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INVESTIGATING KINDERGARTEN SCIENCE STANDARDS AT CONNER PRAIRIE
As you tour the grounds, here are some activities students can participate in, as well as
questions they can ask, to further their understanding about the following science standards.
2010 Standards
Science K.1.1 Use all senses as appropriate to observe, sort and describe objects according to their composition and
physical properties, such as size, color and shape. Explain these choices to others and generate questions about the
objects.
Science K.1.2 Identify and explain possible uses for an object based on its properties and compare these uses with other
students’ ideas.
2016 Standards
K.PS.1 Plan and conduct an investigation using all senses to describe and classify different kinds of objects by their
composition and physical properties. Explain these choices to others and generate questions about the objects.
K.PS.2 Identify and explain possible uses for an objects based on its properties and compare these uses with other
students’ ideas.
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Lenape Camp Discuss and describe the canoe or the mortar/pestle used to grind corn. What was used to
make these items? How were they used?
Loom House Ask to see the drop spindle (to spin wool) or cards (brushes for combing the wool). How
were these items used?
Prairietown - Whitaker’s Store Ask the storekeeper to guide you in the use of the scale. Why did a
storekeeper need a scale?
Prairietown - Blacksmith Shop Discuss the hammer, anvil, and bellows. How were these tools used?
Prairietown - Pottery Shop Discuss how pottery is made. Describe the different types of containers that
can be made and what they were used for.
2010 Standards
Science K.3.1 Observe and draw physical features of common plants and animals.
Science K.3.2 Describe and compare living animals in terms of shape, textures of body covering, size, weight, color and
the way they move.
Science K.3.3 Describe and compare living plants in terms of growth, parts, shape, size, color and texture.
2016 Standards
K.LS.1 Describe and compare the growth and development of common living plants and animals.
K.LS.2 Describe and compare the physical features of common living plants and animals.
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Animal Encounters Barn Observe, describe and discuss the farm animals in and around the barn.
Conner House & Prairietown - Gregory House & Golden Eagle Inn Visit one or more of these gardens to
observe, describe, and compare plants.
INVESTIGATING 1st GRADE SCIENCE STANDARDS AT CONNER PRAIRIE
As you tour the grounds, here are some activities students can participate in, as well as
questions they can ask, to further their understanding about the following science standards.
2010 Standards
Science 1.1.1 Use all senses as appropriate to identify the component parts of objects and the materials from which they
are made.
Science 1.1.2 Characterize materials as solid or liquid, investigate their properties, record observations and explain the
choices to others based on evidence (e.g., physical properties).
Science 1.4.1 Use all senses as appropriate to sort objects as being composed of materials that are naturally occurring,
human made or a combination of the two.
2016 Standards
1.PS.1 Characterize materials as solid, liquid, or gas and investigate their properties, record observations, and explain
the choices to others based on evidence.
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Lenape Camp Identify the different parts of the wigwam.
Prairietown - Whitaker’s Store Identify the parts of the wagon and the material of each part.
Prairietown - Carpenter Ask to see a tool such as an auger or plane which has both wooden and metal
components. Discuss why it has both of these materials on the same tool.
Prairietown - Blacksmith Ask the blacksmith to show you the bellows. What were they used for?
Prairietown - Potter Shop Ask the potter to show the clay he uses. Is it a liquid or solid? Where does the clay
come from? Does he add anything to the clay as he works with it?
2010 Standards
Science 1.3.1 Classify living organisms according to variations in specific physical features (e.g., body coverings,
appendages) and describe how those features may provide an advantage for survival in different environments.
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Animal Encounters Barn Ask staff about the physical features of one of the animals and how that helps the
animal survive.
2010 Standards
Science 1.3.3 Observe and explain that plants and animals have basic needs for growth and survival: plants need to take
in water and need light, and animals need to take in water and food and have a way to dispose of waste.
2016 Standards
1.LS.3 Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.
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Animal Encounters Barn Discuss the basic needs of the animals with the staff. How does the staff take care of
the animals?
Prairietown - Gregory House Ask what chores are needed to tend the garden plants. Notice that the gardens are
placed in locations that get plenty of sunlight and are not under trees. Why?
