Radioactive Dating: Looking at Half-Lives Using M&Ms part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Kathleen Babich, South St. Paul Junior High School, South St. Paul, MN, based on an original activity retrieved from http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/fosrec/McKinney.html also with the help of Jenni Johansen (other 8th grade science teacher at So. St. Paul Junior High School
This is an activity that students will use M&Ms to gain a better understanding of radioactive dating and half-lives.

Sinking Water: A Connection With Glaciers, Ocean Currents and Weather Patterns part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Stanley Mraz, North Park Elementary School in Fridley, MN in the Colombia Heights School District. Guided inquiry part of the lesson is based on an original activity from the FOSS Kit, Water, p. 16-18.
This lesson has activities where students will learn about buoyancy and explore how hot water rises and cold water sinks. As an extension and real-life application, students will see that glacial run-off is occurring at a rapid pace and the cold glacial water could potentially change ocean currents thus influencing global climates.

The Science of Puddles part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Debra Hornfeldt, Como Park Elementary, St Paul MN Based on original activities from The Wonders of Wetlands pages 152-156 and Aquatic Project Wild pages 21-26.
This activity is a field investigation of puddles where students gather data and record their findings.

Exploring Effects of Oil Spills on Birds part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
April Rosendale, Hilltop Elementary, Henderson, MN
This activity allows children to explore the effects of oil spills on birds.

Daily Science Vocabulary Review with the Smart Board part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Kathy Leary
An elementary review activity for chemistry vocabulary, tools, and concepts used with the classroom science curriculum.

Investigating Precipitation: Snow part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Holly Hansen
This activity combines field and classroom investigations about snowflakes to develop a testable question.

Density Differences part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Mary Holmberg Eden Valley-Watkins Elementary School Eden Valley, MN Based upon an original activity from Houghton Mifflin, DiscoveryWorks, p. E52
In this lab activity, students determine density differences of water samples with varying temperature and salinity levels. Students synthesize information to predict the effects of oil in given water samples.

Famous Scientists part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Pam Schilling, Sky Oaks Elementary School, Burnsville, Minnesota, information summarized from various Internet sites: wikipedia.org and other biographical sites
This lesson is a presentation of famous scientist throughout history where the students will learn and take notes about the contributions and discoveries made in science.

String Scientific Notation/Metric System Demonstration part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Erin Krueger Henning High School
Short demonstration on scientific notation by asking students to place numbers on a number line using string and notecards.