826 NATIONAL is a network of nonprofit creative writing and after-school tutoring centers dedicated to supporting students, ages 6 to 18, with opportunities to explore their creativity and writing skills, and to help teachers get their classes excited about writing. 826 National's services are based on the understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention, and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.

JENNIFER TRAIG is the author of the memoirs Devil in the Details and Well Enough Alone, and the editor of The Autobiographer's Handbook.

Preface vii

How to Use This Book ix Science-O-Pedia: A Glossary xix

Acknowledgments xxv

The Authors xxvii

The Contributors xxxi

LESSON PLANS 1

THE SCIENCE OF SAVING DAYLIGHT 1

Students learn the fundamentals of the scientific method as they write zany hypotheses to explain daylight saving time 2

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING 10

A challenge to make a high-performing paper airplane introduces  students to the basic principles of both technical writing and engineering. observations by Loretta “Aleta” Jackson 3

IT’S (PARTIALLY) ROCKET SCIENCE AND (MOSTLY) ICE CREAM 26

Students explore physical properties and engineering principles by trans-forming a liquid into a solid—ice cream!—and then designing a struc-ture to keep it cool. observations by Mayim Bialik.

4 PLANET OOBLECK 38

Students get (a little) messy and (a lot) creative as they use gooey Oobleck to explore our universe and the life forms that inhabit it. Observations by Colonel Chris Hadfield.

5 HOW TO WRITE SCIENCE FICTION 58

In this writing-intensive lesson, students learn to apply scientific prin¬ciples and their own imagination to create great stories. Observations by Mac Barnett.

6 MAKING WAVES 67

Students discover the connections between music and math by making their own instruments and exploring the properties of sound waves.

7 THERE MAY BE BONES 84

Shh . . . it’s a mystery. Students use their deductive skills to identify what, exactly, is in a mysterious nugget, learning about biology as they do so. Observations by Jeff Corwin.

8 TINFOIL SHIPBUILDING 103

Engineers, ahoy! Students put their skills to the test designing seawor¬thy tinfoil boats, learning about density along the way. Incorporating their newfound knowledge, they then launch some thrilling tales.

9 WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE, NOR ANY DROP TO DRINK 117

Water is important to just about every STEM discipline. In this thor¬ough lesson, students explore the properties of water across various fields by polluting water, then creating filters to purify it.

10 THE SCIENCE OF SUPERPOWERS 138

In this superlesson, students isolate DNA, design planes, build lairs, and engineer safe transport to help a hero save the day. Observations by Jon Scieszka.

11 INFINITE RECESS 189

Math meets poetry in a lesson that’s as fun as it sounds.

12 REWRITING THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE 210

It’s a final exam with everything on the line as students are called on to apply all their scientific knowledge to outsmart zombie invaders. Observations by Steve Hockensmith.

APPENDIX

Handy Lesson Links 245

Self-Assessment Checklists 254

Common Core Curriculum Standards for English Language Arts 258

Next Generation Science Standards 275

Student Survey 291

826 Centers and Staff 293

INDEX 297

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