Baylor College
Energy Sources
Take the concept of burning calories to a more literal level in the second of seven lessons about energy in the realm of food and fitness. Using simple materials, groups will burn breakfast cereal and a pecan to see which one gives off...
Core Knowledge Foundation
A Time for All Seasons - Spring
Celebrate the arrival of spring with this fun primary grade science unit. Engaging young scientists with a variety of hands-on activities and inquiry-based investigations, these lessons are a great way to teach children about seasonal...
Core Knowledge Foundation
Weather or Not, Seasons Change
Embark on a year long investigation of the seasons with this 10-lesson earth science unit. After being introduced to different types of weather and the tools used to measure it, young scientists perform fun hands-on activities that teach...
Curated OER
Earthquakes: First Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
First graders explore how earthquakes release energy in a set of hands-on activities. During the pre-lab, they discover how energy from an earthquake releases waves through the earth using a water-filled cup and pebbles. Youngsters...
Curated OER
Genome: The Secret of How Life Works
What do you have in common with a fruit fly? About 60 percent of your DNA. The resource, divided into two units, is intended for grades four to eight and another for high schoolers. Both units include eight lessons covering the genome as...
NOAA
Ocean Geologic Features
Sediment samples from the ocean bottoms tell scientists about climate change, pollution, and changes in erosion for the area. Groups of learners focus on sediments and their movement through water. During a hands-on activity, they...
University of Texas
Matter and the Periodic Table Chemical Families and Periodic Trends
Is assembling the periodic table as simple as Tetris? Scholars arrange colored cards into a logical order and then make connections to the arrangement of the periodic table. Hands-on activities include adding trend arrows and analyzing...
Virginia Department of Education
Going the Distance
Estimate the value of one of the most famous irrational numbers. The hands-on lesson plan instructs classmates to measure the circumference and diameters of circles using yarn. The ratio of these quantities defines pi.
Royal Society of Chemistry
Metals—Gifted and Talented Chemistry
Malleable, magnetic, mesmerizing metals! Pupils love learning about metallic elements, especially through the hands-on activities in an engaging lesson plan. The resource provides thorough instruction on the properties of metals, the...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Seed Dispersal in Tropical Forests
How do seeds get around? It's not like plants can control seed dispersal—or can they? Dig deeper into the amazing mechanisms of seed dispersal observed in tropical plants through interactives, a video, and plenty of hands-on data...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Nanotechnology Invention and Design: Phase Changes, Energy, and Crystals
What does it take to be considered a smart material? Learners investigate the properties of Nitinol, a smart material, through a hands-on lab activity. They examine the crystal lattice structure and the conditions required for Nitinol to...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Hiding Behind the Mask
Microchips are a man-made wonder. Investigate the manufacturing wonder with a hands-on inquiry-based lesson. Scholars simulate the process of pattern transfer using photoresist. Their conclusion identifies how their process replicates...
Kenan Fellows
Introduction to a Flight Computer
Keep your hands on the wheel—at all times! Scholars learn why pilots use a flight computer through a high-flying demonstration. Making calculations for speed, distance, or time is automatic if you know how to use a flight computer.
PBS
1000 Words
A picture really can speak a thousand words—no matter how old! Scholars become history detectives as they learn how to analyze historical photos and evidence to uncover the past. The fun hands-on activity makes history come alive through...
Statistics Education Web
The Egg Roulette Game
Hard boiled or raw? Which egg will you get? A hands-on activity has scholars explore the impact of conditional probability. Based on a skit from the Tonight Show, pupils model the selection of the two types of eggs using beads. They...
Museum of Science
Static Cling
Cling to a lesson on static electricity. Pupils take part in experiments where they see how paper from hole punchers, packing peanuts, puffed rice cereal, and other items react when placed near a rubbed balloon. They learn how electrons...
American Chemical Society
Liquids - Clearly Unique
Bring chemistry to life for scholars as they perform two tests to examine the unique properties of three liquids. Classroom investigators make observations, develop basic lab skills, and follow step-by-step instructions to compare water,...
NASA
Touchdown
Just how do astronauts stay safe during moon landings? Here's an activity that allows investigators to use the engineering process to explore how shock absorbers protect astronauts during landing. Applying knowledge of gravity, force,...
NASA
Feel the Heat
Heat water up like a NASA engineer. Using the engineering design process, investigators create a system to trap and move heat through a water-filled tube. Designers participate in a post-activity discussion that highlights the role of...
NASA
Missed Messages
Learners investigate the challenges of space communication with a kinesthetic modeling activity. Group members In space must communicate one word to other members on Earth while overcoming barriers such as distance, gravity, and physical...
GLOBE Program
Calculating Relative Air Mass
Combine math and science with fun in the sun! Scientists build a solar gnomon using reusable materials to calculate relative air mass. Mathematicians measure the pole's shadow and use the data to solve for relative air mass....
Curated OER
Oobleck
Students explore "matter." In this literacy and three states of matter lesson, students listen to Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss, then work in groups to explore "oobleck" (cornstarch and water mixture) with their five senses....
Curated OER
The Science of Magnets
Students are introduced to the concept of magnetism and investigate the properties of magnets. For this magnetism lesson, students identify a magnet then examine why certain things are attracted to magnets and some things are repelled by...
Curated OER
What is the Attraction?
Second graders investigate the law of polarity. In this magnets instructional activity, 2nd graders discover how magnets are used in everyday life and which objects in our environment are magnetic. Students experiment with bar magnets...