Curated OER
As a Matter of Fact
Elementary-aged scientists discover that all matter has mass. They are shown the difference between mass and weight, and learn how to calculate mass using the appropriate tools and methods. The scientific method is used while estimating...
Discovery Education
Jets in Flight
This Discovery Education activity provides the information needed to understand the basics of flight. Before taking off, young pilots learn the eight stages of the engineering design process. Small groups then design and build an...
Science 4 Inquiry
The Ins and Outs of Photosynthesis
The most important chemical process on Earth is photosynthesis. Scholars explore the changes in the gases in our atmosphere as life on Earth developed. They create a model of photosynthesis and consider simple questions.
Curated OER
The Wingra Marsh: A Purple Population Problem
Students engage students in an ecological inquiry. They author a presentation to the Grounds Management Committee of their school giving their recommendation for the control of the invasive species purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)...
Monroe City Schools
Clouds! Clouds! Clouds!
Here is a beautiful lesson on clouds designed for your 1st graders. Learners study three different types of clouds. They construct drawings of cumulus, cirrus, and stratus clouds. The Cloud Book, by Tommie dePaola is used to introduce...
Curated OER
What the Heck Is Science Anyway?
Here is a 12-page outline of an introductory science lesson. The teacher lectures on what science is, the role of a scientists, different disciplines of science, and the impact of scientific discoveries. Detailed lecture notes are...
NASA
Ripening of Fruits and Vegetables
How long do fresh foods last in space at the International Space Station? Which foods perish quicker than others? How can astronauts preserve their foods to make them last longer in space? Young scientists test the rates at which some...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Silver and Bandages: Assessment of Inhibition of Bacteria by Silver Colloid-Impregnated Bandages
Silver: more than jewelry, it's also a natural antimicrobial agent. An inquiry-based lesson asks collaborative groups to design and implement an experiment to test this property. Using samples of silver nanoparticles and a strain of...
Curated OER
Bioterrorism: Development of a "Superbug"
Students compare bacteria and viruses and their roles in biotechnology and bioterrorism. They outline fundamental steps of bacterial transformation and the possible selection processes to identify transformants. They discuss...
Curated OER
The Unique Rain Forest
Students explore the unique Rain Forest. In this Rain Forest lesson, students watch a video about the dangers the Rain Forest faces. Students create a Rain Forest mobile. Students choose plants or animals from the Rain Forest then write...
Curated OER
Muscular and Skeletal Systems
How do muscles move bones? Find out using a built-in-class model. Pupils construct a hand model with paper and string, then follow a series of directions to explore the movement process. Discover additional information about the muscular...
Tracy Pendry
Cardiovascular/Circulatory System
Explore the circulatory system with a cardiovascular pump activity that promotes discovery and discussion as class members create a functioning model of the heart. Continue the learning process through a web quest showcasing the body's...
Curated OER
Apply Technological Design and Scientific Habits of Mind
Students work together to brainstorm their obstacles in testing different scientific principles. In groups, they are given a scenerio with a specific dilemma and they use the internet to research how to solve the problem. They design a...
Curated OER
Inquiry Lesson About Color
Students investigate the color choices artists make in their work, and to practice the scientific process of predicting, observing, inferring, and interpreting. This activity's purpose is to prepare students for a museum visit.
Curated OER
You Light Up My Life: Developing a Scientific Theory for What Fuels a Candle's Flame!
Young scholars examine how candles work and how scientific theories are developed and tested. Students propose hypotheses about what is burning in a candle then perform tests in order to develop their scientific theory. After a teacher...
Curated OER
Let's Investigate Tooth Decay
Students conduct a simple investigation to explore tooth decay.
Curated OER
Species Interactions
Students study the scientific concepts of biodiversity and conservation through the use of basic equations of population growth and hands-on experiments/simulations. The lesson includes a take-home assignment which can be used for final...
Curated OER
What Is The Matter?
Students engage in a lesson about the scientific concept of matter. They use essential questions in order to guide the research process. Students engage in several class inquiries that are hands on in order to investigate the properties...
Polar Trec
Down to the Deep Virtual Lab
At a depth of 3,000 m in the ocean, the pressure is 300 times that at sea level! In the activity, individuals predict what will happen to Styrofoam cups submerged 3,000 meters into the ocean. They then convert these units to soccer...
NASA
Determining the Nature, Size, and Age of the Universe
Prompt scholars to discover the expansion of the universe themselves. Using photographs of other galaxies, they measure and then graph the size and distance of each. Finally, they draw conclusions and prove the universe is expanding.
University of Minnesota
Dendritic Spines Lab
This is your brain on drugs ... literally! Your neuroscientists-in-training examine the evidence of drug use on the human brain and how neurons change their connectivity when altered by drugs. They then work together to create testing...
Curated OER
Meet the Animals
The class will examine a series of live or stuffed animals in order to learn how different animals survive in distinctive habitats. As they examine each animal, they will be asked a series of critical thinking questions geared at getting...
Curated OER
Fractals, An Inquiry
Middle schoolers observe and discuss several different fractal drawings and relate them to patterns they see in nature. They use an online fractal tool to create and modify a fractal image and then create their own fractal image with...
Curated OER
Modeling the Process of Mining Silicon Through a Single Displacement/Redox Reaction
Students study silicon and where it comes from. In this solar mining lesson plan students complete an Internet search of mining and a lab activity.