Curated OER
Weathering and Erosion
Students investigate how changes occur on the surface of the earth through erosion and glaciation. They observe what happens to salt and iron after they interact with water and vinegar, and analyze what occurs when water is sprinkled on...
Curated OER
Physical and Chemical Changes
Students differentiate physical and chemical changes. In this chemistry lesson, students identify five indicators that a chemical change took place. They complete a reflection journal at the end of the activity.
Curated OER
Comparison of Tangential (Plain Sawn) to Radial (Quarter Sawn)Dimensional Change When Moisture is Added or Removed
Students investigate the dimensional changes that occur in wood samples when moisture is added and subtracted. The shapes and sizes of the pieces are compared and contrasted to decide which is best for cabinetry construction.
Curated OER
A New Phase In Town
Middle schoolers explore heat energy and how it is used to change the phase of matter, and discover that temperature does not increase or decrease until the phase change is complete. This extremely well-written plan is packed with great...
American Chemical Society
Using the Combining Test to Identify Unknown Liquids
Once investigators have learned how their mystery liquids interact with water during the preceding activity, they now use their observations to identify them. This is an ideal conclusion to the mini unit on the properties of water.
Curated OER
Fresh Water and land of Kiribati and Hawaii (Molokai)
Fourth graders examine the islands of Hawaii. Using this information, they organize it and create a map or graph that represents the data. As a class, they discuss how the watersheds on the islands are different and how people react to...
Curated OER
Ice Cream
Open this instructional activity by giving a brief history of ice cream. Using liquid nitrogen to lower the temperature, preteens make their own confection. The accompanying activity sheet queries learners about freezing point, the...
Curated OER
Ice Cream Blizzards
Fourth graders explore whether the making of homemade ice cream is a physical change or a chemical change in a lab experiment. Students identify states of matter, describe the physical properties of states, and collect temperature data...
Curated OER
Creative Expressions: Phase Changes
Learners place themselves in the position of a water molecule, ice molecule, or steam molecule and then describe the process of changing phase.
Curated OER
Solids and Water
Students investigate mixtures made of water and familiar solid materials. They observe and discuss the changes that occur immediately and set the mixtures aside for a day. Finally, students observe the mixtures, note changes, and graph...
Curated OER
What Can We Do To Change These Materials
First graders perform experiments to investigate property changes that occur in materials or matter. In the science lab, they use heat to explore changes in rice, sand, gelatin, baking soda and more. Learners observe and record the...
Curated OER
How to Make Water Run Uphill
Young scholars observe science demonstration. In this science instructional activity, students watch an experiment showing water moving up from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration, due to a change in...
Curated OER
Strength of Water
Students 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
What Is In The Water?
Students investigate the biotic and abiotic factors that are found in an aquatic ecosystem. The emphasis is upon the investigation of present an projections of future water quality. Then students visit a local body of water to gather...
Curated OER
Water Regulation
Students use their basic knowledge of physiology to analyze graphical data of paramecia under diverse conditions. From the data analysis, Students develop explanations of the animal's response to the concentration of different solutions...
Curated OER
Looking At Water: a Walking Field Trip
Fourth graders observe the effects of water on the soil and record those effect by drawing sketches of water erosion and conservation practices.
Curated OER
Global Water Cycle & Heat Flow
Students experiment to discover how different variables affect the water cycle. They do hat flow experiments and construct a computer heat flow model.
Curated OER
Dirty Water: A Case Study
Students identify the causes of arsenic contamination. They list the world organizations involved in ensuring sanitary water supplies. Students describe various methods to mitigate arsenic contamination.
Curated OER
Physical Difference and Classification
Learners use a microscope and observation skills to compare and contrast several physical properties and develop a classification system.
Space Awareness
The Big Meltdown
Explore the world (our world) of melting ice caps. Why are these caps melting? What is the effect of melting ice caps? Dive into the ever-present issue of global warming with a resource that has learners looking at data and participating...
Colorado State University
Do Cities Affect the Weather? (Making a Cloud in a Bottle)
The dynamics of a city can have a drastic effect on the weather. A hands-on lesson asks learners to build a model to illustrate how city pollution provides a nucleus for condensation. The greater the pollution, the greater chance for...
Curated OER
Effects of Weathering
Here's a great geology lesson for 3rd graders on weathering and erosion of soil. After a class discussion on how nature can "move a mountain," learners take a look at how a modern phenoma called acid rain can also cause weathering and...
Science Matters
Peanut Energy
How do humans get energy since they aren't mechanical and can't photosynthesize? Learners explore this question by relating potential energy in food to human energy levels. Scholars measure the change in mass and a change in temperature...
CK-12 Foundation
Butterfly Stroke
Swimmers improve their times by understanding the physics of their sport. As a swimmer moves through the water, the efficiency of motion affects the resulting velocity. Through an interactive simulation, pupils change the level of motion...