INVESTIGATING 2nd GRADE SCIENCE STANDARDS AT CONNER PRAIRIE
As you tour the grounds, here are some activities students can participate in, as well as questions they can ask, to
further their understanding about the following science standards.
2010 Standards
Science 2.1.2 Predict the result of combining solids and liquids in pairs. Mix, observe, gather, record and discuss
evidence of whether the result may have different properties than the original materials.
2016 Standards
2.PS.2 Predict the result of combining solids and liquids in pairs. Mix, observe, gather, record, and discuss evidence of
whether the result may have different properties than the original materials.
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Prairietown - Pottery Shop Observe effects of clay combined with water. Why does the potter need to
add water to the clay?
2010 Standards
Science 2.1.4 Observe, sketch, demonstrate and compare how objects can move in different ways (e.g., straight, zig-zag,
back-and-forth, rolling, fast and slow).
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1859 Balloon Voyage Exhibit Observe and describe the motion of the balloon. What makes it go up?
What makes it come back down?
 Prairietown - Curtis House Play games like hoop and stick and describe the motion of the toys as you
play. How can you make the hoop roll faster or slower?
 Prairietown - Whitaker’s Store Ask the storekeeper to show you the scales. What makes them move up
and down?
Compare the following objects that spin…
 Pottery Shop Observe a kickwheel in motion in the shop or in the activity area shed. What makes it
spin?
 Carpenter Shop Ask the carpenter to show the lathe in action. What makes the lathe spin?
 Loom House Ask the staff to show the spinning wheel or drop spindle. How were these used?
2010 Standards
Science 2.1.6 Observe, demonstrate, sketch and compare how applied force (i.e., push or pull) changes the motion of
objects.
 1859 Balloon Voyage Exhibit The pull of the balloon is raising the gondola into the air; the pull of the
tether brings the balloon back down and keeps it down. Do you see anything else that helps keep the
balloon down?
 Loom House Observe the forces at work at the spinning wheel and loom. What is creating the force?
 Prairietown - Pottery Shop Experience the kickwheel put into motion or stopped in the shop or in the
activity area shed. What forces are being applied to the kickwheel? What forces are being applied to
spinning pottery?
2010 Standards
Science 2.2.2 Experience and describe wind as the motion of the air.
 1859 Balloon Voyage Exhibit Try the wind table activity. It shows how blowing air affects the balloon
flight path.
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Create.Connect - Wind Power Experience how wind can generate electrical power. Experiment with
different turbine blade designs to see how you can generate the most power or electricity.
Create.Connect - Wind Power Look at the screen to see what the wind patterns are for the day. You can
also look at the wind patterns for significant days in history such as during Hurricane Katrina.
2010 Standards
Science 2.3.2 Compare and contrast details of body plans and structures of plants and animals.
2016 Standards
2.LS.2 Compare and contrast details of body plans and structures within the life cycle of plants and animals.
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Animal Encounters Barn Observe young and adult animals and make comparisons about their physical
characteristics.
Lenape Camp & Prairietown - Gregory House, Golden Eagle Inn Visit the garden in one or more of these
locations. Discussion details will depend on the season. In the fall, as plants have seeds or fruit, discuss
the flowers that came before. In the spring, as plants have flowers, discuss the seeds or fruit that will
come after. At the Gregory House shed you can find plants that have been dried and have seeds in
them. Discuss why people might have wanted to dry out the plants.
2010 Standards
Science 2.4.1 Identify parts of the human body that can be used as tools like hands for grasping and teeth for cutting
and chewing.
 Loom House Observe the use of hands in spinning and weaving.
 Prairietown - Pottery Shop Observe how hands mold clay to a desired shape and how feet operate the
kickwheel.
2010 Standards
Science 2.4.2 Identify technologies developed by humans to meet human needs. Investigate the limitations of
technologies and how they have improved quality of life.
2016 Standards
Pose questions, make observations, and obtain information about a situation people want to change. Use this data to
define a simple problem that can be solved through the construction of a new or improved object or tool.
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Note: Technology is defined as human-made objects and processes designed to meet a need or want.
