Grades 6-8

Poison Pump

By listening to clues, students apply investigative methods to trace the source of water contamination.

Standard – Earth & Space Science
Organizer – Earth Systems
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark C 7.4

Standard – Life Sciences
Organizer – Evolutionary Theory
Benchmark & Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark B 8.3

Standard – Science and Technology
Organizer – Understanding Technology
Benchmark & Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 6.1, Benchmark A 6.2,
Benchmark A 7.1, Benchmark A 8.1, Benchmark A 8.2

Standard – Scientific Inquiry
Organizer – Doing Scientific Inquiry
Benchmark & Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 6.1, Benchmark A 6.3,
Benchmark B 7.5, Benchmark B 7.6, Benchmark B 8.3

Standard – Scientific Ways of Knowing
Organizer – Science and Society
Benchmark & Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark C 6.3, Benchmark C 6.4,
Benchmark C 7.3, Benchmark A 8.1

Standard – Scientific Ways of Knowing
Organizer – Nature of Science
Benchmark & Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 8.1

Standard – Scientific Ways of Knowing
Organizer – Ethical Practices
Benchmark & Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark B 8.2

A Grave Mistake

Students listen to clues and analyze data to solve a mystery. They trace the flow of contaminants in groundwater to their source. Students conclude that past solutions developed with good intentions may create contemporary problems.

Standard – Earth & Space Science
Organizer – Earth Systems
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark C 7.4

Standard – Life Sciences
Organizer – Diversity & Interdependence of Life
Benchmark & Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark C 7.5

Standard – Science and Technology
Organizer – Understanding Technology
Benchmark & Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 6.1, Benchmark A 6.2,
Benchmark A 8.1

Standard – Science and Technology
Organizer – Abilities to do Technological Design
Benchmark & Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark B 6.5, Benchmark B 8.4,

Standard – Scientific Inquiry
Organizer – Doing Scientific Inquiry
Benchmark & Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark B 6.3, Benchmark B 6.4,
Benchmark B 7.5,Benchmark B 7.6, Benchmark B 7.7, Benchmark B 8.3

Standard – Scientific Ways of Knowing
Organizer – Nature of Science
Benchmark & Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 6.1, Benchmark A 8.1

Standard – Scientific Ways of Knowing
Organizer – Ethical Practices
Benchmark & Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark B 8.2

H2O Olympics

Students demonstrate adhesion and cohesion properties of water through a number of experiments. They are able to relate adhesion and cohesion to daily activities.

Standard – Science and Technology
Organizer – Abilities to Do Technological Design
Benchmark & Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark B 6.5, Benchmark B 8.4

Standard – Physical Sciences
Organizer – Force & Motion
Benchmark & Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark B 8.3

Humpty Dumpty

Students relate the challenge of environmental restoration projects to assembling a puzzle that they create. They learn about the challenges of restoring an altered natural environment.

Standard – Science & Technology
Organizer – Understanding Technology
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 6.1

Standard – Life Sciences
Organizer – Diversity & Interdependence of Life
Benchmark & Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 7.5

Standard – Scientific Ways of Knowing
Organizer – Nature of Science
Benchmark & Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 8.1

Ohio Fossils

Standard  – Earth & Space Science
Organizer – The Universe
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 8.4

Standard – Earth & Space Science
Organizer – Earth Systems
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark C 7.2, Benchmark D 6.1,
Benchmark D 6.2, Benchmark E 8.9,Benchmark E 8.10, Benchmark E 8.12,
Benchmark E 8.13, Benchmark E 8.14

Standard – Life Sciences
Organizer – Diversity and Interdependence of Life
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark C 6.8

Standard – Life Sciences
Organizer – Evolutionary Theory
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark D 8.4, Benchmark D 8.5

Standard – Scientific Ways of Knowing
Organizer – Ethical Practices
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 6.2, Benchmark B 7.1,
Benchmark B 7.2, Benchmark B 8.2

Standard – Scientific Ways of Knowing
Organizer – Science and Society
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark C 6.5, Benchmark C 7.3

Sum of the Parts

Students demonstrate how everyone contributes to the pollution of a river and recognize that everyone has a responsibility to reduce their contribution.

Standard – Earth and Space Science
Organizer – Earth Systems
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator  – Benchmark C 7.4, Benchmark E 8.13

Standard – Life Sciences
Organizer – Diversity and Interdependence of Life
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark C 7.3, Benchmark D 7.4,
Benchmark D 7.5

Standard – Science and Technology
Organizer – Understanding Technology
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 6.1, Benchmark A 6.2,
Benchmark A 7.1, Benchmark A 7.2, Benchmark A 8.2

Standard – Science and Technology
Organizer – Abilities to Do Technological Design
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark B 6.5, Benchmark B 8.3,
Benchmark B 8.4

Standard – Physical Sciences
Organizer – Nature of Energy
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark C 6.8

Water Address

By listening to animal adaptation clues in a riddle, teams of students identify the animals and their habitats. The clues and riddles describe water-related adaptations by animals.

Standard – Life Sciences
Organizer – Evolutionary Theory
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark B 8.3, Benchmark D 8.5,
Benchmark B 7.8

Standard – Life Sciences
Organizer – Characteristics and Structure of Life
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 7.1, Benchmark A 6.2

Standard – Scientific Ways of Knowing
Organizer – Nature of Science
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 8.1

Get Groundwater Picture

Students learn about basic principles of groundwater as they create a geologic cross-section or “earth window.”

