Curated OER
What's in a Shape?
Students explore characteristics of shapes by making and using tangram sets. They discover how the tangram pieces are related to one another, and determine how many different combinations of the triangles, squares, and parallelograms in...
Teach Engineering
Breathing Cells
Pairs work together to determine whether unknown solutions are either acids or bases by using a red cabbage indicator solution. After determining the general pH of the unknown solution, classmates blow into the same indicator after...
Code.org
Good and Bad Data Visualizations
Good versus bad data. Pairs rate online collections of data representations from good to bad and then suggest ways to improve the visualizations. The class then creates a list of best practices and common errors in data representations...
Curated OER
Lab Experiments in Nutrition Activity
Which vitamins should be ingested daily for maximum nutrition? Learners with ispecial needs or those who are pregnant focused on television and magazines advertisements that are used to sell food products. They conduct experiments and...
Virginia Department of Education
DNA Structure, Nucleic Acids, and Proteins
What is in that double helix? Explain intricate concepts with a variety of creative activities in a lesson that incorporates multiple steps to cover DNA structure, nucleic acids, and proteins. Pupils explore the history of DNA structure,...
Curated OER
What Factors Contribute In Attracting Birds To Feeders?
Students develop their own research questions dealing with specific variables provided by the instructor; students conduct bird counts using two kinds of birdseed, and analyze possible effects such as abundance or diversity.
US Environmental Protection Agency
Getting to the Core: The Link Between Temperature and Carbon Dioxide
Polar ice samples provide scientists with valuable information about the condition of the atmosphere for hundreds of thousands of years in the past. Of particular interest is the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and its...
Virginia Department of Education
Weather Patterns and Seasonal Changes
Get your class outside to observe their surroundings with a lesson plan highlighting weather patterns and seasonal changes. First, learners take a weather walk to survey how the weather affects animals, people, plants, and trees during...
Code.org
Making Data Visualizations
Relax ... now visualize the data. Introduce pupils to creating charts from a single data set. Using chart tools included in spreadsheet programs class members create data visualizations that display data. The activity encourages...
Teach Engineering
Processes on Complex Networks
Introduces your class to random processes in networks with an activity that uses information about disease spread using the susceptible, infectious, resistant (SIR) model. Participants determine whether a susceptible person becomes...
Teach Engineering
The Challenge Question
A research position becomes a modeling job. The introductory activity in a series of nine presents the challenge of analyzing a set of bivariate data. The class brainstorms what the data may represent. Pupils must decide what is needed...
Code.org
Hard Problems – Traveling Salesperson Problem
Even computers find this to be a hard problem. In the eighth installment of a 12-part unit, young computer scientists learn about the traveling salesperson problem. They formulate algorithms to solve the problem and find out why it is...
Curated OER
Areology: The Study of Mars
Students use Oreo candy bars to explore how surface core samples call tell people about the history and make-up of Mars.
National Wildlife Federation
Wind Power
Many have played with seed helicopters at one time or another. Learners use paper to create their own helicopters to model the Linden seed. After a discussion of seed dispersal, they take their models outside, let them go, and make...
Curated OER
Biospheres in Your Backyard
Students collect data from a local river biome. They use the information for metric conversion and graphing equations. They study the components of what makes up a biosphere and how math is used to analyze one.
Curated OER
Graphing in an Experimental Context
Seventh graders discuss the importance of being able to represent scientific data in the form of graphs. They comprehend the differences between a bar graph and a line graph. Students identify the type of data with which each graph...
Curated OER
Sorting and Graphing Animals
Students inquire about animals using SIRS Discoverer or eLibrary Elementary. In this organizing data lesson, students sort pictures of animals in various ways and develop graphs. Students locate a mammal, reptile, fish, insect or bird...
Curated OER
Chucky Chickadee's Bird and Breakfast: Sing in Please
Students observe bird feeding and complete a tally and graphing activity for their observations. In this bird graphing lesson plan, students work in teams to observe bird feedings. Students complete a bird reporting sheet and collect...
Curated OER
My Science Box
Students investigate snails and their physical and behavioral characteristics. In this investigative lesson students create a pie chart to show the results of their findings.
Curated OER
Curious Clouds
Second graders explore clouds. They read The Cloud Book by Tomie dePola. Students sort the cloud pictures into three categories. Students create a graph using the cloud pictures. They use Excel to create a bar graph.
Curated OER
The Hudson's Ups and Downs
Even rivers have tides. Older elementary schoolers will discuss the Hudson River and how weather, water craft, and the ocean cause tidal fluctuation. They will examine a series of line graphs that depict tidal fluctuation, then analyze...
Curated OER
Time Management
Young scholars record their daily activities and graph the results using the educational software program called Inspiration. This lesson is intended for the upper-elementary classroom and includes resource links and activity extensions.
Curated OER
Probability
Here is a classic activity used to introduce your class to the concept of probability and data collection. They will roll one die 30 times, then record and discuss the results. Great introduction, but too shallow to be considered a...
Curated OER
Class Presentation on Coal
Did you know that coal was formed from plants? After being assigned a coal-related topic, groups gather, organize, and present information about this energy source. The presentations should include visuals like graphs, charts, tables,...