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Lesson Planet
Remote Teaching Strategies Upper Elementary Grade Students
This collection is designed to help you get started with remote learning. We provide an overview of basic strategies and combine them with some tools and resources for you to consider.
Lesson Planet
Air, Atmosphere and Living Systems
Check out these 12 lessons on air and the atmosphere, exploring air quality and how it can impact living things. There are plenty of hands-on activities, teaching guides, and videos to help making this unit come alive!
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Needs of Living Things
Young scientists learn about the differences between living and nonliving things, needs and wants, and the basic requirements for survival. Fun activities like making lemonade, playing a game of Concentration, and blowing bubbles in...
EngageNY
EngageNY Grade 3 ELA Module 2A, Unit 1
How do people become experts at something? Third graders will explore this more specifically with regard to frogs, and will study "Bullfrog at Magnolia Circle" by Deborah Dennard. They read informational texts, generate questions, and...
Lesson Planet
All About Food
Check out this 11-part collection for elementary learners! Each lesson is full of hands-on activities, handouts, and in-depth studies of the science of food. Your class will study balanced meals, how food grows, plant parts, the...
Lesson Planet
Discover Water—The Role of Water in Our Lives
Make a splash with this series of engaging interactives that teach all about one of the most important substances on Earth: water. From oceans to bodies of freshwater, these fun resources investigate the water cycle and the important...
Lesson Planet
Celebrate Earth Day!
April 22nd is Earth Day! Celebrate the Earth with these resources and activities. From math to writing and straight into science, all of the resources in this collection promote Earth loving learners in your class!
Lesson Planet
Everest Education Expedition
Young explorers investigate the biodiversity of Mount Everest and the Himalayan Mountain ecosystem through hands-on and interactive activities. They examine the effects of climate change on the mountains, analyze maps, take a virtual...
Lesson Planet
Ben Across the Curriculum: Elementary School
Benjamin Franklin, statesman, inventor, President is the subject of a collection targeting young historians. The interdisciplinary lesson plans were originally designed to accompany the 2018 international traveling exhibition, “Benjamin...
Lesson Planet
Design Squad Event Guide
Everything you need to plan an event for young engineers can be found in an Event Guide that includes activities, an event checklist, tips for working with youth and volunteers, signage, certificates, and an evaluation form. Kids make a...
Lesson Planet
The Tech Challenge 2016 lessons
Challenge young flight engineers to design a flying device for Ant-Man, balloon crafts that have neutral buoyancy, paper airplanes from different types of paper, hoop gliders, and a launcher for ping pong balls. Although designed for the...
Lesson Planet
STEM Ed Hub: Design Resources
Engineering design-based activities make learning science fun. Young engineers design dams, lifeguard chairs, musical instruments, candy bags, and much more. They also use measurement skills to solve the mystery of the missing pin. Each...
Lesson Planet
'Tis The Season!
Every season brings joy and pleasure in its own way. Winter is the coldest season and often brings snowfall to different parts of the world. People keep warm by the fire and wrap themselves in scarves and coats. The trees are bare and...
Lesson Planet
Physical Science: Introduction to Gravity
Young scientists will feel the pull of a collection of five videos that introduce them to the concept of gravity. Viewers learn about Sir Isaac Newton's big ideas, gravitational forces, air resistance, and escape velocity. An engaging...
Lesson Planet
The Science of Food
Alchemy in the kitchen? A nine-resource collection explains the science behind the food chain. Videos and support materials cover everything from yummy things like cheese, to chocolate, to sourdough bread, from science topics like...
Lesson Planet
Earth's Spheres and Natural Resources
The geosphere, exosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere are Earth's four main spheres. Surprisingly, all of these spheres work together providing us with resources, weather, plants, climate, and a place to live. Here is a collection of...
Lesson Planet
Ecosystems and the Flow of Energy
Different ecosystems thrive in various places, with a variety of habitats, including specific plants and animals that have adapted to survive in those specific conditions. But they all have one thing in common: all of the energy that...
Lesson Planet
Physical Science: Properties of Matter
Looking for a way to engage elementary and middle school learners during a unit on properties of matter? Add these fun and informative videos from Crash Course Kids to your lesson plans. Each video in the playlist features entertaining...
Lesson Planet
Challenger Center: Christa's Lost Lessons
Astronaut Christa McAuliffe had several lessons planned for her Challenger STS 51L Teacher in Space mission. With the help of Astronauts Ricky Arnold and Joe Acaba, the demonstrations were filmed aboard the International Space Station...
