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Take a Dip: The Water in Our Lives
Students explore the function of storm drains and the importance of keeping them clean of debris. They obtain permission from local authorities and perform community service painting stenciled messages near existing storm drains.
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Presidents
Second graders pretend they have just watched a presidential debate and cannot decide which one to vote for. In groups, they also pretend they go back in time to compare and contrast former presidents with the candidates. They use...
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Whistle While You Work
Students are broken into groups and depending on the cycle if the color of their group shows on that day, that group is to help with the set up and take down of equipment.
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Spraying Strawberries
Students decide how many times to spray a strawberry crop. They apply marginal analysis and discover the "law of diminishing returns."
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Disappearing Water
Students observe the amount of water in an open container over time, and they observe the amount of water in a closed container over time. They compare and contrast the sets of observations over time.
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Build a Better Pencil
Students design something that they can actually make within the space and time allotted, using available material.
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Kari's Earth Care
Students explore caring for their community. They select an area of a park to clean and collect trash. They place materials in trash bags to recycle plastic, paper, etc. They calculate the amount of items and percentages they collect...
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Changing the Water in the Aquarium
Students discover the importance and how to change the water in an aquarium. As a class, they review the types of impurities that are found in water and discuss how to keep the tank as clean as possible. They develop a water change...
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Dad's Night
Students have a "Dad's Night". In this art lesson students bring an important male figure in their life to school for the evening. The pair plays musical chairs, makes a craft, and plays other games. The object is to provide special time...
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LAB: Temperature Inversion - Pollution Simulation
Learners, after identifying and examining the relationship of temperature and air masses in association with smog and pollution, create a temperature inversion in a long aquarium jar. They experience what happens when smog builds up and...
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Earth Day-Conservation Walk/Ride
Learners explore the relationship between conservation of our resources and the use of other modes of transportation (walking, biking and roller blading). They show respect for their environment by picking up garbage in the area. They...
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Political Parties
Twelfth graders give their current events presentations to the class today. After completing the "T" exercise on classifying certain individuals as Democrats or Republicans, they pair up to figure out where the political parties fit into...
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What Trout Need
Students investigate the important components for a healthy trout habitat. In this fish habitat lesson, students discuss how the aquarium will simulate a trout's environment in nature. Students complete a trout information sheet to set...
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Making Paper
Students make paper from recycled paper. The student estimates, counts, and measures he amount of paper consumed in a classroom daily. They discover that if we use too much paper, it fills up landfills. Some activities they are doing...
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Particulate Matter: The Lorax
Pupils investigate how dirty air is outside. They read and discuss the book, The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss. They investigate using jars and lids to compare the dirt left each day as they remove the lids. They observe the lids and discuss if...
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Light, Colors, and Vision
Third graders experience optic illusions by creating flipbooks. In this optics lesson, 3rd graders view a demonstration of the workings of rods and cones using a camera. They are shown an optical illusion and work to create their own...
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Spark Students Interest in Fire Safety Week
Learners explore and analyze about Fire Safety Week. They assess what a fire is, how is spreads so fast, , that it is hot and dark. Each student becomes aware that fire related incidents is the number three cause of death for children in...
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Survival Strategies and Adaptation in Insects
Third graders investigate insects and their adaptations that help them survive. In this survival strategies lesson, 3rd graders view photographs of insects and discuss the adaptations that each one uses to survive, including camouflage...
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Things That Glow
Third graders study the concept of light as an energy source. In this energy activity students participate in a lab that show them the concept of light as an energy source.
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Properties of Metals
Fifth graders study the properties of metals and use them to identify different properties. In this metal properties instructional activity students complete a demonstration .
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Buoyancy: Who Sank the Boat?
Students examine whether objects will sink or float. In this buoyancy lesson students bring in objects and experiment to see if they sink or float.
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Light Can Heat Too!
Third graders explore absorption and reflection of light energy. In this solar energy lesson plan, 3rd graders explore how light energy transfers to heat energy through the construction of a solar water heater. Students will discuss and...
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Bringing Animal Issues Into the Classroom
Here's an excellent packet of worksheets that delves into animal issues, and also covers the people who work in the community who help animals, such as veterinarians. There are thought-provoking questions associated with photographs of...
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"The Soil Around Us" Project
Young geographers collect samples of different kinds of soil to match to the soil terms in Barry Rudner's rhyming book Filet of Soil: dirt, mud, dust, soot, etc. They start a glossary for the project on index cards or large sheets...