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I made ScienceFix.com to share my favorite demos that I do in my middle school science classes.  

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Media that I like...
  • Something Funny Happened on the Way to the Moon
    Something Funny Happened on the Way to the Moon
    by Sara Howard
  • NOVA - Origins
    NOVA - Origins
    starring Neil Degrasse Tyson
  • Human Body: Pushing the Limits
    Human Body: Pushing the Limits
    starring Bray Poor

Entries in lesson (12)

Sunday
Jun282009

Lesson: DNA Extraction

I’m using a wonderful tool called Voicethread to demonstrate how to extract DNA from raw wheat germ. Click play on how to do the demo and to see how Voicethread can be used. Download the handout for more details.

Tuesday
Jun162009

Solar System Scale Model Tour

When students learn about the Solar System they have a difficult time visualizing or comprehending what the distances are like between the planets and the sizes of the planets and the Sun. Most textbooks show pictures of the planet on one scale and the distances between the planets on another scale. They never have them to the same scale. The reason why is that the Solar System is huge! There are a ton of Solar System scale model lessons on the web. One of the best is the half mile long model. In this model the following represent the planets (see slide show): Mercury, Mars, and Pluto = head of pin, Earth and Mars = peppercorn, Jupiter = rubber ball, Saturn = hazelnut, Uranus and Neptune = peanut, Sun = volleyball. I glued these items (except the volleyball) to paper plates. I then made a flag for each planet out of wooden dowels and construction paper. I then inserted the flags through the middle of the paper plates and set the combination into a PE cone (see slide show). The distance between the planets are on the teacher handout (students have a separate handout). I have my students record into a lab composition book a journal of their tour. They answer questions before, during and after the tour. They are pretty amazed by the size of the model (see slide show). You need to have a pretty straight stretch of street (see slide show) to use, that isn’t too busy. I give my principal notice ahead of time and I also bring a first aid kit.

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