Curated OER
Determining the Age of Fossils
Students examine the concept of radioactive dating. In this radioactive dating lesson plan, students investigate how to determine the ages of fossils and rocks as they learn about half-life radioactive decay.
Curated OER
Making Marbles
Learners perform a simulation in which they work for a toy company and have to figure out how many marbles of different sizes can be made with the provided material. They must design their own experiment to figure this out.
Curated OER
Temperature School
Pupils observ the cooling and warming of room temperature, hot, and ice cold cans of water by measuring the change in temperature over time. They then attempt to develop explanations for the observations made and apply their findings to...
Curated OER
Balls and Ramp
Students role several balls of different weights down a ramp and into a paper cup and record how far each ball made the paper cup move. They then answer questions that help them analyze their results and reinforce the idea that energy...
Curated OER
Plastic Wrap
Learners compare the price and quality of different kinds of plastic kitchen wraps and then rank them from best to worst. They take into account how well it comes out of the roll, if it seals well, it is tangles, how much weight it...
Curated OER
Sorting Buttons
Students study sorting. In this classification lesson, students sort buttons into groups based on a common characteristic and draw two pictures illustrating the different groups.
Curated OER
Rocks Up!
Students will design and build a structure to support a rock. Students will use their knowledge of movement of objects to determine the proper base to be built to support their rock. Students will explore their natural area for...
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
The Evidence is “Clear”!
Do you think you know better? Become a scientist and prove it. Scholars review the evidence for two different theories of the origins of the universe. They notice the empirical observations as well as the inferences to determine which is...
Newspaper Association of America
Cereal Bowl Science and Other Investigations with the Newspaper
What do cereal, fog, and space shuttles have to do with newspapers? A collection of science investigations encourage critical thinking using connections to the various parts of the newspaper. Activities range from building origami seed...
Curated OER
Physical Science- Sink or Float?
Learners investigate which objects sink and which ones float. Learners engage in an experiment, make predictions, and record results on a graphic organizer. This is a comprehensive and easy to follow resource.
PHET
Measuring the Interplanetary Magnetic Field
Scientists need to figure out how to measure interplanetary magnetic fields, but the magnetic field of the spacecraft is interfering with their readings. Scholars attempt to solve the problem that has perplexed NASA scientists for years.
Earth Day Network
Staying Green While Being Clean
Clean up the environment with a lesson plan that focuses on replacing hazardous cleaning supplies with green, environmentally-friendly products. Using a dirty patch of surface as a control area, kids clean other parts of various surfaces...
Foundation for Water & Energy Education
How is Flowing Water an Energy Source? Activity B
Explore the world's water without leaving the classroom! In this second of three uncomplicated but wonderful activities, physical science learners feel the pressure of water. They discover that the deeper the water, the stronger the...
E Reading Worksheets
Summarizing Text
Help learners find the most important information in a text with a lesson on summarizing. As kids read through a passage about Johannes Gutenberg, they summarize small excerpts, put events in sequential order, and respond to two longer...
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
MAISA and the REMC Association of Michigan
Students complete online research to study geography's impact on weather. In this geography and weather lesson, students research weather in their city for ten days using an online website. Students bookmark the site, enter data into a...
Curated OER
Where Do We Come From? An Introduction to Primate Biology
Seventh graders explore skeletal biology. Through a discussion and video observation, 7th graders investigate how the anatomy is adapted to the environment. Students study primates and explore their characteristics and behaviors.
Curated OER
Sheffield Island Adaptation Activity
You don't have to visit The Maritime Aquarium to use this plan, but you would need to find a location where a variety of bird species live, re-write the activity worksheet to incorporate the local species, and purchase field guides for...
Curated OER
Inquiry-based Investigations into Pond Water Microorganisms
Pupils become familiar with common microorganisms and experience exploring the microbial world.
Curated OER
Make it Healthier by Cutting it Down?
Fifth graders discuss sustainable forestry. In this forestry lesson, 5th graders discuss how healthy forests need to have dead, diseased and lower quality trees cut down and harvested. They visit a local forest and identify these 3 types...
Curated OER
Classy
Students explore the classification system in this seven lessons unit. The diversity of life forms and their characteristics are examined using a microscope. Kingdoms, classes, and families are investigated.
Curated OER
Fertilized Death Water
Students investigate the effect of chemicals on Platyhelminthes and planaria development. They observe the growth and development of planaria and investigate what fertilizer can do to living organisms when it is introduced into their...
Curated OER
Groundwater Realities
Students review the components of the scientific inquiry method. In groups, they use the internet to research the sustainability of water resources in their community. They examine an environmental impact study, answer questions and...