Curated OER
Finding Caterpillars
Students examine how animals protect themselves from predators and camouflage themselves. They participate in a simulation in which they locate red and green yarn "caterpillars," organize their data, and generate a bar graph using...
Curated OER
Focus on Friction
The students learn about friction and forces through direct instruction and an investigation. They use measurement skills, observation skills, predicting, and drawing conclusions based on data collected during the investigation. Students...
Curated OER
How Strong Is It?
Students investigate the adhesion conditions and surface for using post it notes. In this post it notes lesson plan, students discover the adhesive properties, test the notes for strength, and interpret data and draw conclusions.
Kenan Fellows
Effects of a Golf Course on Stream Health
Is the golf course causing issues in the stream? Find out with a resource that has groups perform chemical water tests to analyze the effects of a golf course on a stream. Pupils collect water above and below the course and analyze the...
Virginia Department of Education
Electricity and Circuits
Electrify your classroom as you lead pupils through a series of steps to demonstrate basic principles of electricity and magnetism. They design a simple circuit and test this for static electricity and current electricity. Next, they...
Virginia Department of Education
The Colligative Properties of Solutions
How can you relate colligative properties of solutions to everyday situations? Pupils first discuss the concepts of density, boiling and freezing points, then demonstrate how to accurately determine the boiling and freezing point of...
Polar Trec
Playground Profiling—Topographic Profile Mapping
The Kuril islands stretch from Japan to Russia, and the ongoing dispute about their jurisdiction prevents many scientific research studies. Scholars learn to create a topographic profile of a specific area around their schools. Then they...
Curated OER
Orienting a Photovoltaic Cell
By mounting a light bulb on a stand and a PV cell on another, physics apprentices experiment with the angle of incidence. Their goal is to determine the optimum angle for collecting solar energy. The use of a scientific calculator is...
Polar Trec
Plankton Parents
Plankton are so abundant in the ocean they outweigh all of the animals in the sea. In this three day activity, groups discuss and become familiar with plankton, capture females, and look for egg production on day three.
Curated OER
Math and Science in a Wetland
Students use scientific methods during field and lab investigations. Students collect specimens and make measurements using the metric system. Students describe biotic and abiotic factors in an estuary and design a model.
Curated OER
Examining Infiltration Rates of Various Soil Types
Students formulate their own hypothesis, determine which variables are important to test their hypothesis, design an experiment in which they collect data. They utilize instruments and tools to measure, calculate, and organize data.
Curated OER
Bird Beak Buffet
Students complete an activity that allows them to better understand that birds traits are closely related to what they eat, where they live, etc. In this bird trait instructional activity students complete an activity, create a data...
Discovery Education
It's Too Loud!
STEM scholars investigate sound attenuation by conducting an experiment in which they compare the farthest distance that they can hear a sound with and without ear protection.
Curated OER
His and Her-bariums
Pupils collect and identify plant species from campus, create a home herbarium, and compare with the plant species from school.
Curated OER
Scientific Method in Action
Students investigate the current environmental movement by cleaning up their own campus. In this environmental care activity, students practice cleaning their "environment" by picking up trash on their campus and decrease litter by...
Curated OER
Collect Data Using a Transect Line
Middle schoolers learn about transect lines through a study of marine debris. In this marine debris lesson, students calculate the items on a transect line and graph them. Middle schoolers complete a category worksheet.
Curated OER
Beginning Statistical Inquiries into the Scientific Method: Jelly-Side-Down
Students describe what happens when a piece of jellied toast is dropped off a table. From these observations, students pose a question concerning which side of the jellied toast land on the floor.
Curated OER
Scientist Are Like Detectives
Students demonstrate proper scientific observation skills. In this investigative science lesson plan, students make observations, record their findings and form conclusions in order to improve their scientific documentation and writing...
Curated OER
Intertidal Field Trip
Students explore an intertidal zone. In this science lesson, students travel to an intertidal zone. Students collect data and create species accumulation curves.
Curated OER
Biodiversity on Ninepipe Reservoir
Sixth graders complete a unit about the biodiversity at the Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge. They view a video, conduct an interview with a tribal wildlife biologist and a federal wildlife biologist and compare the two, collect and...
Curated OER
Go Jump In The Lake!
Learners experiment with local lake water to determine the health of the lake waters. They explore the human impact on the lake water, hypothesize and share inferences in a scientific report.
Curated OER
Balloon Jets
Young scholars investigate how fuel amount affects the distance traveled by balloons. In this physics lesson, students collect data and create a pictograph. They interpret data and formulate a conclusion.
Curated OER
May The Force Be With You
Eighth graders investigate Newton's Laws of Motion. They use the example of a roller coaster for illustration purposes. A force associated with a roller coaster is tested, data graphed, and a conclusion is drawn. They use excel in order...
Curated OER
Radiation Reassessed
Young scholars investigate the dangers of radiation by exploring recent nuclear tragedies. In this scientific debate activity, students define the idea of radiation "half life" and determine if low doses of radiation are truly damaging...