Curated OER
Water
Students conduct a series of investigations on the unique properties of water. In this general science lesson, students explain what causes water's surface tension. They explain the different stages in the water cycle.
Curated OER
Cell Replication
Students use Internet activities and videos to understand the types of cells, their membranes, and the way that they reproduce. In this cellular biology lesson, students use the Internet to view videos and complete activities. They...
Curated OER
Lesson 5: Untangling DNA
Students extract DNA from split peas. In this biology lesson, students research how chromatin form into chromosomes. They draw the stages and present their work in class.
Curated OER
Looking at Circumference
Students understand where the number for pi comes from. They understand and use the formula for circumference. Students measure the circles given out and the diameters of those circles and record the results on their worksheet.
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
Searching for Meanings Beneath the Surface of the Poem
Students examine poems from Latin America and the Caribbean. They compare different perspectives and subjects in the poems. They research Peace Corps volunteers as well.
Curated OER
Lesson: Text Messages
Can a neon sign be considered art? Kids consider two different works that use neon text as the basis for conveying artistic social messages. They then analyze a truism from Jenny Holzer's web site that holds meaning to them personally....
New Class Museum
Lesson: Emory Douglas: Decoding Images and Vocabulary Activity
To better understand the work of Black Panther logo artist Emory Douglas, learners define literary devices. They define a series of words such as metaphor, simile, and assonance, then place an example of that device found in Emory...
Cornell University
Characterizing a Solar Cell
Young classes are sure to get a charge out of this instructional activity! Learners experiment with circuits of a solar cell. They practice determining current, voltage, and power for the circuit and maximize the voltage and current of...
Curated OER
The Urban Heat Island Effect - Lesson 2 (Grade 5)
Fifth graders use the scientific process to examine how when various surfaces are exposed to similar environmental conditions, surface temperatures may vary. They conduct an experiment to show the relationship between surface and...
Curated OER
The Six Faces of Garbage
Students use the mathematics of surface area to approach the problem of garbage pollution from the classroom. After watching a video, students construct replicas of cereal boxes and compute their surface area.
Curated OER
Water Pollution Lesson Plan: What's the Flow?
Students study urban runoff. They identify the urban runoff in a simulated area and determine peak flows using charted data. Finally, they discuss possible causes of the differences in flow rates.
Curated OER
Clay Personality Boxes Lesson Plan
Students create cut slab boxes from clay using the slip and scoring technique. They impress a surface texture into the clay. Students decorate their box to represent themselves in some way.
Curated OER
Water Pollution Lesson Plan: All Messed Up
Students map and calculate the area of the school parking lot and then the volume of water falling on the school parking lot. They map the route surface runoff will take to the nearest water body and describe the roles that human...
Creative Educator
Dream Room Design
Using the Twist™ application, elementary schoolers design their dream room. They follow the prescribed steps to calculate width, length, perimeter, and surface area in order to create a 2-dimensional representation of their dream room...
Curated OER
Tricky Traps
Students create identify properties of trapezoids. In this geometry lesson, students calculate the area of given trapezoids and review the area formula for parallelograms. They draw a correlation between the area of a trapezoid and that...
Curated OER
Parachutes: Is it Surface Area or Shape?
Young scholars investigate how to make a good parachute. In this physics activity, students observe the motion of parachutes as it falls and measure the time. They collect data and calculate the average descent time for each canopy shape.
Curated OER
Dilations of 2 and 3 dimentional figures and their effect on area, surface area, and volume.
Seventh graders investigate the area and volume of 2D and 3D figures. In this geometry lesson, 7th graders create a storyboard explaining their knowledge of 2D and 3D shapes. They analyze their data and interpret their results.
Curated OER
Egg Walk Challenge
Middle schoolers design plastic shoes to walk on eggs without breaking them. In this pressure lesson plan, students consider all the factors needed to design shoes to walk on eggs without breaking them. Middle schoolers calculate the PSI...
University of Wisconsin
Rain Garden Species Selection
The activity really comes to life within its intended unit on starting a rain garden. Working in groups, participants research native plants and coordinate them with the conditions in the designated garden area. Give the class access to...
Teach Engineering
Bouncing Balls
How high will it bounce? Groups determine the height different balls bounce off of different surfaces. By performing the necessary calculations, they determine the initial and final momentum of the balls. The included worksheet provides...
Teach Engineering
Bubbles and Biosensors
Bubbles aren't just for children. In the third installment of a seven-part series, teenagers use bubble solution to create bubbles and observe patterns of refraction on the bubble surfaces. Application of this concept to thin films in...
Space Awareness
Meet Our Neighbors: Sun
The sun isn't just a ball of yellow! Young scientists learn about the features of the sun using a hands-on modeling activity. They build models of the sun using common household items to represent sunspots, solar prominence, and the...
Colorado State University
How Does the Earth Cool Itself Off?
Where does all the heat go when the sun goes down? An interesting lesson has learners explore this question by monitoring the infrared radiation emitted over time. They learn that hot spots cool more quickly that cooler spots.