and their degree of absorption. In a
final lesson, students compare the properties of
solids and liquids and identify how they are similar
and different.
Sound
Catalog no. GH-97-2201
ISBN 0-89278-966-2
Adopted for use at grades: 2–4
Subject:
Characteristics of sound
Using tuning forks, slide whistles, strings, and
other sound-producing objects, students investigate
the characteristics of sound. They learn that sound
is caused by vibrations and explore how sound
travels. They learn about the relationship of pitch
and volume to the frequency and amplitude of
vibrations. They discover, for example, that they
can alter pitch by varying the length or tension of
a string. Constructing simple stringed instruments,
they discover how they can increase the volume of
the sound produced by the strings. Students
investigate the characteristics of another common
sound-producing mechanism—the human vocal cords—and
build model vocal cords. They also learn about the
anatomy and functioning of the human ear. They apply
what they learn in the unit by designing and
building musical instruments or other
sound-producing devices.
The Technology of
Paper
Catalog no. GH-97-3301
ISBN 0-89278-930-1
Adopted for use at grades: 5–7
Subject:
Paper and papermaking
In this unit students explore the properties of
paper, make paper by hand, and understand how the
properties of paper relate to how it is used. By
testing six types of paper for smoothness,
tear-resistance, opacity, water-resistance, and ink
receptivity, students deepen their understanding of
the relationship between the properties of a certain
type of paper and its intended uses. Students read
about industrial papermaking and explore hand
papermaking. Using the class hand-papermaking
process, students investigate the role of additives
and of embedding and embossing in the creating of
paper with a variety of properties. In a final
activity, students apply their learning and
experience to work through a four-step technological
design process as they create their own
recycled-paper product.
Weather
Catalog no. GH-97-1201
ISBN 0-89278-996-4
Adopted for use at grades: K–2
Subject:
Weather
This unit introduces students to the concept of
weather and how it affects their lives. Using a
variety of tools, students observe, discuss,
measure, and record data on cloud cover,
precipitation, wind, and temperature. They learn how
to read a thermometer and construct a rain gauge to
measure precipitation. They also study cloud
formations and use a wind scale to estimate the
speed of wind. To apply their new skills and
knowledge, students compare their own weather
predictions with an actual weather forecast and use
the weather data they have collected to form
generalizations about the weather in their own
locale. |
