NASA
Melting Ice: Designing an Experiment
Sometimes, despite the best laid plans, the unexpected will occur. Learners witness this firsthand as they carefully design an experiment to determine the time needed for ice to melt in salt water or pure water. They uncover facts not...
Curated OER
The Life Cycle of the Mealworm
Fourth graders provide a habitat for live mealworms and observe their life cycle. In this animal life cycle and scientific inquiry lesson plan, 4th graders create a habitat for a live mealworm and observe and record related data as it...
Curated OER
Apply Scientific Inquiry and Scientific Habits of Mind
Students review the components of the scientific inquiry method. In groups, they develop hypothesis on the issue given to them by their teacher and inquiry questions. They state the data in terms of qualitative and quantitative data. ...
Curated OER
Chapter 1 Guided Notes: The Science of Biology
Specifically designed as a textbook reading guide, this instructional activity may not apply to your biology course. It asks participants to list characteristics of life and the hierarchical organization levels. It vaguely deals with...
PHET
Planet Designer: Retro Planet Red
What does the atmosphere on Mars look like? This fourth lesson in the series of five is designed for high schoolers. Scholars apply previous knowledge to add atmosphere to Mars in an online simulation. This comprehensive lesson includes...
PHET
Planet Designer: What’s Trending Hot?
Excite scholars to design their own planet in this first of five lessons. The instructional activity starts with a pre-activity assessment, a complete lesson plan that is easy to implement, and a post-activity assessment that would look...
Curated OER
What Makes a Seed Breathe Faster?
Here's a five-star lesson plan in which inquisitors conduct sophisticated experimentation with cellular respiration in plant seeds. Placing seeds in a closed system they measure the amount carbon dioxide produced and relate it to...
Curated OER
Standard One: Lab Design and Appendix A Lab Skills
In this lab design and lab skills worksheet, students answer questions about experimental design including finding variables, determining controls, and graphing data. They answer questions about microscopy and label the parts of a...
Curated OER
Scientific Method Goes to the Fair
Learners use scientific process skills to solve a problem. In this scientific investigation lesson, students investigate a scientific problem, work through the scientific method to form a conclusion. They share their work and findings...
Curated OER
Research Projects in Renewable Energy for High School Students
Thirty-eight pages of information prepares you to assign middle or high schoolers a project on sustainable energy. They take a pretest, review the scientific method, conduct background research, and finally choose an experiment to carry...
Curated OER
Research Question, Hypothesis and Experimental Design
Learners discuss steps of the scientific process, as well as, observe a picture of the beach that they will visit. Students create a testable hypothesis about marine debris at the beach. In this science lesson plan, learners create a...
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 and...
American Chemical Society
Designing an Absorbency Test
Time to soak up some learning! A hands-on instructional activity teaches learners about the absorbency properties of substances. They conduct tests by dipping different materials in water to determine which hold water and then complete a...
Curated OER
Designing Tools for Ocean Exploration
High schoolers explore the complexity of ocean exploration and the technological applications and capabilities required for ocean exploration. They consider the importance of teamwork in scientific research projects.
Curated OER
Introduction to the Scientific Method
Learners recognize and follow the steps of the scientific method to complete an experiment. In this scientific method lesson, students use inquiry tools to measure objects. Learners record their data.
Curated OER
The Psychology Teacher's Resource Guide
The activities in a comprehensive teacher's resource guide provides budding psychologists with opportunities to design experiments to study behavior, apply their knowledge of research variables, critique online behavior surveys, and much...
Curated OER
Steps of the Scientific Method
This graphic organizer would be quite handy for making an overhead transparency and posting it for learners to view while doing any kind of sceince inquiry/experiment. This is a tried-and-true method, and is very important for any...
American Physiological Society
An Inquiry into Alcoholic Fermentation
Introduce life science learners to their new "best buds" yeast! Using a wide variety of materials, lab groups design an experiment that illustrates how yeast acquires the resources it needs to undergo cellular respiration. The teacher's...
Curated OER
Solar Cooker Challenge
Students use the scientific method to design a slow cooker. In this experimental method lesson students measure temperatures and conversions of the solar cooker that they create.
Curated OER
Reptiles and Amphibians
Introduce your class to various reptiles and amphibians. They will meet and identify a representative from each of the four major reptile families, then learn about and discuss reptile characteristics. Next, they will identify and...
Curated OER
Skull Science
What can your class learn from a skull? With proper facilitation, they can learn about diet, physical adaptations, special differences, and even the environment. Pupils will examine a series of mammal skulls and pelts to help them...
Curated OER
Dissolving Gobstoppers
Students design their own experiments . They study the scientific method and determine what a testable question is. They distinguish between questions that are testable and those that are not. They identify variables, make and understand...
PHET
Planet Designer: Kelvin Climb
It's time to get those creative juices flowing! This second instructional activity in a series of five continues allowing pupils to design their own planets. It the same format as the first, but, this time, allows students to alter...
Bonneville
Setting Expectations for Science and Engineering Projects
What is science? Sitting in a whole group discussion, scholars first share their ideas on science and how to conduct investigations. They learn about the steps for scientific inquiry and experimentation. Once finished, individuals then...