A brief overview of the methods scientists use to study the ocean seafloor and the features that can be found there. Discusses the magnetic polarity of the seafloor and the four magnetic periods in its past. The seafloor spreading hypothesis is also described. Includes several questions to check understanding.

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Covers seafloor spreading and the mechanism for continental drift.

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Learn the steps of how to test hypotheses.

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Learn the steps of how to test hypotheses.

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This resource presents an interesting challenge for the serious mathematician with strong reasoning skills. Explore proportional reasoning, probabilities, fractions, and ratios in this challenge to figure out if you always get six hours of recording on a 120 minute video tape. A one page activity from the NCTM Math Challenges for Families collection that connects this skill to real world applications.

How can Earth move through space without our feeling its motion? This video segment adapted from NOVA answers this question by dramatizing one of Galileo's thought experiments. [2:42]

In this lesson and its associated activity, students conduct a simple test to determine how many drops of each of three liquids can be placed on a penny before spilling over. The three liquids are water, rubbing alcohol, and vegetable oil; because of their different surface tensions, more water can be piled on top of a penny than either of the other two liquids. However, this is not the main point of the activity. Instead, students are asked to come up with an explanation for their observations about the different amounts of liquids a penny can hold. In other words, they are asked to make hypotheses that explain their observations, and because middle school students are not likely to have prior knowledge of the property of surface tension, their hypotheses are not likely to include this idea. Then they are asked to come up with ways to test their hypotheses, although they do not need to actually test their hypotheses. The important points for students to realize are that 1) the tests they devise must fit their hypotheses, and 2) the hypotheses they come up with must be testable in order to be useful.

Most of the flavoring in gum is due to the sugar or other sweetener it contains. As gum is chewed, the sugar dissolves and is swallowed. After a piece of gum loses its flavor, it can be left to dry at room temperature and then the difference between its initial (unchewed) mass and its chewed mass can be used to calculate the percentage of sugar in the gum. This demonstration experiment is used to generate new questions about gums and their ingredients, and students can then design and execute new experiments based on their own questions.

Introduction to Sociology 2e adheres to the scope and sequence of a typical, one-semester introductory sociology course. It offers comprehensive coverage of core concepts, foundational scholars, and emerging theories, which are supported by a wealth of engaging learning materials. The textbook presents detailed section reviews with rich questions, discussions that help students apply their knowledge, and features that draw learners into the discipline in meaningful ways. The second edition retains the book’s conceptual organization, aligning to most courses, and has been significantly updated to reflect the latest research and provide examples most relevant to today’s students. In order to help instructors transition to the revised version, the 2e changes are described within the preface.

Define and describe the scientific method
Explain how the scientific method is used in sociological research
Understand the function and importance of an interpretive framework
Define what reliability and validity mean in a research study

With the assistance of a few teacher demonstrations (online animation, using a radiometer and rubbing hands), students review the concept of heat transfer through convection, conduction and radiation. Then they apply an understanding of these ideas as they use wireless temperature probes to investigate the heating capacity of different materials sand and water under heat lamps (or outside in full sunshine). The experiment models how radiant energy drives convection within the atmosphere and oceans, thus producing winds and weather conditions, while giving students the hands-on opportunity to understand the value of remote-sensing capabilities designed by engineers. Students collect and record temperature data on how fast sand and water heat and cool. Then they create multi-line graphs to display and compare their data, and discuss the need for efficient and reliable engineer-designed tools like wireless sensors in real-world applications.

Identify simple principles of physical science and engineering by exploring ramps and things that roll. Predict which items will slide or roll down a ramp and test your predictions.

Practice the scientific steps of making predictions, observations, and discoveries while making this simple meringue recipe.

Estimate how many pennies a flatboat made of aluminum foil will hold, then test your hypothesis.

This lesson plan requires students to make an inference (hypothesis) about two animals based on the tracks they leave behind. Students are asked to write a story explaining their inference.

Explores the criteria of a scientific hypothesis and why a hypothesis cannot be proven true.

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Find the next hit movie based on trends by structuring and analyzing data in a spreadsheet. Time to complete: 6-9 hours

Recognize and calculate simple experimental probability.

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This lesson discusses some of the ways a probability question might be expressed. [2:46]