As you tour the grounds, there are many examples of technology from canoes to cookware. For each
of these you can describe their limits, make comparisons to present-day items, and discuss how they
improved the quality of life. Create. Connect focuses on innovations in history like wind power and
rural electrification.
1859 Balloon Voyage Exhibit Discuss what makes the balloon rise. What are limitations to balloon
travel? How does it compare to other modes of transportation?
Lenape Camp Climb into a canoe. What was the canoe used for? How would this have helped them?
What are some limitations of a canoe?
Conner House Note the building technology in the form of bricks as opposed to the log buildings. What
were the advantages/disadvantages of building with logs versus building with bricks?
Loom House Ask staff about the spinning wheel, drop spindle, and loom. How and when did spinning
and weaving became more mechanical?
Prairietown - Golden Eagle Inn Notice the metal cookware at the inn. Discuss how this made it possible
to cook all sorts of things over the fire. Do you think the metal material would have been better than the
clay pots? Why? Why do you think we still use metal for our cookware today?
Create.Connect See how innovations like wind power or the introduction of electricity helped shape
Indiana history. Create a circuit and consider the impact of electricity on the citizens of Indiana. How
was life different before electricity?
INVESTIGATING 3rd GRADE SCIENCE STANDARDS AT CONNER PRAIRIE
As you tour the grounds, here are some activities students can participate in, as well as questions they can ask, to
further their understanding about the following science standards.
2010 Standards
Science 3.2.5 Describe natural materials and give examples of how they sustain the lives of plants and animals.
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Animal Encounters Barn Ask staff about what food the animals are fed. Also ask what type of bedding
they use.
Loom House & Prairietown - Gregory House Explore household gardens to see how they are
planted/maintained using natural materials and what products they provide.
2010 Standards
Science 3.2.6 Describe how the properties of earth materials make them useful to humans in different ways. Describe
ways that humans have altered these resources to meet their needs for survival.
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Loom House Explore how humans use animals to produce fiber and see how yarn is made from wool.
What did people then do with these fibers or wool?
Loom House & Prairietown - Gregory House Describe the different uses of products from a home
garden. How did families use these products?
Prairietown - Blacksmith Shop Learn where the metal the blacksmith uses comes from and what tools
he can make. Does different metal make different tools and items?
Prairietown - Carpenter Shop Describe the uses of wood in Prairietown and where those resources
came from. Why are/were different types of wood used for different purposes?
Prairietown - Pottery Shop Compare the different types of clay (stoneware, redware) and the properties
of each. What made them different? What can be made with clay? What is the final step in making a
clay container?
2010 Standards
Science 3.4.2 Define the uses and types of simple machines and utilize simple machines in the solution to a “real world”
problem.
2016 Standards
3.PS.2 Identify types of simple machines and their uses. Investigate and build simple machines to understand how they
are used.
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Loom House Identify simple machines at work on the spinning wheel or loom.
Prairietown Observe and describe how Prairietown’s residents use simple machines at work and at
home. Pay special attention to the carpenter, potter, and storekeeper.
INVESTIGATING 4th GRADE SCIENCE STANDARDS AT CONNER PRAIRIE
As you tour the grounds, here are some activities students can participate in, as well as questions they can ask, to
further their understanding about the following science standards.
2010 Standards
Science 4.1.1 Describe and investigate the different ways in which heat can be generated
2016 Standards
4.PS.4 Describe and investigate the different ways in which energy can be generated and/or converted from one form or
energy to another form of energy.
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Prairietown - Blacksmith Learn what a blacksmith uses to fuel their fire.
Prairietown Compare the blacksmith’s fire with a fire in one of the kitchens. How are they different?
Why do you think they need to be different?
2010 Standards
Science 4.1.2 Investigate the variety of ways in which heat can be generated and moved from one place to another.
Explain the direction the heat moved.
2016 Standards
4.PS.5 Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat,
and electric current.
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Prairietown - Blacksmith See how the blacksmith creates a very hot fire and how heat is moved when
metal is introduced to the fire. Where does the heat move to? Why is this important for the blacksmith?
