Curated OER
Oceans in Motion
This simple activity introduces children to basic marine life as well as to show them the necessity of protecting aquatic environments. Some famous marine life animals are introduced via vocabulary words, then children cut out pictures...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
The Micro and Macro World Around Us
Don't let your eyes play tricks on you ... use scale to keep your eyes in check! Young scholars observe images without scale and try to identify the structure. Then, they look at the same image with a scale bar and assess whether their...
PBS
The Chrysalis or Pupa
What is one of the most exciting parts of a butterfly's life cycle? When it emerges from its pupa and dries its wings! This is a great activity little ones will love. They discuss what happens during the pupal stage of the butterfly life...
Curated OER
The Wonderful World of Slugs
Examine a slug? Of course, what else would a 2nd grader do with it? Pupils use clues and go on a slug hunt, read a slug story, or make a cooperative group mural of a slug's habitat. While older learners catalog slugs, go on a slug hunt,...
Curated OER
What is Life?
Students investigate the characteristics of living things. For this life science lesson, students examine several living and non-living specimens. Students determine which things are living and non-living.
Curated OER
Cells Are Us
Students explore cells. In this science lesson plan, students investigate how the cell is the basic unit of life, that cells divide slowly to become mass of cells, and that there is a gradual loss of cells throughout life.
Curated OER
Field Trip - Marine Science Institute
Students discover the ocean life of the San Francisco Bay. In this ocean lesson, students take a Discovery Voyage of the Bay ecosystem through the Marine Science Institute. Also available are inland voyages, ocean labs, and tidepool...
Curated OER
Solar Arrays for the Space Station
Students explore the challenges that are faced when transporting materials into space. They review the various forms of energy, including solar arrays, that are used on the International Space Station and how generating this energy calls...
Curated OER
Ice Cream
Students create ice cream in a bag and snow ice cream to study the effects of freezing on foods. In this ice cream activity, students understand the effects of freezing on cells.
Curated OER
It's Alive! Or is it?
Students differentiate the characteristics of living and nonliving things. In this life science lesson, students compare and contrast robots and living things. Given an object, they decide whether it's is living or not and defend their...
Curated OER
Pond Life
Students explore pond ecosystems. In this living environment lesson, students observe the local pond and identify the living things they find by drawing pictures. Students observe organisms that were found in the pond by using a...
PBS
The Egg
The first stage in the butterfly's life cycle is the egg. Young entomologists discuss why different butterflies lay different eggs and what their eggs look like. Then they use the handouts to make a replica of one type of butterfly egg...
Curated OER
Sunken Millions Animals
This PowerPoint includes a game with ocean graphics in which two teams answer increasingly difficult questions about animals. Topics covered include plant and animal cells, animal adaptation, and similarities and differences between...
Curated OER
Onion Skins
Students explore the structure of a plant cell. They carefully peel a single layer of onion skin from a slice of onion and stain it with methylene blue to observe the structures inside. They use a Digiscope connected to a computer to...
Curated OER
Effects of the Sun on Our Planet (Grades 2-4)
Students observe how the sun's rays can cause evaporation and discuss its role in the weather cycle. They discover what the sun's energy brings to plants. They examine how different types of technology can enhance the amount of solar...
Curated OER
The Way a Tree Works
Students explore nature by conducting botany experiments. In this plant life lesson, students define the necessary resources for a plant to thrive on our planet while defining scientific vocabulary terms. Students utilize different plant...
Curated OER
Algae Part One: An Introduction
Young scholars have the opportunity to view two types of algae under 400x magnification with a compound microscope. They make observations and record their observations through drawings and words. In addition, they identify different...
Curated OER
Using computers in the content area
Students practice grade appropriate computer basics and integrate them into the curriculum areas. in this technology lesson, students understand correct behaviors while using the computer. Students become familiar with the Internet and...
Curated OER
Inside the Egg, Hatching Chickens
Students explore how an egg becomes fertilized. In this biology lesson, students "candle" a variety of eggs in order to determine which ones have been fertilized and which ones haven't. Student use paper plates to create a graphic on the...
Curated OER
Why Plants Are Green
Students discover the properties of chlorophyll in plants. In this plant biology lesson, students conduct an experiment to find where the chlorophyll in the plant is located. Students are split into small groups and study plant parts....
Curated OER
Albinistic Animals Are Awesome
Are all academicians allured with alliteration? Use this cross-curricular online resource to simultaneously expose your scholars to parts of speech and the genetic mutation causing albinism. Initial context gives learners an introduction...
Curated OER
Diversity of Life
Students identify the difference between eukaryote and prokaryotes and examine the structure of bacteria. In this bacteria lesson students examine the different ways that bacteria are classified through an activity.
Curated OER
Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining
Students become familiar with coal as an energy source and how it is mined. In this coal instructional activity, students research the effects of coal mining on the environment. Students discuss the various problems associated with coal...
Curated OER
World of Protists
Young scholars observe a jar of pond water and predict how much life they think exists in the jar and watch a "Bill Nye: The Science Guy" video regarding protists. They participate in an online virtual pond dip where they begin to...