K12 Reader
Why Does the Moon Orbit Earth?
Have you ever looked up at the moon and wondered why it looks different every night? Learn about the moon's orbit and the lunar cycle with a reading comprehension exercise. Using context clues, kids find the definitions of unfamiliar...
Curated OER
Attract or Repel?
Opposites attract with a fun science experiment on magnets. With a short paragraph on background knowledge, the lab sheet prompts third and fourth graders to choose which pairs of magnets will attract, and which pairs will repel. A...
Curated OER
As the Wheel Turns
This is not your typical Ferris wheel problem. In this exercise, your class will combine their knowledge of sinusoidal functions as well as linear motion to come up with parametric equations that model the position of a point on the edge...
Curated OER
Finding the Area of Polygons
Third graders are exposed to finding the area of polygons by decomposing figures and recomposing them into rectangles. This strategy allows children to expand on their prior knowledge of constructing shapes by rearranging parts into...
California Academy of Science
Tropical Belt
Where in the world is the equator? Explore a world map with your class, coloring in oceans, continents, and rainforests while locating the three major lines of latitude: the equator, Tropic of Cancer, and Tropic of Capricorn. Discuss how...
California Academy of Science
Earthquakes and Tectonic Plates
Here is a comprehensive package in which middle schoolers learn about types of seismic waves, triangulation, and tectonic plate boundaries. Complete vocabulary, colorful maps, and a worksheet are included via links on the webpage. You...
University of Washington
Kepler’s Laws
Introduce your physics or astronomy class to Kepler's laws of planetary motion with this straightforward worksheet. It covers the basic concepts of each and has learners answer questions to demonstrate their grasp on them. You could use...
Rhythm Rhyme Results
Whatʼs the Same and Whatʼs Different?
Learn about radiation, convection, and conduction with a multiple choice worksheet. Each question prompts kids to decide what is different about each form of heat energy transfer, and what is the same.
Sea World
Marine Animal Husbandry and Training
Step into the role of a zoo director with several activities about animal training and running a zoo. Kids calculate the amount of food each animal needs, design a habitat for penguins, decide how to breed bottlenose dolphins, and train...
EngageNY
Similarity
Learn similarity through a transformations lens! Individuals examine the effects of transformations and analyze the properties of similarity, and conclude that any image that can be created through transformations is similar. The...
EngageNY
Properties of Area
What properties does area possess? Solidify the area properties that pupils learned in previous years. Groups investigate the five properties using four problems, which then provide the basis for a class discussion.
Virginia Department of Education
Solar System Model
How many planets can you name? Did you get all 13 in our solar system, including the dwarf planets, or were you surprised when you read there are 13 planets? The instructional activity helps scholars understand the scale of the universe...
It's About Time
Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation
While science is looking for correct explanations, pseudoscience often fills in the blanks. Pupils explore the relationship between light distance and intensity and graph their data. Then they compare their data to Newton's Law of...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Designing a 3d Product in 2d: a Sports Bag
Sew up pupil interest with an engaging, hands-on instructional activity. Learners first design a sports bag given constraints on the dimensions of fabric. They then evaluate provided sample responses to identify strengths and weaknesses...
EngageNY
The Height and Co-Height Functions of a Ferris Wheel
Show learners the power of mathematics as they model real-life designs. Pupils graph a periodic function by comparing the degree of rotation to the height of a ferris wheel.
Curated OER
Lesson Plan Outline for Rainbow Science
Young scientists study light reflection and refraction as they determine the critical angle, the rainbow angle, and color separation in rainbows. Teams record the data they collect in a shared spreadsheet and discuss results with the class.
LABScI
Potential and Kinetic Energy: The Roller Coaster Lab
Ron Toomer, a famous roller coaster designer, suffered from motion sickness. Pupils design their own roller coasters, learning about potential and kinetic energy in the process. Labs focus on the importance of drop height, energy...
DiscoverE
Wind Farm
A wind turbine is essentially just a giant pinwheel, right? Individuals first create pinwheels from paper, pins, and pencils. In groups, they model a wind farm along a coast and then test out their designs using an electric fan.
Curated OER
Turning Assets into Action in the Fight Against Hunger
How can one person change the world? Scholars research and analyze the topic of world hunger. Using video clips, parodies, and primary source evidence, they uncover a current campaign to end world hunger. Collaborative groups openly...
Curated OER
Fences and Posts
Fifth graders use Geoboards to demonstrate how shapes can be made by looping the rubber bands over the nails. They make a triangle on their Geoboards. At least one side of the triangle should be either horizontal or vertical. The picture...
Curated OER
Water Monitoring Vocabulary
As the title implies, this is a list of vocabulary terms relating to water monitoring. If your ecology class is learning about how to test water quality, this will be an appropriate reference sheet for them. As a bonus, if you live in...
Curated OER
Discovering Math: Concepts in Geometry
Middle and high schoolers explore the concept of proving the Pythagorean Theorem. They research proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem. Pupils create posters of proofs, and research Greek mathematicians.
Curated OER
Cylinder Volume Lesson Plan
Tenth graders define the formula for cylinders and use it to solve real world problems. In this geometry lesson, pupils differentiate between area, perimeters, 2D shapes, 3D shapes, and volume of prisms, cylinders and spheres. They...
Curated OER
Explore the Mathematics of the Explorers
Columbus and other explorers relied upon mathematical calculations using the Earth, stars, and ships speeds.