Making Learning Fun
Candle Sight Word Activity
Beginning readers pick a sight word card, choose the number of toilet paper rolls that corresponds with the number of letters in the word, and then spell the word by choosing the appropriate letter popsicle stick to place in each roll....
Cornell University
Airboats
Don't let the resource blow you away. Scholars build airboats from basic materials and collect data on how far the boats move. They refine their designs taking Newton's laws into consideration.
Cornell University
Bridge Building
Bridge the gaps in your knowledge of bridges. Individuals learn about bridge types by building models. The activity introduces beam bridges, arch bridges, truss bridges, and suspension bridges.
Curriculum Corner
Coniferous and Deciduous Trees
What are the differences between coniferous and deciduous trees? Supplement your tree lessons with a set of activities that has learners describing, naming, comparing, and reading about deciduous and coniferous trees. The activities are...
Cornell University
Polymers: Making Silly Putty
Putty is proof that learning can be fun! Share the wonderful world of polymers with your class through an experiment. Young scientists create their own silly putty, then examine its properties.
Cornell University
Physics of Flight
Up, up, and away! Take your classes on a physics adventure. Learners explore the concepts important for flight. They experiment with the Bernoulli Principle while learning the forces that act on airplanes in flight.
Cornell University
Alka-Seltzer Rockets
Blast off! An engaging hands-on activity has pupils create rockets powered by Alka-Seltzer. They learn about the physics behind these rockets throughout the process.
Plimoth Plantation
Thanksgiving Interactive: You are the Historian
Take on the roles of two very different individuals living together during the same time: a pilgrim and a member from the Wampanoag Tribe. As learners navigate through the interactive, each click takes them to a part of each village to...
Cornell University
Catapult
Studying levers couldn't be more exciting! Learners build their own catapults and test the results as they make adjustments to the fulcrum. They compete against other groups to create the most accurate apparatus.
Cornell University
Catapults
Ready, aim, fire! Launch to a new level of understanding as scholars build and test their own catapults. Learners explore lever design and how adjusting the fulcrum changes the outcome.
Cornell University
Unknown Powders
Create a little scientific magic within your classroom! Learners mix powders and liquids and identify chemical reactions. Based on the reactions, individuals determine the identity of various powders.
Education World
My Pumpkin Story
Have young pumpkin carvers use technology to create a unique pumpkin face and write a short story about the special characteristics of their pumpkin.
Education World
Predicting Pumpkins
If you want more pumpkin seeds, you should get a bigger pumpkin—right? Young harvesters use estimation skills to make a hypothesis about how many seeds they will find in a pumpkin before examining the real number inside.
Maker Media
Makerspace Playbook
Make the most of project-based learning with Makerspace. A playbook shows instructors and other interested parties how to set up a Makerspace and Maker community to foster STEM projects. It gives ideas for startup activities and for...
Polar Trec
Drawing Diatoms like Ernst Haeckel
Why do scientists rely on drawings rather than just photographs of their research studies? The lesson introduces drawings of microscopic organisms and the importance of accuracy. Young artists draw organisms and learn why focus and...
Roald Dahl
Matilda - Arithmetic
Mr. Wormwood, one of the characters in Roald Dahl's Matilda, is not the most trustworthy of characters. Have student groups take on the roles of car salespeople and play a game to see who can make the most profit by selling refurbished...
NASA
Eclipse Activity Guide
Ever made solar s'mores? Or recreated the solar system using peanuts? Astronomers young and old investigate all things solar using a variety of activities. Explore how the sun works, types of light it emits, and methods of charting the...
Space Science Institute
The "All American" Eclipse Guide
Are you ready for the biggest astronomical event of the year? More importantly ... are you ready to share it with your scholars? Use a presentation filled with facts and diagrams to make sure everyone in class understands the importance...
Library Sparks
Reference Tools Vocabulary Challenge
Students love the opportunity of going to the library to jump into that one comfy chair in the whole room with a book, or be a lucky one to get to the computers before anyone else. But knowing how to locate books and other reference...
United K12
Jan Brett Author Study
Expose young children to the wonderful works of author and illustrator Jan Brett using a few of her stories such as Armadillo Rodeo, The Mitten, or Daisy Comes Home through a unit study.
Penguin Books
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Activity Booklet
Enter the colorful world of The Very Hungry Caterpillar with a booklet filled with activities to celebrate Eric Carle.
Channel Islands Film
Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 1
How do scientists provide evidence to support the theories they put forth? What clues do they put together to create these theories? After watching West of the West's documentary Island Rotation class members engage in a series of...
Big Kid Science
Create a Milk Carton Camera to Observe the Eclipse!
Step aside, fancy glasses... it's time to create a solar eclipse viewing camera of your own using nothing more than a milk carton.
Big Kid Science
Photographing the Eclipse Tips and Tricks Guide
Use a guide that provides safe ways for viewing the eclipse with a camera or telescope. The guide also includes tips and tricks for getting the best shot using a camera phone or SLR camera. You won't wanna miss this!