Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar Kit Lesson #6: Solar-Powered Battery Charger

For Teachers 5th - 9th
In a previous instructional activity, learners build an ammeter. That ammeter, or a pre-made one, is required in order to carry out this instructional activity. The objective is for lab groups to design a way to connect solar cells that...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Construction Work" Art Activity

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore architectural styles and define architectural terms. They construct a building using various architectural elements, and display their buildings, identifying each of the architectural components they used.
Lesson Plan
Science Friday

Wind Power

For Students 6th - 8th
Blow away the competition with a lesson about wind power and turbines. Groups build windmills to test how the size of blades affect the amount of work done. The scholars build a variety of blades and collect data on how each type...
Activity
It's About Time

Properties of Matter

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Never trust an atom; they make up everything! Young chemists make modeling dough and add another ingredient to change the properties. Scholars then compare the properties of emulsion to composite materials. A reading passage and analysis...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sizing Up The Solar System

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate and design various models of size and distance related to the solar system. They work together to build a solar system model. The models should focus on distance and scale. They don't include moons or satellites in...
Unit Plan
Discovery Education

STEM Camp—Urban Infrastructure

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Build a bridge to learning in a STEM-aligned unit about urban infrastructure. Young engineers explore the many aspects of civil planning and design in a five-day unit. Content includes the challenging aspects of balancing building with...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Volcanoes Grow

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students build models of the three major types of volcanoes and see how a volcano's shape is related to the type of material it erupts. As a class, they observe a demonstration that simulates the nature of two volcanic materials: lava...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Paper Suspension Bridges: You Want Me To Go Up There?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
A few class periods will be required to complete this physics investigation with your high schoolers. There is an unavailable video written into the lesson plan, but there is plenty of material here to bridge the gap. Two terrific...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bird Brilliance!

For Teachers 1st
First graders explore natural resources and search outdoors to find materials to create a bird's nest. In this bird's natural resources lesson plan, 1st graders listen to a book about birds and reflect on the various things birds use to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Silica Tetrahedron Model

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Very simply, pairs of learners construct a model of the tetrahedral silica structure using raisins and toothpicks. They dip it into a soapy solution and then blow a bubble "atom" into its center. The lesson plan gives instructions that...
Lesson Plan
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Safe Drinking Water Foundation

I Want to Be an Engineer

For Teachers 5th - 12th Standards
Environmentalists turn into engineers! Your class explores the perspectives of an engineer and water keeper, including the necessary steps that are taken in order to build a water treatment facility.
Lesson Plan
Rochester Institute of Technology

Electrical Energy

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
My friend told me how electricity is measured and I was like Watt! In the hands-on activity, learners explore electricity by building circuits, both parallel and series. They also determine how increasing the number of light bulbs and...
Lesson Plan
University of Colorado

Looking Inside Planets

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Researchers use scientific data to understand what is inside each of the planets. The first in a series of six, this lesson builds off of that concept by having pupils use a data table to create their own scale models of the interiors of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Call to Arms: Robotic Analogues for Human Structures

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Investigate deep sea discovery through the emerging technology being built.  In this physical science lesson, students analyze the different types of motion available in the human arm.  Students research educational websites...
Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

What Can Tree Rings Tell Us About Climate?

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Tree rings are slightly thicker on the south side of the tree because it receives more sunlight. Part two in a series of five lessons helps learners analyze tree rings to determine the environmental conditions that caused size...
Lesson Plan
Towson University

It's a Gassy World!

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
How much does your class know about the relationship between climate change and carbon dioxide? Science scholars explore the nature of greenhouse gases and rising ocean temperature through demonstrations, research, and experiments. The...
Activity
Discovery Education

How's the Weather?

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Young meteorologists explore different aspects of the weather while learning about measurement devices. They build instruments and then set up a weather station outside and measure temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind speed, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy Efficiency Ambassadors

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research energy conservation devices. They also create their own light efficiency project and presents their findings on science fair night.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Buoyancy

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Learners use materials found at a resource table to design simple devices that will house instruments to take water samples from a tub of water. They design 3 instruments, each varying in density so that one will float, one will hover...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Get Charged!

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Learners explore the concept of electricity in this activity based unit.  In this physical science lesson, students focus on electricity and electrical engineering. The teaching unit includes 5 activities to develop learners...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Terrabagga Activity Using a Magnetometer

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Clever! Earth science learners construct a model of a planet containing a magnetic core. The planet, Terrabagga, is made out of a paper grocery bag, magnets, a dead D battery, and rubber bands. Pictures of each step of the construction...
Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Water Power

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young hydrologists observe a waterwheel which helps them investigate the transformations of energy that occur when the blades of a hydro-turbine are turning. They work together in pairs and pretend to be engineers who are building a new...
Activity
Exploratorium

Geyser

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Although it requires a little extra preparation the first time you use this geyser demonstration, it can be used repeatedly once it has been constructed. This demonstration is useful in showcasing how heat leads to increased pressure and...
Unit Plan
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Curated OER

Earthquakes: Fourth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities

For Teachers 4th Standards
Examine earthquake intensities and ways to measure an earthquake through the comparison of the Mercalli and Richter scales. After completing the pre-lab worksheet, fourth graders compare high and low intensity quakes by testing...