Pennsylvania Department of Education
Changing States of Matter: Water’s Phase Changes
Third graders observe the properties of water and in its different states. For this states of matter lesson, 3rd graders view a video, read The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks and experiment with freezing, melting and boiling water to...
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Research Ethics
Students develop an ability to distinguish between simple error, misconduct and fraud. Students are lead to consider a widening circle of the consequences of misconduct and fraud. They expand their knowledge on the self-regulating...
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Developing Models
Students study the concept of a scientific model and demonstrate climate change models. In this scientific instructional activity students design a model using direct and indirect evidence and use it to make hypotheses.
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Air Is there
Learners experiment to observe air and its mass. In this air lesson, students use the scientific method to complete experiments that demonstrate the properties of air. Learners view a video as follow-up.
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Sowing Seeds: the Beginning of the Fast Plant Life Cycle
Students plant seeds, observe and tend plants. They identify major plant parts, how to germinate and troubleshoot problems with plants; and, that plants need water, light, and soil nutrients to thrive. They create a Plant Growth Data Log.
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The Bending and Bouncing of Light
Students investigate refraction and reflection of light. In this light instructional activity, students perform 3 activities to observe light interacting with matter by using a flashlight. They explore refraction using a glass of water...
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Food Safety Lab
Students use the scientific method to investigate the role of temperature in microbial growth. In this food preservation lesson, students set up an experiment with fruit in room temperature and in a refrigerator. They record the...
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Urban Life: What Lives in Our Schoolyard?
Learners research living organisms by exploring their school grounds. In this microscopic observation lesson, students gather materials, insects, and objects from their playground and schoolyard and bring them into class. Learners...
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What's the Matter? (Experiments)
Students observe a scientific discrepant event, and are then challenged to create experiments to solve the dilemma.
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Galileo: His Times & Beliefs
Students study Galileo and his scientific discoveries. They complete a series of experiments/model constructions, using 17th century equipment and procedures, to "recreate," demonstrate and explore the various discoveries of Galileo.
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Inquiry in Science Using an Animal Behavior Model
Students observe a planaria without a microscope and with a stereoscopic microscope. They draw the planaria and describe its motion and eating habits. Students research planarias various body systems and behavior. They design an...
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Colors
Students learn about the Impressionist painters' use of color and how it connected to early nineteenth century scientific theories about color. In this colors lesson plan, students explore combinations of primary and secondary colors,...
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Life Science- Learning About Tadpoles
Students investigate a frog's life cycle. In this tadpole lesson plan, students observe tadpoles in an aquarium and record results. Students fill in a KWL chart as an assessment.
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Have a Ball with Bernoulli II
Third graders explore the work of Daniel Bernoulli through experiment and background information. In this Bernoulli lesson plan, 3rd graders participate in air pressure experiments. Students record their observations of the effects of...
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The Tipping Point
Students rewrite word problems and solve using math. In this word problem instructional activity, students gather data and observe the data. They relate this process to the scientific method and math. They review their data to be able to...
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Chemical Interactions
Students perform scientific investigations to observe chemical reactions. In this chemical reaction lesson students read a passage and identify the cause and effect.
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How about a Little Give and Take?
Students design a closed system to test the relationships between plants and animals. They monitor abiotic fluctuations within this living system by using a chemical test kit. They observe how living organisms respond to fluctuations in...
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Exercise in creating drawings for field notebooks
Learners (with a partner) draw and describe a leaf in its natural setting, and then re-find leaves drawn and described by classmates. The point is to have them start to think about observations in science, what to put in a field...
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F = a, Inertia, and Friction
Fourth graders use a matchbox car to push across a hard surface and observe what happens. They then push the car across a soft or rough surface and discover what happens. The two ideas are discusses as Newton's First and Second Laws of...
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Bird Up
Third graders identify basic physical and behavioral characteristics of birds and how they adapt to their environments. To organize and share scientific information with peers. They discuss similarities and differences among birds....
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Rocks and weathered rocks
Students connect rock and mineral formation with the changes rocks and minerals undergo at the earth's surface. They observe changes produced by weathering and relating these observations to chemical processes such as oxidation,...
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Fruit and Seeds Project
In this nature worksheet, students observe 6 different fruits. Students cut each fruit in half and study the seeds inside. Students record their observations and practice writing the fruit names.
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Bubble Festival
Young scholars practice scientific inquiry while learning about bubbles. In this lesson about bubbles, students explore characteristics of bubbles. Young scholars move through nine different "bubble" stations following directions and...
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Bubbles
Students observe the characteristics of bubbles. In this scientific inquiry lesson, students use a bubble solution and a wand to make bubbles and observe their characteristics. Students identify the shape and the color of the bubbles.