Lesson Planet
WE Are Innovators: Elementary Resources
A collection of five resources encourages young scientists to be innovative thinkers and design a sustainable product or service. Lessons target pollution, food waste, energy-inefficient housing, and transportation issues.
Lesson Planet
Big vs. Little – Micro to Nano
Here's a small collection that introduces young scientists to some very big concepts. Kids complete an interactive, build structures, use magnifying lenses to find micro specimens, and compare objects—large and small. Learners examine...
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Nature of Teaching: Informal Curricula
The Nature of Teaching curriculum provides activity-focused resources designed for nature centers, field days, and 4-H clubs. Young scholars study and identify birds, build feeders for local birds, create exploding seed balls that they...
Lesson Planet
Perfect Plants and Precious Pollinators
Did you know that almost one-third of all plants consumed by humans are dependent on insect pollination? Find out what the "buzz" is all about and share this knowledge with your bright-eyed and bushy-tailed students. Spring into plant...
Lesson Planet
Experiments in Space
Check out this collection of four fun studies based on real research from the International Space Station! Students compare spiders, ants, butterflies, and plants at their own school with those on the ISS. Tons of extra teacher materials...
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Global Atmospheric Change
This is an extensive set of 12 lessons investigating the earth's atmosphere, energy, and the carbon cycle. Intended for upper-elementary age students, you'll find everything you need here including teacher notes, handouts, slide...
Lesson Planet
Backyard Butterflies Teaching Collection
Here are six fun and engaging lessons to use when learning about butterflies with your elementary schoolers. Your class will find out how to create your own butterfly garden, learn about the different stages of a caterpillar and...
Lesson Planet
Sustainability: Pre-K-2nd Grade
A collection created for pre-K through second-grade scholars focuses on the concept of sustainability. A variety of lesson plans touch on several ideas such as transportation, food, and carbon footprints. Hands-on learning experiences...
Lesson Planet
Animal Masks
Use these fun animal masks for a literature act-it-out, class play, or just for fun! There are a few lesson ideas as well as printable mask templates to choose from. Great for the very youngest classes up to 3rd or 4th grade!
Lesson Planet
Creating a Rain Garden
Use this series of lessons to empower your gardeners to plan for, design, and implement a rain garden on campus! From planning water flow and calculating volume to acting in an interpretive play where they become plants, learners will be...
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Falling into Autumn
As autumn arrives, crops are harvested and trees begin to shed their leaves, but not before displaying beautiful colors of orange, yellow, red, and brown. The temperatures become cooler and animals prepare for winter's cold. Use this...
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Lunar Cycle
Wax on, Wane off. How will you teach your learners the phases of the moon and stages of the lunar cycle?
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Maker projects & 3D Shapes
The study of three dimensional objects can bring out the natural maker and builder in your students. This collection explores three dimensions through the use of maker projects, 3-D nets, and studies of area and surface area. The...
Lesson Planet
Fall Resources Grades 3-5
It's that time of year, the leaves are changing, the air is crisp—it's fall! Add a touch of season-related whimsy to your classroom with a collection of festive resources created to support grades third through fifth. Here, you will find...
Lesson Planet
Bones in your Body
The ankle bone's connected to the leg bone. The leg bone's connected to the knee bone. The knee bone's connected to the...
Bones play a very important role in the function of our bodies. They protect our organs and provide support for...
Lesson Planet
Aquarium Printables Collection
Teach your class about aquariums with ABCmouse! Use these printables as an introduction to lessons about unique underwater wildlife. Create your FREE ABCmouse for Teachers account to access these and thousands of other resources for...
Lesson Planet
Solar System Super Page
Save time planning your next unit on the solar system with these resources brought to you by our team of credentialed teachers.
Lesson Planet
Let's Go To Space! - SciShow Kids
Take a journey to outer space with a collection of 18 captivating videos by SciShow Kids. Videos cover a variety of topics related to space and astronomy, and showcase key terms and real-world images. The host, Jessi, and her cartoon...
Lesson Planet
Teaching Children with Autism—Content Area Resources
Browse a collection designed to meet the needs of scholars with autism in kindergarten through 12th grade. Here, you'll find a variety of resources—lesson plans, printables, activities, worksheets, and an app—spanning a range of content...
Lesson Planet
Teaching and Learning About Autism
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that approximately "1 in 88 American children are on the autism spectrum." The teacher guides and other professional development materials in this collection offer information...
