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

The Science Teacher's Activity-A-Day, Grades 6-12, by Pam Walker and Elaine Wood, is a book of 180 easy, five-minute hook or sponge activities to captivate learners' attention and introduce lessons. The book is divided into three major units, Physical Science, Life Science, and Earth and Space Science, each of which is subdivided into broad topics based on the National Science Education Standards for middle and high school.

PAM WALKER and ELAINE WOOD each have more than twenty years of science teaching experience. They are the authors of dozens of books for middle and high school science teachers and students, including Crime Scene Investigations and Hands-On General Science Activities with Real-Life Applications, both from Jossey-Bass.

About This Book.

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.