| The Truth About Science Materials
List |
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| Materials are listed at the beginning of each lesson in the
curriculum. We have included prices and vendors for items that we
purchase regularly to implement the curriculum. You do not need
limit yourself to these vendors. A good grocery store, hardware
store, and pet supply store will have most of the items on this
list. Prices do go up over time and they vary by region. All prices
listed below are for a single unit. You will usually have to buy
more than 1 to do the activity with the class. |
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| 3-ring binder for each student |
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3-ring binder |
Office Depot |
$1.99 |
| Often on sale for
0.99 | |
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| Section I: RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND
HYPOTHESES |
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| Day 1 - Einstein's Ooze |
| large, flat-bottomed plastic containers (approx.
11x17") or large bowls with rim diameter at least 2 times as
large as base diameter (1 per group of 4-5 students) |
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Sterilite 5gal. Tote Box with Lid |
Fred Meyer |
$4.99 |
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| corn starch (1 box per group of 4-5
students) |
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corn starch |
Any Grocery Store |
$0.99 |
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| food coloring (optional, 1 color for entire
class) |
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food coloring |
Any Grocery Store |
$2.69 |
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| "measuring" tools (sieves, straws, graters,
measuring cups, pennies, spoons, chopsticks) |
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ask each student to bring a couple things in
from home |
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newspapers
masking tape
paper
towels
sponge and bucket
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| Day 2 - Ooze Experiment Ideas |
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| Day 3 - More Ooze Experiments |
| same as Day 1 |
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| Days 4, 5 - Ecosystem Boxes |
| theme boxes or large envelopes with pictures
and/or objects from different environments; objects should be
selected to lead students toward asking comparison questions
(1 box per group of 5-6 students); This activity works great
when students are assigned as homework to assemble a box and
bring it in. |
| For example: |
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beach box - |
salt water/fresh water, large crab shell/small crab shell,
fine sand/coarse sand, bird pictures, night/day beach
pictures, pictures of tidepool animals |
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forest box - |
deciduous branch/evergreen branch, wet soil/dry soil,
large mushrooms/small mushrooms, large cones/small cones,
frogs/salamanders, animal tracks, pictures of open areas with
more underbrush/closed canopy areas with very little
underbrush, bird pictures, pictures or leaves from different
tree species, pictures of trail and people/ forest with no
trail or people, invertebrates (worms, slugs, spiders) |
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river box - |
river/lake pictures, thermometer, water testing equipment
(pH, DO, N, etc.), fish pictures, aquatic invertebrates,
pictures of river with rapids/river with slow current,
upstream/downstream pictures (watershed), big/little river
pictures, frogs/salamanders |
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backyard box - |
different kinds of bird food, different kinds of bird
feeders, invertebrates, different kinds of garden seeds,
flying insect traps, night/day pictures, wet/dry pictures,
rain gauge, mushrooms on wood/grass, pictures of shaded/sunny
areas |
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wetland box - |
thermometer, water samples from bottom and top of water
column, water testing equipment, aquatic/terrestrial insects,
pictures of birds, pictures of dawn/day, pictures of
sunny/rainy weather, clean/oily water,
litter | |
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| Day 6 - Local Landscapes |
| variable, see lesson for more details |
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| Day 7 - Introduction to Field Techniques |
| A few ideas (you don't need all of these, depends on which
techniques you teach) |
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invertebrates: hanging sticky traps, trowels, clip boards,
white paper, 1 meter square sampling grid (can be constructed
with PVC pipe) |
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stream/lake: thermometers, small nets, white trays,
aquatic insect field guide, wide-mouthed water bottles, water
testing kit, |
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forest: tape measures, plant/mushroom field guides, plant
press, magnifying lenses, precipitation gauges, plant/tree
field guide |
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animals: binoculars, bird field guide, watch, track
plates |
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soil: thermometers, trowels, ziplock bags or yogurt
containers |
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1/2" x 10' PVC Pipe |
Home Depot |
$2.98 |
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1/2" Elbow Fittings |
Home Depot |
$0.24 |
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Hand Lens |
NASCO |
$0.65 |
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Tape Measure |
NASCO |
$3.35 |
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Thermometer |
NASCO |
$0.83 |
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6" Aquarium Nets |
Bosley's Pet Store |
$1.50 |
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pH Testing Kit |
Bosley's Pet Store |
$5.29 |
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Clear Plant Pot Trays |
