Curated OER
Tops and Bottoms
First graders classify vegetables by which parts are edible. In this plant biology lesson, 1st graders are read Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens, participate in a discussion of which plant parts are edible in the story, then sort...
Curated OER
Toothpick Tops
Students assembly tops and name them 1 - 12 so that they can compare their results. They guess which top they think will spin the best and then record data on "Toothpick Top" table. Using a stopwatch or clock to measure and record the...
Curated OER
Tops and Bottoms
While the graphics are enticing, this presentation could be enhanced for use as part of a lesson on plants. The resource groups common foods into those that could be considered the tops or the bottom. For example, a mushroom is a part of...
Curated OER
Top to Bottom
Marine science classes read about the 2005 North Atlantic Stepping Stones Expedition and review climate change. They use maps to locate the seamount chains. In collaborative groups, they research how climate change may be altering the...
Curated OER
Yummy for my tummy!
First graders read the story Tops and Bottoms and identify vegetables that are eaten from the stem, root, and leaf of a plant. In this vegetables lesson plan, 1st graders learn vocabulary about different vegetable parts and write journal...
Exploratorium
Take It From the Top
Experiment with the center of gravity by stacking blocks in a way that appears to defy its force. This is a fascinating demonstration that you can use when teaching about gravity, forces, or balance.
American Chemical Society
Temperature Affects Density
Different substances can have different densities, but can the same substance have different densities? Lesson explores the effect of temperature on the density of water. Extension idea connects the concept of how melting ice in lakes...
Curated OER
No Title
First graders listen as the book, "Tops and Bottoms," by Janet Stevens is read to them and then participate in a discussion about foods and where they grow. They draw a picture of a plant labeling the major parts of it sequential order.
NASA
Cloudy vs. Clear - Graphs
Explore the link between solar energy and cloud cover using real data from NASA from China! Future climatologists analyze and interpret graphs of solar energy on clear and cloudy days using a literacy cube. Investigators draw conclusions...
NASA
Packing for a L-o-o-o-ng Trip to Mars
Pack just enough to fit. Crews determine what personal items to take with them on a trip to Mars. Each team must decide what to take with them on a two-and-a-half year trip to Mars and whether their items will fit within the allotted...
Curated OER
Word Search
Students use clues to help them find the environment related words in the word search. They unscramble each word to find the answers. Students unscramble all the words in word to find them on the word search. When they are finished, all...
Curated OER
Molecular Forces at Work: Creating Soap Bubbles
Learners investigate adhesion, cohesion and surface tension. In this molecular forces lesson plan, students observe multiple demonstrations that show surface tension, the attraction of water molecules to each other and the ability of...
Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement (COSEE)
Arctic Smorgasbord
Though the walrus spends roughly one third of its time on land, it eats organisms that live on the bottom of the ocean. The first in a series of five, the lesson uses a variety of plant and animal cards to have scholars build an arctic...
NASA
Roving on the Moon
Build a rover for pennies in a fun-filled activity! Young engineers design, build, test, and evaluate a lunar rover model. Using rubber bands, plastic straws, and cardboard, teams collaborate to make a rover model with spinning wheels....
NASA
The Types of Clouds and What They Mean
Learn to forecast the weather using cloud types. Budding meteorologists identify cloud types and learn to use a dichotomous key. As scholars develop observation and identification skills, they discover how different cloud types cause...
PBS
Zip Line
Slide all the way to the bottom. Using the design process, pupils create a carrier for a ping pong ball that will travel down a zip line. Learners test their carriers and determine solutions to issues they encounter to complete the third...
Exploratorium
Whack-a-Stack
Go wild as you hit a stack of wooden blocks to demonstrate Newton's first and second laws of motion. The blocks at the top of the stack stay put as you knock one at a time out of the bottom. Note, however, that you will need to...
Curated OER
Liquid Rainbow
Students develop their own techniques for drawing a small sample of solutions into a straw. They hypothesize ways to increase the density of water, and discuss how salt-free rainwater tends to float on top of salty seawater.
Curated OER
Activities for a High School Instrumentation Course
The intent of this series of activities is to introduce high schoolers to the field of chemical instrumentaiton. They perform a few basic chemistry lab techniques: pH titration, paper, gas, and liquid chromatography, ultraviolet and...
US Geological Survey
The Water Cycle for Schools: Intermediate Ages
Water can travel from the highest mountain tops to the largest oceans. Using an interactive, young scientists trace the movement using an interactive online resource. They follow the water cycle by reading pop-up explanations on a...
Curated OER
The Mountain Blows its Top
Middle schoolers replicate a volcanic eruption. In this volcanoes instructional activity, students follow the provided procedures to show and describe how the inflation of a bulge led to the eruption of Mount St. Helens.
PBS
Light Absorption: Effects of Light | UNC-TV Science
Beat the summer heat by exploring the properties of color. Scientists view a video explaining the relationship between light absorption and energy transfer using variables including intensity, time, and wavelength. A multiple-choice...
Curated OER
Land Use Issues
Students examine soil types and determine the ability of each to absorb water. Working in groups, they time how long it takes for water to seep out the bottom of the cups. They examine soil components, conservation, erosion, and tree...
Curated OER
By Bernoulli, Where's Gravity?
Students observe a 1/4 inch by 2 inch piece of paper that is held vertically downward under the bottom lip, noting that the paper is pulled down by gravity. They predict what happens to the paper if air is blown out. After air is blown,...