Prairietown - Golden Eagle Inn Learn the science of hearthside cooking and describe how the placement
of pots changes, in relation to coals and fire, the cooking temperature.
2010 Standards
Science 4.1.3 Construct a complete circuit through which an electrical current can pass as evidenced by the lighting of a
bulb or ringing of a bell.
Science 4.1.4 Experiment with materials to identify conductors and insulators of heat and electricity.
Science 4.1.5 Demonstrate that electrical energy can be transformed into heat, light and sound.
2016 Standards
4.PS.4 Describe and investigate the different ways in which energy can be generated and/or converted from one form or
energy to another form of energy.
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Create.Connect - Rural Electrification Make and test electrical circuits. Why was this new technology so
important?
2010 Standards
Science 4.2.6 Describe ways in which humans have changed the natural environment that have been detrimental or
beneficial.
2016 Standards
4.ESS.4 Develop solutions that could be implemented to reduce the impact of humans on the natural environment and
the natural environment.
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Lenape Camp Ask staff about the fur trader’s impact on wildlife. What type of wildlife did the trader find
beneficial?
Prairietown Identify the main material used to construct buildings. What fuel is being used in fireplaces?
What impact did clearing the land and using wood have on the environment? Ask a few residents if they
have farms and, if so, are they clearing land for crops.
2010 Standards
Science 4.3.1 Observe and describe how offspring are very much, but not exactly, like their parents or one another.
Describe how these differences in physical characteristics among individuals in a population may be advantageous for
survival and reproduction.
2016 Standards
4.LS.1 Observe, analyze, and interpret how offspring are very much, but not exactly, like their parents or one another.
Describe how these differences in physical characteristics among individuals in a population may be advantageous for
survival and reproduction.
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Animal Encounters Barn Compare young animals to their siblings and their parents. See if you can
correctly guess which young animals go with which parent(s). Learn how farmers breed healthy and
productive livestock and why protecting our heritage breeds is important. Ask staff about the physical
features of one of the animals and how these help the animal survive.
2010 Standards
Science 4.4.1 Investigate transportation systems and devices that operate on or in land, water, air and space and
recognize the forces (lift, drag, friction, thrust and gravity) that affect their motion.
2016 Standards
4.PS.1 Investigate transportation systems and devices that operate on or in land, water, air, and space and recognize the
forces (lift, drag, friction, thrust, and gravity) that affect their motion.
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1859 Balloon Voyage Exhibit Describe the motion of a hot air (or helium) balloon and how that motion
is controlled. Check out the air table and how the moving air impacts object speed and direction.
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Lenape Camp Check out the canoe and paddles. Why were rivers so important to people?
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Create.Connect - Flight Design and fly your own glider using your knowledge of force to create a
workable model. Experiment with lift, drag, and thrust in the simulator and see how those forces all
have an effect on aircraft.
2010 Standards
Science 4.4.2 Make appropriate measurements to compare the speeds of objects in terms of the distance traveled in a
given amount of time or the time required to travel a great distance.
Science 4.4.3 Investigate how changes in speed or direction are caused by forces; the greater the force exerted on an
object, the greater the change.
2016 Standards
4.PS.2 Investigate the relationship of the speed of an object to the energy of that object.
 1859 Balloon Voyage Exhibit Check out the air table and how the moving air impacts object speed and
direction. Calculate travel times of various modes of transportation using a map showing distances
across the U.S.
 Create.Connect Experiment with different blades on windmills and turbines and see how changing the
blades can increase or decrease the speed at which the blades spin. Why do you think this happens?
INVESTIGATING 5th GRADE SCIENCE STANDARDS AT CONNER PRAIRIE
As you tour the grounds, here are some activities students can participate in, as well as questions they can ask, to
further their understanding about the following science standards.
2010 Standards
Science 5.1.1 Describe and measure the volume and weight of a sample of a given material.
2016 Standards
5.PS.1 Describe and measure the volume and mass of a sample of a given material.
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Prairietown - Whitaker’s Store Compare the weights of various objects and materials using the store’s
scale. Use weight measurement standards to determine the weights of various objects. Why did a
storekeeper need to measure the weights of objects?