Standard – Science and Technology
Organizer – Understanding Technology
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 6.2

Standard – Physical Sciences
Organizer – Nature of Energy
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark C 6.8

Standard – Earth and Space Science
Organizer – Earth Systems
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark C 7.4, Benchmark E 8.11

Standard – Life Sciences
Organizer – Diversity and Interdependence of Life
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark D 7.5

Animal Tracks and Wildlife

Students view a variety of animal skins and discuss animal characteristics. They learn  how pollution and litter can affect animals within an ecosystem. Students take home an animal track made from plaster of Paris.

Standard – Scientific Inquiry
Organizer – Doing Scientific Inquiry
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark B 6.3, Benchmark A 6.1,
Benchmark A 7.3

Branching Out

Students create a model landscape and learn about drainage patterns and where water goes in that watershed. Students learn about topographical maps and the symbols on the maps.

Standard  – Scientific Inquiry
Organizer – Doing Scientific Inquiry
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark B 6.3

Standard – Scientific Ways of Knowing
Organizer – Nature of Science
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 8.1

Standard – Earth and Space Science
Organizer – Earth Systems
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark E 8.11

Enviroscape Watershed Model

This models helps students understand what a watershed is and how it drains. Students will place simulated pollutants on the land to see how we contribute to water pollution.

Standard – Earth and Space Science
Organizer – Earth Systems
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark C 7.2, Benchmark C 7.4

Standard – Science and Technology
Organizer – Understanding Technology
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 6.1, Benchmark A 6.2,
Benchmark A 7.2, Benchmark A 8.2

Stream Table

This is an exciting hands-on way to learn about stream morphology. The stream table is available for loan, teaching concepts of stream behavior. A teaching guide is included; the stream table can demonstrate streambank erosion, streambank protection, stream energy and slope change, among other concepts.

Standard – Earth and Space Science
Organizer – Earth Systems
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark E 8.11, Benchmark E 8.13

Standard – Life Sciences
Organizer – Diversity and Interdependence of Life
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark D 7.5

Standard – Scientific Inquiry
Organizer – Doing Scientific Inquiry
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark B 6.3, Benchmark A 7.1,
Benchmark A 7.2, Benchmark A 7.3, Benchmark B 7.5, Benchmark B 7.6,
Benchmark B 8.3, Benchmark B 8.4

Standard – Scientific Ways of Knowing
Organizer – Ethical Practices
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark B 7.2

Standard – Scientific Ways of Knowing
Organizer – Nature of Science
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 6.1, Benchmark A 8.1

Standard – Scientific Ways of Knowing
Organizer – Science and Society
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark C 6.3

Adaptation Artistry

Students identify and describe the advantages of adaptations by animals, utilizing birds as the example. Students design and create an imaginary bird with adaptations made from recycled materials. The students then write a short story describing their bird and the importance of their adaptations.

Standard – Life Sciences
Organizer – Diversity and Interdependence of Life
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark C 6.8, Benchmark C 7.2

Standard – Life Sciences
Organizer – Evolutionary Theory
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark D 7.5

Standard – Life Sciences
Organizer – Characteristics and Structure of Life
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 7.1

Groundwater Model

Standard – Earth and Space Sciences
Organizer – Earth Systems
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark C 7.4

Standard – Life Sciences
Organizer – Diversity and Interdependence of Life
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark D 7.5

Standard – Science and Technology
Organizer – Understanding Technology
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 6.1, Benchmark A 6.2,
Benchmark A 7.3, Benchmark A 8.2

Standard – Scientific Inquiry
Organizer – Doing Scientific Inquiry
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark B 7.5, Benchmark B 7.6

Incredible Journey

Students play a game where they learn the three states of water as water molecules move through the water cycle.

Standard – Physical Sciences
Organizer – Nature of Energy
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark C 6.6, Benchmark C 6.8

Standard – Earth and Space Sciences
Organizer – Earth Systems
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark C 7.1, Benchmark C 7.2,
Benchmark C 7.3

Indoor or Outdoor Stream Monitoring

Students utilize scientific inquiry to compare two different artificial streams. They seine for macroinvertebrates and learn how these macroinvertebrates can determine the quality of water in a stream. Students learn how tolerance to water quality conditions varies from species to species.

Standard – Life Sciences
Organizer – Diversity and Interdependence of Life
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark C 7.3, Benchmark D 7.5

Standard – Life Sciences
Organizer – Evolutionary Theory
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark B 7.8

Standard – Science and Technology
Organizer – Understanding Technology
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 6.1, Benchmark A 6.2

Standard – Scientific Inquiry
Organizer – Doing Scientific Inquiry
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 6.1, Benchmark A 6.2,
Benchmark B 6.3, Benchmark B 6.4, Benchmark A 7.1, Benchmark A 7.2,
Benchmark A 7.3, Benchmark A 7.4, Benchmark A 7.5, Benchmark A 7.6,
Benchmark B 7.7, Benchmark A 8.1, Benchmark A 8.2, Benchmark B 8.3,
Benchmark B 8.4

Standard – Scientific Ways of Knowing
Organizer – Ethical Practices
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 6.2, Benchmark B 7.1,
Benchmark B 7.2, Benchmark B 8.2

Standard – Scientific Ways of Knowing
Organizer – Nature of Science
Benchmark and Grade Level Indicator – Benchmark A 6.1