Chicago Botanic Garden
Impacts of Climate on Forest Succession
Part two in a series of four explores the effects of climate on succession or the changing of plant species in a forest. Groups review how to identify trees and then spend a day in the field collecting extensive data on trees to...
Colorado State University
If You Can't Predict the Weather, How Can You Predict the Climate?
Why is the weather man wrong so often? Young climatologists discover how chaos rules both weather and climate through a math-based activity. Using an iterative equation, the class examines how small day-to-day weather events total up to...
Purdue University
Design of a Door Alarm
How does electricity work? Budding scientists explore the concepts of electrical currents and open and closed circuits with class discussion and a hands-on activity using a battery to turn on a light bulb. Learners also make predictions...
Radford University
Regression Analysis Activity
Don't let your knowledge of regression analysis regress. Pupils take part in three activities to learn about regression curves. They research and collect data to predict how long it will take a basketball to hit the ground, find a...
Science Matters
Blubber Gloves: It’s All About Insulation
Instill the concept of adaptation with the help of Blubber Gloves—ziplock bags, shortening, and duct tape. Scholars discuss how animals and plants keep warm in polar regions, record their predictions, and try on their Blubber Gloves to...
Curated OER
Understanding Weather and Climate Patterns
Students research the climate patterns of various locations and make predictions based on their findings. They determine the importance of latitude and longitude in weather and climate. Students create graphs displaying their collected...
Curated OER
Pen Pals
Young scholars make their own predictions about the amount of different types of birds at each site before they go there. In groups, they collect the bird data and compose letters to their pen pals sharing their information. To end the...
Curated OER
Scientific Method Experiment: Factors Affecting How Ice Melts
Students demonstrate the scientific method by conducting an ice cube melting experiment. They make predictions and observations, and conclude what factors make ice melt more slowly or quickly than normal.
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
The Micro and Macro World Around Us
Don't let your eyes play tricks on you ... use scale to keep your eyes in check! Young scholars observe images without scale and try to identify the structure. Then, they look at the same image with a scale bar and assess whether their...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Plant Phenology Data Analysis
Scientists monitor seasonal changes in plants to better understand their responses to climate change, in turn allowing them to make predictions regarding the future. The last activity in the series of six has scholars analyze BudBurst...
California Education Partners
Science Fair Project
Plant the data firmly on the graph. Given information about the growth rate of plants, pupils determine the heights at specific times and graph the data. Using the information, scholars determine whether a statement is true and support...
Pingry School
Effect of Solutes on Boiling Point
Anyone that lives around snow knows that adding salts to water increases its melting point. Are there solutes that affect the boiling point as well? A scientific experiment has learners add different solutes to water and then monitor the...
Curated OER
Factors Which Affect the Rate of Chemical Reactions
Students complete an experiment with Alka-Seltzer and reaction rates. They control the rate in which gases are allowed to escape. They test their predictions and observe what happens during the experiment.
Curated OER
You Talkin' To Me?: Investigations in Animal Behavior
Students investigate a variety of animal behaviors, examine various modes of animal communication, and develop a catalog analyzing, interpreting, and reporting their results.
Curated OER
Ornithology and Real World Science
Double click that mouse because you just found an amazing lesson! This cross-curricular Ornithology lesson incorporates literature, writing, reading informational text, data collection, scientific inquiry, Internet research, art, and...
Science 4 Inquiry
Trick or Science: Catching the Light
Your class might be surprised to learn that mirrors have been around since the first century AD! Young scientists explore reflection and refraction of light through a series of challenges. They use this knowledge to design their own...
PBS
Lessons - Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!
Volcanoes are among the most spectacular geological features on the planet. Jump into an exploration of these amazing phenomenon with this multimedia lesson plan series. Working collaboratively in small groups, young scientists view...
National Wildlife Federation
When It Rains It Pours More Drought and More Heavy Rainfall
Which is worse — drought or flooding? Neither is helpful to the environment, and both are increasing due to climate change. The 16th instructional activity in a series of 21 covers the average precipitation trends for two different...
Curated OER
Decision Making
Students study weather patterns and learn to make decisions based on the weather. In this weather lesson, students plan a potluck based on the weather. Students use a decision tree to brainstorm about the activity. Students complete a...
Curated OER
Anthony's sink or float game
Students explore the concepts of float and sink by playing a game where they build things on mud, water, rock and jelly. In this Anthony's sink or float game lesson, students discover what materials remain strong in various conditions....
Curated OER
Common Themes
Tenth graders test usefulness of a model Earth by comparing its predictions to observations in the real world. In this landforms lesson students construct an island from a contour map using model clay then analyze the landscape features...
Curated OER
Which Side to Choose? An Exercise in Choices and Ethics
Learners evaluate their reaction to a series of statements to investigate that personal choices are based on personal goals, peer and social pressures, ethic and religious beliefs, and the knowledge of biological consequences. This is...
Curated OER
Fourth Grade Science Concepts Practice
In this grade 4 science worksheet, 4th graders complete 25 multiple choice questions covering a variety of 4th grade science concepts. An answer key is included.
Curated OER
Predicting the Route of the Monarch's Spring Migration
Young scholars consider the habits of the monarch butterfly and predict the path it take as it migrates in the spring.