Curated OER
Tracking Sunrise and Sunset
Students collect, record, and graph the sunrise and sunset times. They explain how the relationship between the tilt of Earth's axis and its yearly orbit around the sun produces the seasons.
Curated OER
What's up with the weather?
Students use the weather as a context for collecting data and making interpretations based upon the observations. The scientific method is also taught to give them a way to conduct the data collection.
Curated OER
Glacial Geocaching
Eighth graders measure strike and dip of given land features and explain the difference between them. They also look at rock and mineral samples for indentification, along with calculating the density. Finally, information is analyzed...
Curated OER
It's A Gas
Young scholars build an organic waste methane generator and learn by running a scientific experiment to see what happens when people alter nature's way of recycling.
Curated OER
The Great Scientists
Students discuss the characteristics of competent scientists. By researching selected scientists on the Internet, they gather and organize collected information into a cohesive paper.
Curated OER
How Acid Rain is Measured and Monitored in the U.S.
Explain how acid rain is measured. They discover how acid rain is monitored in the United States. They compare locally measured pH or rain with that of Great Smoky mountains. They perform Ph tests on rainfall they collect.
Curated OER
Spacd Day:Probing For Knowledge
Students investigate the uses and purpose of the Hubble telescope. They create a model of the telescope and conduct research about the history behind the invention of it. Students use the information in order to create a context for the...
Curated OER
Testing Soils for Garden Planting
Sixth graders collect soil samples and record the location of the samples by using GPS.
Curated OER
TE Activity: Built to Last?
Fifth graders test the shelters that were built in a prior activity. They determine the level of durability and water resistance of these shelters through a scientific investigation.
Curated OER
North Dakota Plants with Lewis and Clark
Tenth graders identify native plants of North Dakota. They compare the plants found on native prairie with the plants described in the Lewis and Clark journals. They present the information they have collected in an electronic format...
Curated OER
Goobers. Goobers? Goobers!
Students begin the lesson by noting the many ways in which to use peanuts. In groups, they use the internet to research the work of George Washington Carver. They discover the allergies and nutritional information of the peanut and...
Curated OER
Who Lives in the Water? Stream Side Science
Andree Walker thought of everything when he wrote this resource. It includes a detailed list of materials and background information links for the teacher. In addition, it has procedures, a macroinvertebrate identification key, and tally...
National Library of Medicine
Your Environment, Your Health: Air Quality
Some scientists argue that air pollution now causes more deaths than smoking. The second unit in a six-part series focuses on air quality. Scholars learn what's in the air, how clean the air around their school is, and what they can do...
National Library of Medicine
Your Environment, Your Health: Runoff, Impervious Surfaces, and Smart Development
Can a sidewalk increase the amount of pollution in local streams? Scholars learn the answer to this question though research and experimentation in the fifth unit in the six-part series. Pupils study runoff, impervious surfaces, and the...
National Library of Medicine
Your Environment, Your Health: Food Safety
Did youknow that chicken causes the greatest risk of food-borne illness. The fourth unit in a six-part series addresses food safety. Scholars research common scenarios of food causing illness through the National Institute for Health....
Curated OER
History of Chemistry: The Alchemists
Students research alchemy and the history of chemistry. In this chemistry history lesson, students examine laboratory apparatus and compare it to those used by the Alchemists. Students complete a research paper on an important...
Curated OER
U.S. History: de Soto's Alternate Route
Eighth graders examine various maps associated with Hernando de Soto's expedition. By comparing their textbook maps with newer maps, they answer a battery of focus questions. Using Microsoft Word, 8th graders answer the questions...
Curated OER
Biological Sampling Device Using a Sea Perch
Students construct plankton nets to be towed and collect specimens to be examined and analyzed in the classroom. They develop research skills through collection of an aquatic sample. They write lab reports after interpreting, identifying...
National Library of Medicine
Your Environment, Your Health: The Great Debate—Bottled Water vs. Tap Water in Our School
Should bottled water be sold in schools, or should they only provide tap water? The summative unit in the six-part series encourages scholars debating this topic. The lessons teach how to build an argument, how to gain background...
Curated OER
What Do Bread and Beer Have in Common?
Students listen to an explanation of yeast cells and how they effect bread and beer. They discuss the ways alcohol affects the human body and participate in an indirect observation about cell respiration in yeast-molasses cultures.
Curated OER
Animal Investigation
Third graders gather information and classify animals. In this animal investigation lesson, 3rd graders research animals, and organize the information into notebook.
Curated OER
Time-Lapsed Observations
Learners explore timed observations for science investigations. They record ideas on a chart related to a classroom closed terrarium. They repeat their observations for several days and time observations for changing shadows during the...
Curated OER
Classifying Candy III
Students create a classification tree based on grouping candy with eight different properties. This allows students to understand how living things are classified.