Prairietown - Pottery Shop Hear how the potter uses weights and measures to create pottery. Use
weight measurement standards to determine the weight of various amounts of clay. Why would it be
important to know the weight of clay being used?
2010 Standards
Science 5.4.2 Investigate the purpose of prototypes and models when designing a solution to a problem and how
limitations in cost and design features might affect their construction.
2016 Standards
3-5.E.2 Construct and compare multiple plausible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the
criteria and constraints of the problem.
3-5.E.3 Construct and perform fair investigations in which variable are controlled and failure points are considered to
identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.
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Create.Connect: Make and test prototypes of wind turbines, electrical circuits, chain reaction machines
and gliders. Evaluate each prototype and make changes as needed to better your model. Why did you
choose to make those changes? Were they beneficial?
INVESTIGATING 6th GRADE SCIENCE STANDARDS AT CONNER PRAIRIE
As you tour the grounds, here are some activities students can participate in, as well as questions they can ask, to
further their understanding about the following science standards.
2010 Standards
Science 6.1.4 Recognize that objects in motion have kinetic energy and objects at rest have potential energy.
Science 6.1.5 Describe with examples that potential energy exists in several different forms (e.g., gravitational potential
energy, elastic potential energy, and chemical potential energy).
Science 6.1.6 Compare and contrast potential and kinetic energy and how they can be transformed from one form to
another
Science 6.1.7 Explain that energy may be manifested as heat, light, electricity, mechanical motion, and sound as is often
associated with chemical reactions.
2016 Standards
6.PS.3 Describe how potential and kinetic energy can be transferred from one form to another.
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1859 Balloon Voyage Exhibit What forms of energy does the balloon have? When, does it have
potential energy? When, does it have kinetic energy? What causes the change in these energies?
Loom House Ask about the workings of the spinning wheel or loom and then identify the forms of
energy involved.
Prairietown - Golden Eagle Inn & Curtis House kitchen Consider how cooking involves energy. What
form of energy is used during cooking?
Prairietown - Carpenter Shop Ask for a demonstration of the lathe. Discuss forms of energy in relation
to the use of the lathe.
Prairietown - Pottery Shop Discuss forms of energy in relation to the use of the potter’s wheel.
2010 Standards
Science 6.3.1 Describe specific relationships (i.e., predator and prey, consumer and producer, and parasite and host)
between organisms and determine whether these relationship are competitive or mutually beneficial.
Science 6.3.2 Describe how changes caused by organisms in the habitat where they live can be beneficial or detrimental
to themselves or to the native plants and animals.
Science 6.3.5 Describe how all animals, including humans, meet their energy needs by consuming other organisms,
breaking down their structures, and using the materials to grow and function.
2016 Standards
6.LS.3 Describe specific relationships (predator/prey, consumer/producer, parasite/host) and symbiotic relationships
between organisms. Construct an explanation that predicts why patterns of interactions develop between organisms in
an ecosystem.
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Animal Encounters Barn Talk to the staff about the diet of the animals. What impact do the animals
have on the environment? What impact do we as humans have on their environment?
2010 Standards
Science 6.4.1 Understand how to apply potential or kinetic energy to power a simple device.
Science 6.4.2 Construct a simple device that uses potential or kinetic energy to perform work.
Science 6.4.3 Describe the transfer of energy amongst energy interactions.
2016 Standards
6.PS.3 Describe how potential and kinetic energy can be transferred from one form to another.
6.PS.4 Investigate the properties of light, sound, and other energy waves and how they are reflected, absorbed, and
transmitted through materials and space.
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Create.Connect Make and test prototypes of paper airplanes, wind turbines, electrical circuits, and chain
reactions. At the wind power station, try out the scale models that show how wind energy is used to
perform various tasks (grinding, sawing, and hammering).
INVESTIGATING 7th GRADE SCIENCE STANDARDS AT CONNER PRAIRIE
As you tour the grounds, here are some activities students can participate in, as well as questions they can ask, to
further their understanding about the following science standards.
2010 Standards
Science 7.1.2 Describe and give examples of how energy can be transferred from place to place and transferred from
one form to another through radiation, convection and conduction.
