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Swinging Observations
Students build a pendulum type swinging apparatus and make specific and selective observations using what they know about scientific observations. They look for regularities of movement, patterns, and systemic changes over time.
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Food for Spaceflight
When astronauts get hungry in outer space, they can't just call and have a pizza delivered. In order to gain an appreciation for the challenges associated with space travel, young learners are given the task of selecting, testing, and...
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The Case of the "Lost Gorge:
Young scholars examine the case of a map making expedition. In groups, they read a case study on "The Lost Gorge" in the Finger Lakes region of New York state. They examine maps and determine where the error in the map-making occured to...
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How Do Cells Reproduce?
Beginning biologists prepare a sugar solution for yeast cells to live in, and divide it into two different jars. Samples from each jar are viewed with a microscope, and then one jar is placed in a warm environment and the other a cold...
Foundation for Water & Energy Education
What is the Water Cycle? Activity A
Hydrologists create a concept map about how water is used and a sentence strip defining water and describing its unique properties. Small groups work together to fill a small milk carton and compute the mass of water inside. The next...
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What Kind of "Person" Would Become a Scientist?
"Scientist Stereotypes" could be another name for this lesson! Begin by drawing from middle schoolers' preconceived notions and media portrayal of scientists, and then explain that anyone can be a scientist. Even though there is an...
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I Wonder...
Pupils review information they have gathered from previous lessons. They create their own experiments and carry them out. They reflect on the project as a whole.
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Sorting
A lesson on classification and sorting is here for you. Elementary schoolers participate in an interactive computer game in which they sort books by theme. They take a trip to the library to observe and discuss how books are sorted, and...
Teaching Ideas
Investigation Prompts
Get your class started with experimentation and investigation by providing sentence starters. This chart is made up of three columns. The first column lists steps of the scientific process and the second provides sentence starters for...
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Antibiotics: Will They Work?
Students examine why antibiotics are important in everyday life. They examine the decisions that people make and how these decisions can artificially speed up natural selection in bacteria that cause infections such as group A...
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A Tooth for a Tooth
Learners classify mammals as carnivores or herbivores. They look at a set of pictures of animal skulls, observing the shape and size of the teeth, and identify herbivores and carnivores.
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Ceramics Scientific Inquiry Through Chinese Art
Fourth graders explore, examine and study ceramics, a medium of historical importance to China. They review the advanced technology of the early Chinese civilization and are introduced to the scientific method of inquiry and make...
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Cody's Science Education Zone
Students observe a scientific experiment and pose a hypothesis. For this scientific inquiry lesson, students make predictions about the combination of alcohol in water and how it will affect a floating ice cube.
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Botany Basics
Students survey plants. In this plant identification instructional activity, students explore the difference in plants to aid identification. Students determine which plants may be used for medicinal reasons.
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Use Scientific Method to Solve Problems
Students are given a set problem, they use the scientific method to solve the problem using all steps of the scientific research. Students list the steps of the scientific method used in solving a problem. They are given a selected...
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Scientific Methods in Biology
In this scientific methods activity, students will review the steps necessary in testing a hypothesis including the types of reasoning and variables involved. This activity has 6 terms in a crossword puzzle and 4 fill in the blank...
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Summer Machines Activity: Cool Tools
Students examine and think about various tools in their surrounding environment to facilitate development of their primary observation and sorting skills. In this tool observation instructional activity, students first sort a variety of...
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Observing Objects
Students observe the motion of both a pendulum and a spring pendulum . They then explain the differences and the similarities between the two types of motions.
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Observing Rocks
Fifth graders explore the various properties of earth and rocks. They play "Twenty Questions" with the teacher, and analyze a rock using a magnifying glass. They record their rock observations and list the differences between the wet...
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Animal Tracks
Sixth graders practice using logic and scientific proof while examining animal tracks. In this scientific method lesson, 6th graders identify different animals and the type of tracks they leave behind by observing photographs. Students...
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Defining the Difference Between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells
Students examine microscopic life by conducting a scientific investigation. In this cell analysis lesson, students define the prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and discuss their word origins. Students view each type of cell on slides...
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Artificial Gravity
In this scientific investigation worksheet, students follow the provided procedures to observe gravity as they build a paper space station and then respond to 4 short answer questions.
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The Milk Bottle Quiz
In this scientific statements worksheet, students identify statements as an observation, inference, question, prediction, or factual. This worksheet has 7 matching questions.
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Natural Dyeing with Plants - Scientific Method
Students study the components of scientific investigation by planning and carrying out an experiment in natural dyeing, seeing if different kinds of metal dye pots affect the color one gets from the same plant material.