This correlation lists the recommended Gizmos for this state's curriculum standards. Click any Gizmo title below for more information.
D1: : Students describe the positions and apparent motions of different objects in and beyond our solar system and how these objects can be viewed from Earth.
D1.a: : Show the locations of the sun, Earth, moon, and planets and their orbits.
Comparing Earth and Venus
Observe the motions of Venus and Earth as the planets move around the Sun. Measure the length of a day and a year on Earth and Venus, and compare the length of a solar day to the length of a sidereal day.
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Imagine a gigantic pitcher standing on Earth, ready to hurl a huge baseball. What will happen as the ball is thrown harder and harder? Find out with the Gravity Pitch Gizmo. Observe the path of the ball when it is thrown at different velocities. Throw the ball on different planets to see how each planet's gravity affects the ball.
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Explore our solar system and learn the characteristics of each planet. Compare the sizes of planets and their distances from the Sun. Observe the speeds of planetary orbits and measure how long each planet takes to go around the Sun.
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D2: : Students describe the properties of Earth's surface materials, the processes that change them, and cycles that affect the Earth.
D2.a: : Explain the effects of the rotation of Earth on the day/night cycle, and how that cycle affects local temperature.
Seasons: Earth, Moon, and Sun
Observe the motions of the Earth, Moon and Sun in three dimensions to explain Sunrise and Sunset, and to see how we define a day, a month, and a year. Compare times of Sunrise and Sunset for different dates and locations. Relate shadows to the position of the Sun in the sky, and relate shadows to compass directions.
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D2.b: : Describe the various forms water takes in the air and how that relates to weather.
Water Cycle
Control the path of a drop of water as it travels through the water cycle. Many alternatives are presented at each stage. Determine how the water moves from one location to another, and learn how water resources are distributed in these locations.
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D3: : Students describe properties of objects and materials before and after they undergo a change or interaction.
D3.f: : Explain that the properties of a material may change but the total amount of material remains the same.
Chemical Changes
Chemical changes result in the formation of new substances. But how can you tell if a chemical change has occurred? Explore this question by observing and measuring a variety of chemical reactions. Along the way you will learn about chemical equations, acids and bases, exothermic and endothermic reactions, and conservation of matter.
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D4: : Students summarize how various forces affect the motion of objects.
D4.a: : Predict the effect of a given force on the motion of an object.
Force and Fan Carts
Explore the laws of motion using a simple fan cart. Use the buttons to select the speed of the fan and the surface, and press Play to begin. You can drag up to three objects onto the fan cart. The speed of the cart is displayed with a speedometer and recorded in a table and a graph.
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D4.b: : Describe how fast things move by how long it takes them to go a certain distance.
Free Fall Tower
Recreate Galileo's famous experiment by dropping objects off the Tower of Pisa. You can drop ping pong balls, golf balls, soccer balls or watermelons. Objects can be dropped in air or no air, with or without a parachute. The speed of each object is shown on a speedometer and a graph.
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Go on an African safari and observe a variety of animals walking and running across the savanna. Videotape the animals, and then play back the videotape to estimate animal speeds. Which animals run fastest?
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Create a graph of a runner's position versus time and watch the runner complete a 40-yard dash based on the graph you made. Notice the connection between the slope of the line and the speed of the runner. What will the runner do if the slope of the line is zero? What if the slope is negative? Add a second runner (a second graph) and connect real-world meaning to the intersection of two graphs.
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Create a graph of a runner's position versus time and watch the runner complete a 40-meter dash based on the graph you made. Notice the connection between the slope of the line and the speed of the runner. What will the runner do if the slope of the line is zero? What if the slope is negative? Add a second runner (a second graph) and connect real-world meaning to the intersection of two graphs.
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Recreate Galileo's famous experiment by dropping objects off the Tower of Pisa. You can drop ping pong balls, golf balls, soccer balls or watermelons. Objects can be dropped in air or no air, with or without a parachute. The speed of each object is shown on a speedometer and a graph.
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D4.d: : Give examples of how gravity, magnets, and electrically charged materials push and pull objects.
Charge Launcher
Launch a charged particle into a chamber. Charged particles can be added into the chamber to influence the path of the moving particle. The launch speed can be changed as well. Try to match a given path by manipulating the fixed particles in the chamber.
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Drag bar magnets and a variety of other objects onto a piece of paper. Click Play to release the objects to see if they are attracted together, repelled apart, or unaffected. You can also sprinkle iron filings over the magnets and other objects to view the magnetic field lines that are produced.
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E2: : Students describe ways organisms depend upon, interact within, and change the living and non-living environment as well as ways the environment affects organisms.
E2.a: : Explain how changes in an organism's habitat can influence its survival.
Rabbit Population by Season
Observe the population of rabbits in an environment over many years. The land available to the rabbits and weather conditions can be adjusted to investigate the effects of urban sprawl and unusual weather on wildlife populations.
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E2.d: : Explain how the food of most animals can be traced back to plants and how animals use food for energy and repair.
Prairie Ecosystem
Observe the populations of grass, prairie dogs, ferrets and foxes in a prairie ecosystem. Investigate feeding relationships and determine the food chain. Bar graphs and line graphs show changes in populations over time.
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E4: : Students describe characteristics of organisms, and the reasons why organisms differ from or are similar to their parents.
E4.a: : Name some likenesses between children and parents that are inherited, and some that are not.
Inheritance
Create aliens with different traits and breed them to produce offspring. Determine which traits are passed down from parents to offspring and which traits are acquired. Offspring can be stored for future experiments or released.
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E4.b: : Explain that in order for offspring to look like their parents, information related to inherited likenesses must be handed from parents to offspring in a reliable manner.
Inheritance
Create aliens with different traits and breed them to produce offspring. Determine which traits are passed down from parents to offspring and which traits are acquired. Offspring can be stored for future experiments or released.
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Students assume the role of a scientist trying to solve a real world problem. They use scientific practices to collect and analyze data, and form and test a hypothesis as they solve the problems.
