Determining the Age of a Star

A CAROLINA ESSENTIALS INVESTIGATION Total Time Prep: 15 mins Activity: 20-30 mins Earth Space Science Grade Level 8-12 Middle/High School Quick Links Close Quick Links Open Quick Links Introduction Essential Question NGSS Materials Procedures Analysis Kit Resources Introduction Essential Question NGSS Materials Procedures Analysis Kit Resources Introduction Use this activity as a student-based or teacher-led […]
Invertebrate Biodiversity with Berlese Funnels

A CAROLINA ESSENTIALS INVESTIGATION Total Time Prep: 1 hour Activity: 5 days Life Science Grade Level 6-12 Middle/High School Quick Links Close Quick Links Open Quick Links Introduction Essential Question NGSS Materials Procedures Analysis Kit Resources Introduction Essential Question NGSS Materials Procedures Analysis Kit Resources Introduction Understanding the relationships among biotic diversity and abiotic factors […]
Use Bubbles—Observe Wind Speed and Direction: Ask a Question and Plan an Experiment

A CAROLINA ACTIVITY Total Time Prep Time: 10 min Class Time: 45 min Earth and Space Science Students: Groups of 2 Grade Level K-5 Elementary School Asking Questions and Defining Problems Planning and Carrying Out Investigations Varies by grade. See Performance Expectations below. ·        Cause and Effect  ·        Energy and Matter Introduction In this […]
The Ups and Downs of Weather

A Carolina EssentialsTM Demonstration Total Time: 10-30 mins Prep: 10-30 mins Earth and Space Science 6-12 Middle/High School Overview Three concepts are paramount to understanding weather basics: temperature, pressure, and the Coriolis effect. Air temperature and pressure affect the density of an air mass. Differences in density set up convection currents that move air both […]
Invertebrate Biodiversity and Abiotic Factors

A Carolina EssentialsTM Investigation Total Time: 4+ days Prep: 30 mins | Activity: 4+ days Life Science | Earth Science 9-12 High School Overview Understanding the relationships between biotic diversity and abiotic factors in an ecosystem can be a difficult task. Using soil invertebrates, students can identify both the number of species present in a […]
Water Quality Awareness

A CAROLINA ESSENTIALS ACTIVITY What is the current state of the global water supply? Total Time Prep: 15 mins Activity: 15 mins Life Science, Environmental Science Grade Level 6-12 Middle | High School Quick Links Close Quick Links Open Quick Links Introduction Essential Question NGSS Materials Procedures Analysis Kit Resources Introduction Essential Question NGSS Materials […]
Succession on Mount St. Helens

A Carolina EssentialsTM Activity Total Time: 45-60 minutes Prep: 15 mins | Activity: 45-60 mins Life Science | Earth and Space Science 9-12 High School Overview This data analysis and data visualization exercise uses a small portion of data generated by the biologist Roger del Moral from the University of Washington, Seattle. Students analyze the eruption and […]
The Great American Eclipse of 2023-2024

Newton’s law of cooling states that the rate at which an object cools is proportional to the difference in temperature between the object and the object’s surroundings. Simply put, a glass of hot water will cool down faster in a cold room than in a hot room. This simple principle is relatively easy to prove, and the experiment has repeatable and reproducible results.
Clean Up Your Mess! Air and Water Pollution Remediation

Workshop Resources Life Science 6-12 Middle / High School Pollution remediation is a messy but necessary business. Experience hands-on environmental science activities that model the techniques used to clean up pollution. Depending on instructional objectives, qualitative observations or quantitative measurements may be made. Download Presentation Download Handouts Buy The Kit
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and the Greening of the Planet

A Carolina EssentialsTM Activity Total Time: 45-60 MIN Prep: 15 | Activity: 30-45 Earth and Space Science 9-12 High School Overview Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels have been changing globally since about 1785. Ice core samples indicate that prior to the late 1700s, CO2Â levels were around 280 parts per million (ppm). In 1885, CO2Â levels peaked […]