Fred Meyer |
$0.79 |
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Rope |
Home Depot |
$1.98 | | |
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| Day 8 - Long-term Research Project (LTRP): Research
Question and Hypothesis |
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| Day 9 - LTRP: Library Research I |
| access to library |
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| Day 10 - LTRP: Introduction Paragraph |
| access to computer lab |
| computer disk for each LTRP group |
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Verbatim Macintosh Floppy Disks |
Office Depot |
$4.99 |
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Verbatim PC Floppy Disks |
Office Depot |
$4.99 | |
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| Section II: EXPERIMENTAL
DESIGN |
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| Days 11, 12 - How Tough is a Paper Towel? |
| ring stands (1 per group) |
| 4 or 5 paper towel brands |
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Paper Towels |
Any Grocery Store |
$1.50 |
| weights (you'll need about 20lbs for the class
to share) |
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5 lb. Box of 5/8" Cut Washers |
Home Depot |
$7.60 |
small binder clips (3 - 4 per group)
cups or
small bowls for water
plastic spoons
large plastic
containers used under ring stands to catch falling weights
(Ooze boxes work well)
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| Day 13, 14 - Worm Experiments |
| earthworms (6 per group) |
| plastic 2-liter pop bottles or large yogurt
containers (2 per group of 3-4 students) |
| dirt (enough to fill all containers 3/4’s
full) |
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Plant Soil |
Fred Meyer |
$3.99 |
centimeter rulers (1 per group)
measuring
cups (1 per group)
masking tape
large spoons (1 per
group)
newspapers
buckets or other containers to put
“used” dirt in (1 per group; Ooze boxes work well)
a few
lights
portable heater or other heat source
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| Day 15 - The Wheel of Inquiry |
| dice (2) |
| prizes (candy) |
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| Day 16, 17 - LTRP: Methods and Materials |
| map of LTRP field site |
| access to computer lab |
| ziplock bags (2-3 per group) |
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Large Ziplock Bags |
Fred Meyer |
$1.59 | |
| students obtain materials for their projects |
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| Day 18 - LTRP: Data Sheets |
| rite-in-the-rain paper or small field notebooks (optional,
available at university supply stores) rulers |
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| Day 19, 20 - LTRP: Field Trips |
| clipboards |
| each group requires different materials and will have identified
and gathered them on Days 16, 17 |
| camera with film (1 per class) |
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Disposable Cameras |
Rite Aid |
$12.49 | |
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| Section III: ANALYZING AND INTERPRETING
RESULTS |
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| Day 21 - LTRP: Field Report Forms and Tabulating
Data |
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| Day 22 - Aqueous Averages |
food coloring (see Ooze Day 1)
1 pitcher (more can be
useful)
clear plastic cups or identical graduated cylinders (6
per student group)
newspaper
paper towels
one
tray
colored markers (optional)
calculators |
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| Days 23, 24 - LTRP: Graphing Experimental
Data |
graph paper
rulers or straight edge
access to computer lab
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| Day 25 - Faux Fish |
manila envelopes (1 per student or pair of students, 5x7” or
business letter envelope size)
scissors (1 per
student)
butcher block paper or overhead transparencies |
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| Days 26, 27 - Statistical Testing
(t-test) |
| Calculators (1 per student) |
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| Day 28 - LTRP: Writing Results Paragraph |
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| Day 29 - LTRP: Library Research II |
library access
internet access |
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| Days 30, 31 - LTRP: Writing Discussion
Paragraph |
| access to computers |
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| Section IV: RESEARCH
PRESENTATIONS |
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| Day 32 - LTRP: Peer Reviews |
| copies of every group’s research report (introduction, methods,
results, discussion) |
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| Day 33, 34, 35 - LTRP: Poster Preparation |
| poster boards (1 per research group) |
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Poster Board |
Stationery or Drug Store |
$0.75 | |
glue sticks (1 per research group)
scissors (1 per research
group)
graph, white, and colored paper
markers
photos and
plant samples from field trips
rulers or straight edge (1 per
research group) |
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| Day 36 - Drama Games |
colored paper
markers
scissors
tape
string or
yarn |
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| Days 37, 38, 39 - LTRP): Preparing Research
Presentations |
| overhead transparencies (about 8 per research group) |
| overhead pens and sharpies (3-4 pens per research group) |
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Box of 12 Sharpie Markers |
Office Depot |
$6.59 | |
| note cards |
| access to copy machine |
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| Day 40 - LTRP: Practicing Research
Presentations |
overhead projector
screen
pointer (optional) |
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| Formal Research Presentations for Parents,
Celebration! |
place for presentations
overhead
projector
screen
microphone (optional)
extension
cord
pointer (optional)
food and beverages
(optional)
printed program
award
certificates |
