Activity
PBS

Pbs: History Detectives: Investigations: Black Star Line [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
PBS had a series called "History Detectives." The video is no longer available for this episode, but this transcript of the video is. Read about the Black Star Line, envisioned by Marcus Garvey as a shipping company in which African...
Interactive
PBS

Pbs: Nova: Disease Detective

For Students 3rd - 8th
As the local epidemiologist, it is your job to investigate a mysterious disease outbreak. Several people in a camping area have become sick with an unknown serious illness. Trace the outbreak to its source using the basic methods of...
Unit Plan
US Department of Energy

U.s. Dept. Of Energy: Project Learning Tree: Energy Detectives [Pdf]

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Investigate how energy is used throughout the day. Find out where energy is found, explore the energy around, and complete an energy journal.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Investigating Sound: Vibrations Are the Source of Sound

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this classroom activity, students will discover that when objects vibrate a sound is produced. Students will first observe different sound sources such as a music box, a sucker toy that has a stick coming out of it, etc. They will...
Activity
NOAA

Noaa: Be a Shipwreck Detective [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Use your skills of investigation to examine a list of items recovered from a shipwreck. Draw conclusions about the ship and its demise based off of your observations.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Investigating Sound: Using Open Tubes to Demonstrate Beat Notes

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this interactive demonstration, students will observe while the teacher creates two sound frequencies using open tube resonators of nearly identical length. The nearness in length produces two slightly different frequencies which...
Lesson Plan
Utah Education Network

Uen: Science Detectives

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students are given a scenario for this lesson where they must use investigative skills like a detective would to decide whether changes that happen to objects in the story are physical or chemical. They then conduct an experiment with...
Unit Plan
Other

Nesdis: Investigating Oceans: Algae Blooms

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Explore how scientists use satellite data to detect and monitor Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). HABs can be toxic to both humans and marine life. Students will learn how to read and interpret satellite images to better understand HAB events.
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Neh: Edsit Ement: Investigating London's White Fang:nature and Culture Detectives

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this lesson plan, students will consider Investigating Jack London's White Fang: Nature and Culture Detectives. Worksheets and other supporting materials can be found under the Resources tab.
Lesson Plan
Council for Economic Education

Econ Ed Link: Be an Ad Detective

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Every day, students are bombarded by advertising. They cannot escape it. But marketers realize that many ypung people are becoming very good at tuning ads out. Businesses thus are becoming more creative in their communication with...
Interactive
Tate

Tate Museum: The Case of the Mysterious Object; Henry Moore Sculpture

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about a sculpture by the British monumental figurative sculptor, Henry Moore, in this interactive investigation of a piece by Moore, which looks at every apsect of the piece from how it was made to who made it.
Activity
National Health Museum

Access Excellence: Dna Detectives

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A hands-on activity from Access Excellence for advanced biology classes. Students are given a crime scenario and three suspects. Their mission is to determine 'Who Dunnit?' by obtaining and analyzing DNA samples. Requires extensive...
Activity
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: Letters: Use Your Document Detective Skills

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Read three letters, one at a time, about events of historical significance. Identify the region and era particular to each letter, and answer additional questions about the information it contains.
Unit Plan
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: The Hound of the Baskervilles 1: Meet Sherlock Holmes

For Students 9th - 10th
Students investigate the iconic and much-beloved character of Sherlock Holmes, as well as the mystery genre, in this excerpt from Masterpiece's 2002 version of The Hound of the Baskervilles. As students are introduced to Holmes, they use...
Activity
Cyberbee

Cyberbee: Who Dunnit?

For Students 3rd - 8th
If you are a crime scene investigation (CSI) fan, then you will love this site! You get to be the detective by examining the evidence, viewing the crime scene, dusting for fingerprints, interviewing the suspects, and solving the crime.
Website
Federal Bureau of Investigation

Fbi Youth: Grades 6th 12th

For Students 9th - 10th
Explore the FBI by joining agents as they investigate crimes around the world, following a case through the FBI Lab, look at a day in the life of an FBI agent, and more!
Lesson Plan
Climate Literacy

Clean: Dead Diatoms Do Tell Tales

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students take on the role of climate detectives in this climate investigation. Teams make a model of sediment cores using glass beads and sand, study the core samples, and tell something about the hypothetical paleoclimate that existed...
Lesson Plan
Council for Economic Education

Econ Ed Link: What Happened to Railroads?

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Between the Civil War and World War II, railroads were one of the nation's most important businesses and an integral part of people's lives. For this lesson, students assume the role of detectives investigating why the rail companies...
eBook
Blackdog Media

Classic Reader: The Golden Scorpion by Sax Rohmer

For Students 9th - 10th
This is the full text of the novel The Golden Scorpion by Sax Rohmer, a sequel to The Yellow Claw. Sax Rohmer's famous detectives Gaston Max and Inspector Dunbar investigate an international gang of assassins that is mysteriously linked...
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: The Air We Breathe

For Teachers 6th - 8th
During this lesson, students will learn what causes air pollution and how to investigate the different pollutants that exist, such as toxic gases and particulate matter. Students will investigate the technologies developed by engineers...
Unit Plan
National Institutes of Health

National Library of Medicine: Spectral Detection

For Students 9th - 10th
This concise site provides a brief discussion of the invention of the first work spectroscopes and their impact on forensic science.
Unit Plan
National Institutes of Health

National Library of Medicine: The Marsh Test

For Students 9th - 10th
The Marsh Test, developed in 1832, was designed to detect poison in drinks. A short history of this test is provided along with photo of the test apparatus.
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Particle Sensing: The Coulter Counter

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students are presented with a short lesson on the Coulter principle, an electronic method to detect microscopic particles and determine their concentration in fluid. Depending on the focus of study, students can investigate the...
Interactive
Rice University

Rice University: Med Myst: Medical Mysteries on the Web

For Students 9th - 10th
Two problem-solving detective games, each with its own series of missions, involve players in microbiological investigations into the causes and spread of diseases. Concepts covered include disease pathology, Koch's principles, immune...