Teach Engineering
Insulation Materials Investigation
Don't melt away! Pairs investigate different insulation materials to determine which one is better than the others. Using a low-temp heat plate, the teams insulate an ice cube from the heat source with a variety of substances. They...
Teach Engineering
Flame Test: Red, Green, Blue, Violet?
Let the true colors shine through. Pupils conduct a flame test to identify an unknown element. Class members calculate and prepare specific molarity solutions of three chemicals. Using their observations of the colors emitted, they...
Curated OER
Sound Observations
Young scholars explore sound waves by conducting an experiment in class. In this sound frequency lesson plan, students utilize a tuning fork in class and identify which objects in class create different sound pitches on the fork. Young...
Curated OER
Newton's Laws and Rocketball
Students investigate Newton's Three Laws. For this Newton's Law lesson, students write the laws in their own words. Students then do an experiment with a ping pong ball. Students drop the ball from a set distance and record their...
Polar Trec
Staying Warm in Antarctica!
Has your class ever wondered how animals and scientists stay warm in the Polar Regions? Kids will investigate to understand the three types of heat transfer and how heat transfer affects those trying to stay toasty in sub-zero...
NASA
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Did you realize the visible light spectrum is less than three percent of the electromagnetic spectrum? A hands-onlesson includes five activities and experiments for scholars to explore and discover many advanced science concepts. They...
Curated OER
Bombs Away!
Students design and build a device to protect and accurately deliver a dropped egg. They review and study a number of vocabulary words that are associated with this lesson. They work in a small group in order to develop a successful...
Explore Sound
Sound and Music
What causes sound? Groups of sound detectives use a variety of tools including ping pong balls, pasta noodles, raisins, rubber mallets, and a tuning fork to investigate what causes sound. The young Sherlocks conduct a series of...
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Chair Lift Challenge
During the Winter Olympics, this would be an engaging task to include in your STEM lesson. Design teams plan, construct, and test a miniature ski lift that can carry a pingpong ball up and down a rope line without falling out. With this...
Curated OER
What Does the Sun Give Us?
Pupils study the sun and how solar energy works. To learn about renewable energy, they complete a lab activity using a pizza box as a solar heater. Quite clever!
Curated OER
Green House Effect
Young scholars read about the green house effect and how our environment is deteriorating and what we can do to help it. In this green house effect lesson plan, students conduct a home and school energy audit, and create a rap.
Discovery Education
Perfectly Decomposed!
We all know someone who won't eat the banana with a brown spot, the grape with a dimple, and the apple with a bruise. Scholars use different fruits to explore what happens when fruits really start to decompose. They set up an experiment...
Curated OER
Get the Picture!
Astronomers practice downloading data from a high-energy satellite and translate the data into colored or shaded pixels. As a hands-on activity, they use pennies to simulate high-energy satellite data and they convert their penny...
Curated OER
Water 1: Water and Ice
Students experiment with states of matter with water and ice. In this states of matter lesson plan, students experiment to discover what happens to water as it freezes to become a solid, ice. They observe what happens when ice melts back...
Science Friday
Make a Model Eardrum to Detect Sound Waves
Make sound waves visible with an experiment that asks middle schoolers to build a model ear drum using plastic bottles, rubber bands, plastic wrap, and sand-like substances.
Curated OER
Domino Effect
Seventh graders investigate a change from potential energy to kinetic energy and discuss the concept of waves carrying energy. They, in pairs, work on an experiment which is guided by a worksheet imbedded in this plan.
Curated OER
How Hot Is It?
Sixth graders use paper cups, black and white lining, thermometers and plastic wrap to conduct an experiment that measures the energy-collecting capacity of various colors. They graph the results.
Curated OER
Warm Me Up!
Third graders explore and identify heat sources. They conduct an experiment involving thermometers and articles of clothing, and record and discuss the results.
Curated OER
Waves, Sound, and Light
Ninth graders explain waves in terms of energy transfer and describe their basic types and characteristics. They solve mathematical problems involving wavelength and frequency. Students conduct experiments in reflection and refraction.
Curated OER
Energized Peanuts
Students review the process of heat transfer. In groups, they complete experiments in which they determine if a peanut holds enough energy to heat up water. They also calculate how much heat is given off by the peanut and record their...
Curated OER
Thermochemistry
In this thermochemistry worksheet, students calculate the enthalpy of vaporization as well as the write the thermochemical expression for the production of the chemical reaction.
Curated OER
The Bio-fuel Project: Creating Bio-diesel
Students investigate bio-fuel. In this investigative lesson, students create bio-fuel from vegetable oil waste. Students will analyze, predict, collect and synthesize data from their experiments with bio-fuel.
Curated OER
Wavelengths of Light
Explore physical science by participating in a visual spectrum experiments. Budding scientists identify the colors in the color spectrum and view the colors in class by utilizing cellophane, flash lights, and other arts and crafts...
Curated OER
Radiation Budget Lesson: Exploring Albedo
Students experiment with sunlight and temperature. They study the definition of albedo, or the percentage of incoming sunlight that is reflected, rather than absorbed.