Curated OER
Forest Decomposition
Students explore decomposition. Students define and describe components of the decomposition process. Students make a composter in a terrarium. Students record observations and changes weekly, drawing conclusions about the results of...
Michigan Sea Grant
Food Chains and Webs
Starting with a simple food chain, young scientists interpret the difference and interrelatedness between herbivores, carnivores and producers. They answer questions related to cause and effect of food chain disruptions, including the...
Curated OER
Fungi
Students examine the characteristics of fungi. In this biology lesson, students investigate the factors needed for fungi growth. They collect data and observations and write a report about them.
Curated OER
Exploring the Science of Water in Art: Water Cycle Lesson Plans
Water cycle lesson plans provide an opportunity for teachers to collaborate, and students to discuss this important resource.
Curated OER
The Peanut Wizard
Peanuts inspire this lesson about George Washington Carver, called The Peanut Wizard in the included informational text. Class members read about peanuts and George Washington Carver and create a timeline of his life. In addition, pupils...
Curated OER
Cell Pizza
Students identify parts and functions of microscope. Students watch video, Cells and Life about cell parts with actual pictures and actual cells. Students discuss video and identify parts of the cells that animals and plants have in...
Curated OER
Study of an Underwater Voyage
Learners examine the experiment of Lloyd Godson who lived 13 days underwater. In this critical thinking lesson, students predict, study and discuss various aspects of the underwater voyage. The lesson includes many cross-curricular...
Curated OER
Laws of Life
Pupils express the values they value the most by writing an essay. They can submit their essay online and respond to other student's essays as well. They are to intiate change if they deem something to be unfair.
Curated OER
Gardening with Your Students
By growing a class or school garden you can teach students about the environment, the life cycle of a plant, and healthy eating.
Curated OER
Earthquakes and Volcanoes
Even though volcanoes look alike, they can be very different based on the types of lava that erupts from their surface. Learn about strata volcanoes, shield volcanoes, and the varying viscosity of lava with an engaging hands-on activity....
Curated OER
Wildflower Beautification Project
Students, in cooperative groups, design and create a wildflower garden for the community. They write letters to property owners requesting use of their land and then write invitations to their parents and to local, state, and federal...
Space Awareness
Meet Our Neighbors: Sun
The sun isn't just a ball of yellow! Young scientists learn about the features of the sun using a hands-on modeling activity. They build models of the sun using common household items to represent sunspots, solar prominence, and the...
Curated OER
Solar Arrays for the Space Station
Students explore the challenges that are faced when transporting materials into space. They review the various forms of energy, including solar arrays, that are used on the International Space Station and how generating this energy calls...
Polar Trec
Foraging for Fish in a Melting Arctic
How much do you know about the black guillemot of the Arctic region? With great background information, images, and a quick discussion, the class will learn all about the plight of the foraging seabird as they play a fun game. First,...
NASA
Marsbound! Mission to the Red Planet
It's time to go to Mars. Using the provided cards and mat, groups design a mission to Mars. The cards contain information about the different components of the launch and warn about a few mishaps that might occur along the way.
Curated OER
Sound Busters
Fourth graders engage in a study of sound pollution at their school. After a class discussion on what noise pollution is, learners are asked if they think there are areas of their school or community where noise pollution is a problem....
Curated OER
Barrels and Buckets: Access to Water - What Would It Be Like to Live in Africa?
Students compare water access in the United States with that of Africa. In this water access lesson, students located Ghana and Kenya on a globe before reading Peace Corps Volunteer accounts of the difficulty of accessing clean water....
Curated OER
Bursting Blooms- Create an Early Spring
Students prune a tree. In this gardening lesson, students select a shrub or tree that has a lot of flower buds and use sharp pruners to cut sections of branches. Students place the cuttings into cool water and move into a bright...
University of Wisconsin
Follow the Drop
Young surveyors look for patterns in water flow around campus. Using a map of the school (that you will need to create), they mark the direction of the path of water. They also perform calculations for the volume that becomes runoff. The...
Curated OER
Plant Diversity and Distribution
Learners construct a defined plot on school grounds and observed patterns in plant life. They count trees, shrubs, cacti and record on a data sheet. They compare data and generate a plant diversity overlook for their school.
Curated OER
Garbage Plants
Students create plants out of garbage. They identify items that can be recycled and discuss natural resources. They share their creation with the class.
Curated OER
M&M Probability
Students apply the scientific method in order to determine the probability of specific colors in a bag of M&M's. They determine the definition of probability and how it can be used. They make a hypothesis and conduct an experiment to...
Curated OER
Meet A Tree
Young scholars explore different types of trees with their senses. In this nature lesson, students play a game in which pairs use their senses to explore trees, blindfolded. Young scholars then must find the tree they found when...