Investigating Sound: Using Open Tubes To Demonstrate Beat Notes part of MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Open tube resonators of nearly identical length produce sound waves with frequencies very close together. The difference between the two frequenciesy is the beat note frequency heard when two resonators (musical intruments)are slightly out-of-tune.

Investigating Forces: Balloon car activity part of MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This is a guided inquiry-based lab that investigates forces exerted on a group of student-designed and engineered "balloon cars". Each group of students is then challenged to build a "balloon car" that travels a maximum distance.

Incompressibility of liquids part of MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Discrepant event used to introduce hydraulics and Pascal's Principle

Determining Bulk Density of Different Soil Samples and Data Analysis part of MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity combines field exercise soil collection with lab analysis of soil bulk density. Students develop a lab procedure to measure density and analyze data using Microsoft Excel computer software.

Investigating joints: Naming and identifying joints in the human body part of MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Short Description: This activity is a classroom investigation of human joints. Students will identify joints and use their science notebooks to record their findings using drawings and words.

Investigating motors and magnetism. part of MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is an activity where students build a motor, learn motor operation and theory, interpret their understanding through troubleshooting, and develop a new, experimental question related to the motor. One follow-up activity would be coupling their motor to a fan blade or other axle to convert electrical energy to magnetic energy into mechanical motion for real world application.

Catapults: controlled investigations part of MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a controlled investigation of a catapult system.

Beginning Scientific Inquiry with Water Kits part of MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is a scientific investigation focusing on inquiry after using the Foss Water Kit. The students will pose a question, create a procedure and produce a poster showing their findings.

Power Generation Town Council part of MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
This activity is an opportunity for students to explore civil government and to present what they have learned about electric power generation in a persuasive manner

Comparing the Simple Structure of Plant and Animal Cells part of MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
The lesson is designed for fourth grade students using scientific investigation to identify and compare the basic parts of a plant and animal cells. This activity consists of several steps over a period of several days. It includes student use of microscopes for observations and journals to collect data to identify and classify the basic parts of plant and animal cells. The assessment has an individual component and uses student work.