Curated OER
The Dinosaur Body
Students recognize that body design affects balance. They investigate the basic structure of a dinosaur body to see how it achieved balance, then build any dinosaur body system they want, using small marshmallows and extra straws as needed.
Curated OER
Science Safety is Elementary
Third graders are introduced to the importance of science safety. As a class, they role play through different safety procedures and decide which senses need to be protected for different scenerios. They discuss how to avoid hazardous...
Curated OER
Galileo: His Times & Beliefs
Students study Galileo and his scientific discoveries. They complete a series of experiments/model constructions, using 17th century equipment and procedures, to "recreate," demonstrate and explore the various discoveries of Galileo.
Curated OER
Convection and Wind
Students use water, beakers, hot plates, paper dots, and goggles to participate in a hands on activity where they see how a convection current creates wind. In this convection current lesson plan, students participate in a hands on...
Curated OER
Research Ethics
Young scholars develop an ability to distinguish between simple error, misconduct and fraud. Students are lead to consider a widening circle of the consequences of misconduct and fraud. They expand their knowledge on the...
Curated OER
Acid Rain
Students create acid rain using carbonic, nitrous, nitric, and sulfurous acids.
Curated OER
Strength of Water
Learners perform experiments using flexible bottles of water and eyedroppers partially filled and placed in the bottle. They record what happens when they tighten the bottle lid and squeeze the bottle.
Curated OER
Testing Battery Combinations
Fourth graders examine the required combinations of plates and predict which combination will generate the most and least current and voltage. They use an ammeter and experiment with combinations of their own testing and record each...
Curated OER
Epidemiology: Graphing and Analyzing Health Data
Students graph data on fetal and infant mortality rates collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They identify trends in the data and propose potential causes for the trends.
Curated OER
Limiting Reagent
Students work in small groups with a small set of 8 nuts and 5 bolts to assemble into combinations of 1 nut: 1 bolt, and 2 nuts: 1 bolt. They explore the outcome and discuss. Then a student mixes two clear, colorless solutions together...
Curated OER
Mixtures
Sixth graders experiment with mixtures. In this chemistry instructional activity, 6th graders determine which mixtures are considered heterogeneous, a suspension, a solution or a colloid. Students create a data sheet of what they discover.
Curated OER
Measuring Snowfall
Students predict the amount of snowfall for the week and measure snowfall. In this measuring snowfall lesson, student use a precipitation gauge to measure the week's snowfall; and analyze the data to determine whether or not...
Curated OER
Using Newsprint as a UV Detector
Students investigate the effects of UV radiation. In this earth science lesson, students explain how the time of day relate to UV abundance on Earth. They determine if weather affects the amount of UV that Earth receives.
Curated OER
Scientific Inquiry: Periodic Motion
Students construct their own pendulum. In this physics instructional activity, students design an experiment to find the factors affecting its period. They formulate a conclusion based on experimental data.
Curated OER
How Can You Study Things You Can’t See Like: Atoms?
Students simulate how scientists studied things they can't see like atoms. In this chemistry lesson, students predict what is inside the numbered obsertainers. They design a way to investigate what's inside without opening it.
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Learning Lab: Every Picture Has a Story
Smithsonian Education presents "Every Picture Has a Story". Teachers can download this comprehensive teaching package in which learners examine some of the millions of photographs in the Smithsonian. This amazing teaching package comes...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Question and Purpose
This tutorial reviews over making observations to form questions and purpose for a lab experiment.