43

Lesson 43 of 84 ยท Spacetime

Experimentโญ 30 XP๐Ÿš€ Starbase

What Makes Something Alive? (Part 2)

๐ŸงชLab Brief #43

Spacetime.

๐ŸŽฏ Your mission

Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.

โšก The twist

Up there, the rules of down here stop working.

๐Ÿคฏ

Mind = Blown

๐Ÿช A day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus.

๐Ÿ”ฎ

Make a hypothesis first

Predict: what would happen on the moon vs. on Earth?

What You'll Learn

All living things share basic characteristics: they grow, reproduce, respond to their environment, and need energy to survive. Plants make their own food through photosynthesis, while animals must eat other organisms.

Key Words

  • ecosystem
  • producer
  • consumer

Materials Needed

  • labels
  • seeds
  • soil
  • cups
  • water
  • plastic wrap

Safety First

  • Keep small objects away from young children.
  • Work in a well-ventilated area when using vinegar or other strong-smelling substances.
  • Dispose of materials properly after the experiment.

Steps

Step 1 โ€” Read

Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.

Step 2 โ€” Do

Create a detailed food web for a local ecosystem. Include at least 8 organisms and use arrows to show energy flow from producers to top predators.

Step 3 โ€” Observe

Watch carefully for any changes and note the time.

Step 4 โ€” Record

Create a data table to organize your measurements.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

What do plants need to make food through photosynthesis?

๐ŸŒ

Where you see this in real life

Every sunrise and every shadow is this idea in action.

๐Ÿ†

Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

Look at the moon tonight. Notice its shape. Look again in 3 days.

๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘ง

For the dinner table

โ€œIf you could visit any planet, which would you pick and why?โ€

๐ŸŽฏ

Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

๐Ÿฆ Share card

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๐Ÿ–จ๏ธ

Checkout complete lesson on Spacetime for 9th Grade

Get the full Spacetime track as a printable PDF โ€” all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.

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