Students will identify and research the overuse of nonrenewable energy sources as it relates to heating homes. Then they will research and come up with strategies and designs for a solar heater that will help reduce the reliance on nonrenewable energy resources.
Author
Erica Whitt
The hydrosphere is a large portion of the 8th-grade science curriculum. There is a limited amount of fresh water available on Earth compared to the world’s population. This lesson challenges students to explore how they can use social media to promote the protection of Earth’s water. Students will work in teams to create a branded social media campaign across X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube on how and why people should protect Earth’s water. Students will use their understanding 8.E.1 science standards to create their social media posts/videos.
Author
Rachel Neckermann
Students start at an early age being asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” It is something that most students have thought about or considered. In middle grades and the start of high school, they have opportunities to discover more about themselves. This activity will lead to a better understanding of the career path that is right for them.
Author
Jennifer Taylor
In this unit, students will uncover how energy is converted to a variety of forms and how these forms are used in our homes from a power plant all the way down to charging our electronics.
Author
Mrinda (Mindy) Thornlow
Students will utilize Google Maps to engage in scientific learning. (Extension: Students will increase cultural understanding and literacy)
Author
Emily Lahr
Students will analyze data to determine the inheritance pattern for eye color in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster.
Author
Emily Simpson McDonald
The purpose of this lab is to illustrate the importance of monitoring the water quality of effluent (wastewater outflow) and its effects on aquatic organisms.
Author
Annie McEntyre
Students will work in small groups to research a textile company in Alamance County and create a digital archive for the company. They will research to determine the textiles impact on the community over time. Students will discover how human and environmental actions affect the quality of life for those in Alamance County. The investigation of students’ interviews, research and timeline will allow them to analyze data and make conclusions of impact.
Authors
Angela Dalton, Kelsey Isley, Brandy Lambert, and Tomika Davis, STEMwork Scholars
Author
Sandra Hermdia, STEMwork Scholar
Students will learn about plate tectonics and how the Earth’s plates move and interact. Students will also learn what causes earthquakes.
Authors
Angela Dalton, Kelsey Isley, Brandy Lambert, Tomika Davis, STEMwork Scholars
Students will work in small groups to research one of the following topics:
Then they will produce an infographic detailing their findings about the root causes of the inequity, steps that have been taken to address the problem, and what they feel would be the best solution for a community looking to be more just in its access.
Authors
Emmanuel Davis Lipscomb and Monica Perdomo, STEMwork Scholars
Students will create a video presentation on how North Carolina’s growing population affects ocean health and their proposals for sustainable solutions to mitigate the impact. Their videos are intended to be presented to a public audience.
The project was inspired by the World of 7 Billion student video contest. In that contest, middle and high schoolers are given the platform to think critically about global challenges related to population and share what they think we should do to fix it.
Authors
Victoria Mahoney and Jennifer Walski, STEMwork Scholars
Students will learn how surface area and volume changes as the dimensions of a rectangular prism changes. Students will build and paint a doghouse (surface area) for different sizes of dogs (volume).
Author
Jill Jackson, STEMwork Scholar
Students will explore the basic elements and energy that are the driving forces of our universe, from the formation of atoms and matter to Earth’s earliest evolution. Earth is dynamic; it is constantly changing. Limitless energy lies beneath Earth’s volcanoes. Can volcanoes be a resource? Can we harness their energy and fertile soil? Is volcanic activity the Earth’s spontaneous hiccups, or is there a pattern to be observed and predicted? What are the types of volcanoes; what determines their location; and which volcanoes pose the greatest threat to humanity?
Author
Shannon Hardy
Students will utilize resources from experts/online/books about North Carolinian animals and create their own “Who Would Win?” book/Google Slides/Brochure, independently or in pairs. Students will focus on researching the adaptations of North Carolinian animals they choose to compare. This will be shared with a community audience, who will
provide constructive feedback and provide a reference for future field trips to explore the animals and their adaptations in a local habitat.
Authors
Sarah Anna Tronic, Laura J. McDougal, Shanlee Meyers