Curated OER
Interplanetary Travel Guide
In groups of six, middle school space scientists create an imaginative travel brochure for attracting visitors to the planet Mars. Information must include surface features and atmospheric conditions. Although time-consuming, this is a...
Curated OER
Flip Books!
These aren't exactly worksheets, but rather a selection of pdf files of different atmospheric or solar events. Print your chosen pdf file for each aspiring astronomer in your class, have them cut out the individual mini pages, arrange...
Curated OER
Break the Code: Astronomy
Here is a quick puzzle-style worksheet for your aspiring astronomers. A code is printed at the top of the page and learners use it to fill in the blanks describing different phenomena or objects in outer space. The material does not even...
Curated OER
What is Matter?
Students create a definition of matter. In this physical science lesson, students work in pairs to sort items printed on cards into several categories (matter, non-matter, and unsure) and agree on a definition of matter.
California Academy of Science
Kinesthetic Astronomy: Earth's Rotation
After completing the activity, "Kinesthetic Astronomy: The Meaning of a Year," zoom in on Earth's rotation using the same simulation setup and this outline. Each class member dons a map of the Western Hemisphere and plays the part of...
Curated OER
Physical Science: Dying for a Tan?
Students assess how much harm UV radiation can have on your skin and how much protection is provided by sunblock, sunglasses and clothing. They experiment with UV index numbers and the amount of exposure risk of skin damage for any given...
Curated OER
Under the Spell of Spiders
Students examine spiders. In these spider lessons, students will view spider images and live spiders to determine physical characteristics, habits, and habitats. Students will examine fantasy and folklore about spiders to create and...
Curated OER
Is It There?
Young scholars participate in a lesson designed to illustrate these concepts using simple materials. They use Science process skills to observe, measure, predict, make inferences, and communicate while completing the activity. Proper...
Curated OER
Heavy Ice: Day Five
Students explore physics by conducting a class experiment. In this density lesson, students examine a list of items and discuss whether they will sink or float and then determine their density. Students examine the objects over five days...
Baylor College
Heart Rate and Exercise
Teach your exercise enthusiasts to read their pulse rate at the radial artery and multiply by four to calculate beats per minute. Learners perform a variety of activities, recording their heart rates after one minute of each. Though this...
National Gardening Association
Migration Mishaps
Elementary ecologists pretend to be migratory hummingbirds. They fly between wintering and nesting grounds, trying to reach a habitat haven. In a musical-chair fashion, some birds will miss out, and are removed from the game. To further...
Science Matters
Oh Heron
Two teams—the environmentalists and herons—play four rounds of the game, Oh Heron. Using hand symbols to represent food, shelter, and water, players locate their match to produce more herons while those unmatched decompose.
Science Matters
Post-Assessment
Twenty questions make up an assessment designed to test super scientists' knowledge of ecosystems. Scholars answer multiple-choice and short-answer questions about organisms, food chains, energy flow, and more.
Curated OER
Fuel Mystery Dis-Solved
Learners describe how temperature and surface area exposure affect the rate at which fuel is consumed. They explain why engineers want to know about the properties of a fuel when designing rockets. They create a bar graph of result data.
Curated OER
Shine On, Moon
Students explore space science by conducting an experiment in class. In this Moon lesson plan, students define a list of space science vocabulary and read the book The Moon. Students utilize shoeboxes and string to conduct a sunlight...
Curated OER
Fire Triangle in the Forest
Students investigate the physical properties of fire by creating storyboards. In this elements instructional activity, students view a video clip of forest fires and identify the cause. Students create large storyboards defining the...
Curated OER
Rising Water!
Students observe water change from a liquid to a gas state when heated and then return to its liquid stage when cooled. They learn that gas molecules move faster than liquid molecules. They discover physical properties that describe how...
Curated OER
Rocket Me into Space
Fourth graders study the concept of thrust and how it propels rockets into space. They discover why airplanes cannot travel into space while considering the engineering techniques use in designing rockets. They look at how space...
Curated OER
Gravity - The Glue of the Universe
Students explore physics by conducting a class experiment. In this gravitational force instructional activity, students define several scientific terms associated with force. Students utilize a styrofoam cup and marbles to simulate a...
Curated OER
Does the Distance Between the Earth and Sun Cause the seasons?
Learners reflect upon the concepts of seasons. The concepts are taught using a variety of different teaching approaches. A activities lead to a reflection that will help students to make a cognitive transfer of information form...
Curated OER
The Life Cycle of a Star
Students investigate the life cycle of a star and make conclusions based on evidence, research, and observation. In this instructional activity on space and scientific investigation, students describe the relationships between science...
Curated OER
Walk, Run, Jump!
Learners participate in a series of timed relay races using their skeletal muscles. They compare the movement of skeletal muscle and relate how engineers help astronauts exercise skeletal muscles in space. They list the three types of...
Curated OER
Ups and Downs of Diving
Students explore the science and sport of scuba diving. In this scuba diving lesson, students build Cartesian divers and observe their behavior under water pressure.
Curated OER
There's Air in There!
Students attempt to blow a wad of paper into a soda bottle. In this physics lesson, students discover that air pressure inside of a soda bottle prevents new air from going in.