American Chemical Society
Does Temperature Affect Dissolving?
When making sweet tea, why do people dissolve the sugar in hot tea instead of cold tea? The class discusses the previous lab and builds upon it. Working in groups, they design an experiment to determine how temperature affects the...
Curated OER
Digital Video Lesson Plan: Brine Shrimp
Students participate in classroom experiment to gain better understanding of type of environment brine shrimp can best survive. Students then explore effects of common saltwater pollutants on survival of animals in sea.
Curated OER
Eutrophication
Students observe the effects of eutrophication and determine why it is harmful to aquatic ecosystems. They create mason jar ecosystems to observe the growth of algae in pond water. In addition, they observe the effect of introducing...
Curated OER
Recyclers to the Rescue
Producers, consumers, food chains, and plants are the stars of this science lesson. Learners take part in an inquiry which helps them to discover the most effective and efficient way to grow a producer. They have a variety of containers...
Curated OER
Leaves, the Sun, and the Water Cycle
As a way to combine life and physical science, or simply as an investigation of plant transpiration, this lesson is sure to inspire! Middle schoolers capture the moisture given off by plants that are placed in different conditions. They...
Curated OER
Types of Bonding Lab
Chemistry lab learners experiment to identify a series of unknown compounds. They choose which tests to perform, but you may suggest melting or boiling point, solubility, electrical conductivity, and malleability. This is a terrific...
Science Matters
Energy from Water Wheels
Historians believe the first vertical water wheel was invented in Rome during the Augustan Age. The sixth lesson in the series of 10 has scholars experiment with designing their own water wheels. Through testing various pastas and...
Cornell University
Beam Focusing Using Lenses
Explore optics using an inquiry-based experimental approach! Young scholars use a set of materials to design and build a unit capable of focusing a beam of light. They experiment with different lenses to determine the best approach to...
Curated OER
Junior Solar Sprint Series: Gears and Drive Belts
Activate middle schoolers' minds with this physical science activity. Learners vary the diameter of gears and the number of teeth on them to find how energy output is affected. This writeup features well-developed background...
Science Geek
The Ideal Gas Law
When doing a gas lab, you might feel under pressure. A short presentation discusses the Ideal Gas Law. It begins with the units for each variable, then describes the behavior of real gases. The lesson concludes with a comparison of...
American Chemical Society
Using Dissolving to Identify an Unknown
There is a solvent called aqua regis that can dissolve gold! After observing a solubility demonstration, groups receive four known crystals and one unknown. Based on the demo, they design an experiment to determine the identity of the...
Curated OER
Teen Driving: Skills, Responsibilities and Reactions
As an introduction to the skills required for and responsibilities of driving, pre-teens and teens engage in a series of activities, chart their response times, and analyze how variables effect these reaction times. Class...
Curated OER
The Miracle Fish: Learning to Design an Experiment
Students develop procedures to explore the behavior of fish. In this scientific experiment lesson students from a hypothesis, write a question, identify different variables and controls in their experiment.
Curated OER
Control and Experimental Variables
In this variables in experiments worksheet, students read about control variables and experimental variables before they respond to 15 graphic organizer and short answer questions.
Curated OER
Experiences and Experiments - There is a Difference
Sixth graders plan and conduct an experiment on food spoilage. They design the experiment, create a display, record and analyze data, and make inferences regarding the results of the experiment.
Curated OER
How are Seeds the Same and Different?
Students examine seeds from various plants. In this science lesson, students cut open fruits and vegetables in order to see the seeds. Students describe each type of seed and classify the seeds.
Curated OER
Baggie Science
Students observe and describe a chemical reaction. In this chemistry lesson, students record observations of the materials they will be using, then follow a written procedure to perform the experiment in a baggie and record their...
Curated OER
Oat Seed Lab: A Model Scientific Experiment
Middle schoolers investigate seed germination. In this lesson plan on scientific prediction, students conduct a scientific experiment using oat seeds.
Curated OER
Using Chromatography to Identify Unknowns
Students are introduced to the concept of chromatography. They practice using new vocabular and observing experiments. They answer discussion questions to end the lesson.
Curated OER
Science: Objects That Rotate with Gravity
Students conduct experiments in gravity by rolling objects down an incline and determining which ones roll slower than others. As part of the experiment, they design objects which will roll the slowest. Using digital movie cameras or...
Curated OER
Freshman Project-Part Two-Experimental Design
In this experimental design learning exercise, students identify the title, hypothesis, independent and dependent variables , the constants and the control for their experiment. They use a scoring guide to asses their progress.
Curated OER
Graphing in Science
Students manipulate and interpret data. They are given a dataset from a described experiment and interpret the data. A "How to Sheet for graphing" is included in lesson plan.
Curated OER
Experimental Design Reference
For this experimental design worksheet, students are given a full comprehensive outline for designing an experiment. There are checklists included for each section of the experiment for students to use as a guide for properly completing...
Curated OER
Practice Evaluating Experimental Designs
In this experimental design worksheet, students evaluate experiments using a design checklist. They suggest ways to improve the experiments and they identify all the components of the design.