Curated OER
Voyage of Discovery
Students develop a sense of the scale of our solar system by creating a one to ten billion scale model. They calculate the relative sizes and distances for the planets and asteroid belt using a guiding worksheet. To create the model they...
Curated OER
Observing Sound
Second graders study the five senses and the link between pictures and sound. In this sound instructional activity students discover that sound is vibration, it is described by volume and pitch.
Curated OER
Forest Ecosystem Field Trip
Students investigate the environment by participating in a class field trip. In this botany lesson, students attend a field trip through their local park or forest while listening to a nature guide. Students practice using their 5 senses...
Curated OER
Name That Taste
Students analyze taste buds. In this taste lesson, students complete an experiment in groups of four people. Students have four cups with a different substance in each cup. One student dips a Q-tip into each cup and tests on another...
Curated OER
Taste Buds
Students investigate taste buds. In this biology lesson, students taste several sweet, sour, and salty foods to identify how their taste buds play a role in how things taste.
Desert Discoveries
Nocturnal Navigators
Young biologists take a look at some of the unique ways that nocturnal animals survive in the dark. After reading a terrific student handout which is embedded in the plan, learners work together to answer questions about what they have...
Curated OER
A Rat's Life
Here is a two-page activity on rats and mice. Learners answer nine true/false questions about rats and mice, then compose answers to seven short-answer questions about these two rodents. Finally, they must compose a fictional story about...
Curated OER
Edible Bug Project
Students recognize the characteristics of insects. In this edible bugs lesson, students observe the body parts of an insect. Students create an edible insect using a grape, carrot sticks and sorrel stems and leaves. Students share the...
Curated OER
Modernism: American Literature 1914-1945
What characterizes modern literature? The first few slides of this 31-slide PowerPoint discuss what sparked the change to Modernism and discuss some of the key figures of the time (like Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud). The 20s and 30s are...
Curated OER
Describing Nests
Students observe bird nests. For this observation level, students explore bird nests using their five senses. Students compare and contrast bird nests while hypothesizing about the need birds have to construct the nest.
Curated OER
Mouthwatering Mollusks
Students investigate various forms of aquatic life. They use four senses, touch, taste, smell, and observation to explore mollusks. Students cook and taste various types mollusks, such as mussels, scallops, and squid.
Curated OER
Animal Coverings
Students compare and contrast the types of coverings found on animals. They identify a wide variety of animals in a museum room. They classify animals based on their coverings as well.
Curated OER
Tastes Like Christmas, Exploring Taste
Second graders explore the four familiar tastes and taste buds.
Curated OER
Sensational Seaweed
Learners compare kelp and land plants. In this sea plant lesson plan, students look at the role of algae in aquatic environments. They research the properties of kelp and explore seaweed.
Biology Junction
Annelids: The Segmented Worms
Here's a lesson that just might make your class squirm! Learn about segmented worms in a detailed PowerPoint presentation including the wriggly earthworms young scientists dig up in their backyards. Although seemingly simple creatures,...
Agriculture’s Lasting Heritage
Apples Around Us
Apple tasting launches an investigation of the story and travels of John Chapman, also known as Johnny Appleseed. After listening to his story, class members craft a summary of the tale, chart his journeys on a map, and sample different...
Curated OER
"Investigating Soil Color and Texture"
Ninth graders will identify/understand the differences between soil and dirt. They will classify soil color accurately and use Munsell notation to describe it (Munsell books provided).Students will classify soil texture using the feel...
Curated OER
Living and Nonliving Things
First graders distinguish between living and nonliving objects, and compare living organisms and nonliving objects.
Curated OER
Dolphin Communication
Students listen to a lecture on dolphin communication methods. They consider ways in which humans communicate and participate in an activity to assess the role of smell in human communication.
Curated OER
Body Image
Students read and answer questions on neural processing and the Pinocchio Illusion. They relate and discuss these topics in conjunction with body-image disorders such as anorexia and bulimia . This lesson include video extension activities.
Curated OER
Exploring Forest Objects
Young scholars explore the forest. In this ecosystems instructional activity, students rotate through sensory activity centers, brainstorm, and read about temperate forests.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Be a Scanning Probe Microscope
Extensive reading is done in order to learn about scanning probe microscopy and nanoscale. Afterward, individuals use a pencil to probe an unidentified object that is inside of a box so that they cannot see it. Using only what they could...
Curated OER
The Shadow Knows - Creating Shadows
Young learners recognize a shadow and witness how shadows occur when light is blocked. They access streamed video, standard video, and websites in order to engage in their study of how light is naturally blocked to create shadows. An...
Curated OER
Discovering Dinosaurs
Students investigate the physical characteristics of dinosaurs. They participate in a puppet show, take a field trip to a dinosaur museum, and compare/contrast dinosaur characteristics at the museum.