Curated OER
Science: Floating and Sinking Objects
Second graders discuss why some objects float while others sink. They examine various objects and predict whether or not they will sink or float. Students discover the properties needed for objects to float.
Curated OER
Kinetic Molecular Theory
High schoolers analyze and evaluate evidence that matter is made of tiny particles. They observe a series of phenomena involving solids, liquids, and gases to make inferences about the spacing, interactions and relative kinetic energies...
Curated OER
Funny Putty
Students are introduced to the properties of solids, liquids and gases. They see that colloids are mixtures which display the properties of more than one of these states. They engage in an excellent experiment which demonstrates this fact.
Curated OER
How a Liquid Changes to a Gas
Second graders identify three forms of matter- solids, liquids, and gases with 100% accuracy. They observe water evaporating from an open container and water evaporating and condensing in a closed container. The students assess that a...
Curated OER
Balloons: Math with the Montgolfier Balloon
Students discover the history of hot air balloons by watching one ascent. For this physics lesson, students utilize a Montgolfier Hot Air Balloon from an earlier lesson and record the temperature, rate of ascent and the volume....
Curated OER
Insects!
Students explore the diet of insects. In this "insects" biology lesson, students take a nature walk and collect various natural materials they think may be eaten by insects. Students sort and classify these materials into three diet...
Curated OER
STATES OF WATER
Students identify the various states of water. They use hypothesizing and hands-on experimenting on changing the states of water, the properties of water, and the role of heating and cooling in the changes of state.
Curated OER
T-Rex
Young scholars examine the differences between a scavenger and a predator. In this predator activity students research an animal and study its physical traits.
Curated OER
Warming by Freezing
Ninth graders discover the reasoning behind spraying water on fruit and seedlings in preparation for hard freezes. For this conceptual physics lesson, 9th graders conduct an experiment to measure the heat released when water goes from a...
Curated OER
Reaction Reasoning
Third graders experiment with chemical reactions and examine what happens to the atoms when different reactions occur. In this matter lesson students divide into groups and complete a lab experiment.
Curated OER
Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy
Young scholars calculate the values of electron binding energies. In this physics lesson, students solve for different wavelength characteristics of X-rays. They present their findings to the class.
Curated OER
Grating Spectrometer
Students calculate the Balmer series. In this physics lesson, students observe hydrogen lamp spectra using spectrometers. They calculate wavelength and compare them with their theoretical calculations.
Curated OER
Density, Iron, and Anemia
Students explain what factors determine density. In this physics lesson, students hypothesize which objects are less dense. They cite the importance of density in everyday life.
Curated OER
To Float or Not to Float - A Lesson on Density
Students define density in their own words. In this physics instructional activity, students calculate density using mass and volume. They explain why some objects sink and some float.
Curated OER
Matter and Energy
Students participate in a small group read aloud of the short story, "Cerium" by Primo Levi. They answer several questions about the story and then relate the reading to a lecture on Kinetic theory. After the lecture they apply the...
Pearson
The Chemical Context of Life
An educational presentation includes atoms, molecules, the four major elements, as well as neutrons and protons. Additionally, slides focus on atomic number, mass number, atomic weight, polar and nonpolar covalent bonding, ionic...
NOAA
Ocean Layers I
How is it possible for ocean water to have layers? The sixth installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program investigates factors that cause different water densities to occur. Experiments...
National Science Teacher Association
Middle School Sampler: Science
Focus on inquiry-based learning in your science class with a series of activities designed for middle schoolers. A helpful packet samples four different texts, which include activities about predator-prey relationships, Earth's axis...
Curated OER
It's the Law: Periodically
Ninth graders examine the Periodic Table. In this element lesson, 9th graders observe the chemical reactivity of elements. They graph the properties and discuss the trend in the group and period of elements. The students use math to...
Curated OER
Somethin' Sweet
Students make their own candy. In this science lesson plan, students observe how molecules interact with each other in physical changes and observe how the addition of heat can cause molecules to interact and form new molecules in...
Curated OER
Introduction to the Periodic Table of Elements
Students explain how the elements are arranged in the periodic table. In this chemistry instructional activity, students determine the subatomic particles for certain elements. They research the physical and chemical properties of an...
Curated OER
Hot Cans and Cold Cans
Learners investigate the physics of heating and cooling through conduction, convection, and radiation. Working in groups, they determine the best way to cool a can of water and warm a can of water. Temperature is taken at five minute...
Curated OER
Introduction to Friction
Students study the properties of the frictional force between two surfaces in contact. They inspect various phenomena in nature where friction plays an important role and demonstrate
Curated OER
Communications
Students incorporate different disciplines into this lesson. In this science lesson, students investigate the use of communicating without words, and how it is different than communicating with words. They discuss the pros and cons of...