Curated OER
Roller Coasters
Twisting and turning through the sky, roller coasters are popular attractions at amusement parks around the world, but how exactly do they work? Explore the physics behind these thrilling rides with an engineering design activity....
Curated OER
Conserving Water through Art!
Students study water conservation. In this water conservation lesson, students investigate the scarcity of water and determine reasons for conserving water. Students estimate how much water they use in one day and identify ways to...
Curated OER
Indoor Environment: A Magazine Publication Project
Students demonstrate knowledge of Indoor Air Quality by creating a class magazine. A link to order a free Action Kit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is provided so teachers can build background knowledge. Performance...
Curated OER
Electricity
A start to instruction about electricity, important terminology is defined and this is a great way to display the basic information. This would be useful if you are practicing a notetaking process or starting a project that the students...
Curated OER
What is Motion?
Prior to beginning a math or physical science lesson on motion, use this presentation to define the concepts of motion, rate, velocity, and speed. This resource lacks concrete examples but could be useful as discussion starter.
Curated OER
Project Geode
Pupils predict the appearance of a geode's internal structure based on its mass and density. They form a hypothesis based on the data they collect. They also identify common minerals found in Illinois.
Curated OER
Language Arts/Science: Genetic Diseases Simulation
Eighth graders engage inn role-playing activities as families caring for babies with genetic defects. A partial list of activities include: dressing the babies ( raw eggs), designing birth certificates, and recording a log of care,...
Curated OER
The Physics of Skateboarding
High schoolers are able to analyze gravity as an universal force. They are able to determine how the force of friction retards motion. Students are able to apply Newton's Laws of Motion ot the way the world works.
Curated OER
Reel Projects
Students investigate projectile motion. In this projectile motion lesson, students investigate a website with an interactive lesson. Students view the changes in the projectile they see in the lesson. Students watch short video clips and...
Curated OER
Rocket Science 101
Students explore the aspects of Newton's First and Third Laws of Motion as they conduct controlled rocketry experiments and analyze the Mars Mission in terms of the principles of rocketry.
Curated OER
Solids, Liquids, and Gases
Not many lessons on states of matter can hold a candle to this one! Junior chemists gauge the density of paraffin in both liquid and solid phases. They fill 60 mL syringes with different materials to experiment with compressibility and...
California Polytechnic State University
Australian Geography Unit
At the heart of this resource is a beautifully detailed PowerPoint presentation (provided in PDF form) on the overall physical geography of Australia, basic facts about the country, Aboriginal history, and Australia culture and lifestyle.
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
Jupiter’s Relative Size
How do you properly illustrate the extreme size difference between two planets—Earth and Jupiter? With the help of jellybeans, of course! Create a scale model of Jupiter's mass compared to Earth using a fishbowl, 1,400 beans, and a dixie...
Earth Day Network
Forms of Energy
Give me a home where electric buffalo roam and I'll show you an ohm on the range. Introduction your classes to potential and kinetic energy, electricity, and renewable resources with a resource that combines observation, direct...
Education Outside
Papermaking
Imagine recycling food scraps and using them to make paper. The directions are all here in a seven-page packet that details several paper-making strategies.
PHET
Soda Bottle Magnetometer
Introduce learners to set of complete instructions that describe how to build a magnetometer that works just like the ones professional photographers use to predict auroras. The diagrams are wonderfully descriptive, and the written...
University of Colorado
The Jovian Basketball Hoop
Can you listen to Jupiter on a simple radio? Turns out the answer is yes! The resource instructs scholars to build a simple radio to pick up the radio waves created when the charged particles from the sun hit Jupiter's magnetic...
Teach Engineering
Alloy Advantage
Mix it up by using an intriguing resource that teaches young metallurgists that alloys are a metal mixture. They learn about the advantages of using alloys over pure metals and investigate titanium alloys as an example to finish the...
Curated OER
Map Puzzles
Students make puzzles from world maps, dramatizing how much of the globe is covered by ocean.
South Gloucestershire Council
Animal Classification: A Collaborative Sorting Activity for Key Stages 2 & 3
Introduce the logic behind a dichotomous key or administer a group performance assessment with a fun and challenging classification lesson. With explicit instructions for the teacher and for collaborative groups, as well as engaging...
National Endowment for the Humanities
A Wrinkle in Time: The Board Game
Tackle some big questions about A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle with a board game project. As learners brainstorm for and complete their board games, they consider what helps and hinders Meg on her journey and why she succeeds in...
Achieve
Fences
Pupils design a fence for a backyard pool. Scholars develop a fence design based on given constraints, determine the amount of material they need, and calculate the cost of the project.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Faces of Climate Change
How does climate change affect you? First in a three-part series, the activity focuses on how individuals living around the world are affected by climate change. Individuals take on the role of a given character and share their...
Teach Engineering
Alloy the Way to Mars
Future engineers test different alloys to determine the specific strength of each one. Based on the results, they make a recommendation to NASA on which alloy to use on engines for spacecraft.