2016 Standards
7.PS.8 Investigate a process in which energy is transferred from one form to another and provide evidence that the total
amount of energy does not change during the transfer when the system is closed. (Law of conservation of energy)
7.PS.9 Compare and contrast the three types of heat transfer: radiation, convection, and conduction.
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Prairietown - Golden Eagle Inn & Curtis House kitchen Consider how cooking involves energy transfer
and transformation. How is the energy transferred and why is that important when cooking food?
Prairietown - Blacksmith Identify the forms of energy involved in the blacksmithing process.
Create.Connect - Rural Electrification Make and test electrical circuits. How was electricity delivered to
the homes?
2010 Standards
Science 7.1.3 Recognize and explain how different ways of obtaining, transforming, and distributing energy have
different environmental consequences.
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Prairietown - Golden Eagle Inn & Curtis House kitchen How is the environment impacted by cooking
with a wood fire?
2010 Standards
Science 7.1.7 Demonstrate and describe how an object’s speed or direction of motion changes when a force acts upon
it. Demonstrate and describe that an object’s speed and direction of motion remain unchanged if the net force acting
upon it is zero.
2016 Standards
7.PS.4 Investigate Newton’s first law of mothing (Law of Inertia) and how different forces (gravity, friction, push, and
pull) affect the velocity of an object.
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1859 Balloon Voyage Exhibit Check out the air table and how the moving air impacts object speed and
direction.
Create.Connect Make and test prototypes of paper gliders, wind turbines, electrical circuits and chain
reactions. How do these prototypes function differently when acted upon by a force?
Prairietown – Potter What type of force is acting upon the kickwheel?
2010 Standards
Science 7.4.1 Understand that energy is the capacity to do work.
Science 7.4.2 Explain that energy can be used to do work using many processes (e.g., generation of electricity by
harnessing wind energy).
Science 7.4.3 Explain that power is the rate that energy is converted from one form to another.
2016 Standards
6-8.E.3 Analyze data from investigations to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to
identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.
6-8.E.4 Develop a prototype to generate data for repeated investigations and modify a proposed object, tool, or process
such that an optimal design can be achieved.
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Create.Connect Make and test prototypes of paper gliders, wind turbines, electrical circuits and chain
reactions. At the wind power station, try out the scale models that show how wind energy is used to
perform various tasks (grinding, sawing, and hammering.)
INVESTIGATING 8th GRADE SCIENCE STANDARDS AT CONNER PRAIRIE
As you tour the grounds, here are some activities students can participate in, as well as questions they can ask, to
further their understanding about the following science standards.
2010 Standards
Science 8.2.8 Explain that human activities, beginning with the earliest herding and agricultural activities, have
drastically changed the environment and have affected the capacity of the environment to support native species.
Explain current efforts to reduce and eliminate these impacts and encourage sustainability.
2016 Standards
8.ESS.3 Research how human consumption of finite natural resources (i.e. coal, oil, natural gas, and clean water) and
human activities have had an impact on the environment (i.e. causes of air, water, soil, light, and noise pollution).
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Lenape Camp Ask staff about the fur trader’s impact on wildlife in Indiana. How has fur trading
impacted the native species?
Prairietown Ask a few residents if they have farms and, if so, are they clearing the land for corps.
Identify the main material used to construct and furnish buildings. What fuel is being used in the
fireplaces? What impact did clearing the land and using wood have on the environment?
2010 Standards
Science 8.3.10 Recognize and describe how new varieties or organisms have come about from selective breeding.
2016 Standards
8.LS.10 Gather and synthesize information about how humans alter organisms genetically through a variety of methods.
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Animal Encounters Bar Learn how farmers breed healthy and productive livestock. Meet some of our
heritage livestock breeds and discuss why it is important to protect our heritage breeds.
2010 Standards
Science 8.4.3 Investigate the properties (mechanical, chemical, electrical, thermal, magnetic and optical) of natural and
engineered materials.
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Create.Connect Explore the components of electrical circuits and which materials are good insulators
and conductors. Make and then test circuits.