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Literacy Beyond the Language Arts Classroom
Celebrate reading across the curriculum with a collection of lessons and worksheets that bring literature and informational text to life in math, science, social studies, and music. Each resource prompts interdisciplinary instruction...
Lesson Planet
Reading Across the Lower Elementary Curriculum
Who doesn't love a good story? Cover your basic subjects—English language arts, math, science, and social studies—with a collection comprised of lesson plans, activities, projects, and worksheets all of which focus on a story book...
Lesson Planet
Plate Tectonics Cycle — Fourth Grade
Looking for a hands-on approach to understanding the Plate Tectonics Cycle? Find it in a collection made up of pre- and post-labs, group discussions, and answering questions. Four resources make up a collection that breaks down each part...
Lesson Planet
Plate Tectonics Cycle — Second Grade
Use this collection from Math/Science Nucleus to engage your second graders in the exploration of the plate tectonics cycle. Including four units on volcanoes, earthquakes, plate tectonics, and hazards associated with these forces, each...
Lesson Planet
Plate Tectonics Cycle — Third Grade
Four resources make up a collection centered around the plate tectonic cycle created by Math/Science Nucleus. Each unit gradually builds upon the other to demonstrate how the movement of Earth's plates plays a role in creating volcanoes...
Lesson Planet
The Water Cycle
Few things are more important to life on earth than water. This is a collection of resources for middle schoolers about the various stages of the water cycle. Included are hands-on activities/labs, videos, worksheets, and diagrams. Get...
Lesson Planet
The Outer Planets Lessons and Activities Grades 3-5
Explore the solar system, investigate space technology, and examine the planets—and their relative size and distance compared to the inner planets—with a collection of space science lessons.
Lesson Planet
STEM: Elementary Inquiry
Encourage scholars to investigate and think critically with a collection of 14 STEM lesson plans. The following inquiry-based lessons explore the concepts of life cycles of plants and animals, measurement, magnets, evaporation,...
Lesson Planet
States of Matter: 3rd Grade Science Unit
Ten lessons make up a collection designed to teach the three states of matter—liquid, solid, and gas. The series of resources offers investigations, demonstrations, grand conversation, and a variety of practice pages to teach and support...
Lesson Planet
Space Science: The Sun and Its Influence on Earth
These videos by Crash Course Kids are an excellent way to get your class pumped up about the solar system. From rotations and revolutions to the gas giants and rocky planets, everything (and more) about the solar system is covered in...
Lesson Planet
Space Science: Introduction to Stars
Take a crash course in astronomy with a video playlist from Crash Course Kids! Each video is short, engaging, and informative for both future astronauts and science teachers eager for a fun take on the stars.
Lesson Planet
Around the Sun We Go
You may not be able to feel it, but you're on the ride of your life! Add presentations and activities to your lesson about the solar system and the Earth's rotation around the sun.
Lesson Planet
Great Weather We've Been Having!
Determining the weather is more than looking out the window. Use a collection of worksheets and lessons for your littlest meteorologists in your unit about different kinds of weather.
Lesson Planet
Preventing Forest Fires
Only you can administer a collection of fire safety lessons, worksheets, and activities to elementary and middle school rangers. Focusing on the forests of Oregon, the resources from the Keep Oregon Green Association are informative and...
Lesson Planet
My Body
From your head all the way down to your toes, this collection is full of basic body part lessons and labeling worksheets. It is important for children to be familiar with their bodies at a young age, especially to know how to take care...
Lesson Planet
Volcanoes for Beginners
Have a blast teaching third, fourth, and fifth graders about volcanoes! A collection of educational videos and interactive lessons is sure to get your class interested in one of the most explosive and volatile aspects of plate tectonics.
Lesson Planet
How Do You Organize a Space Party? You Planet! (Lessons For Learning)
Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars make up the inner planets in our solar system. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune make up the outer planets. Use this collection of lesson plans, worksheets, videos, and presentations to build young...
Lesson Planet
Scientific Method
Get a detailed introduction to the scientific method with this collection that examines the process through song and reading comprehension, then apply knew found knowldge to an experiment involving ice cubes.
Lesson Planet
Wax On, Wane Off
My saying for distinguishing between a waxing moon and waning moon is, "wax on, wane off." When the moon is "turning on," or on its way to a full moon, we call it waxing. When the moon is "turning off," or on its way to a new moon, we...
Lesson Planet
Volcanoes
This collection is a blast. Kids can explore the science behind plate tectonics, examine the life cycle of volcanoes, and engage in hands-on projects that model volcanic processes. They'll lava.
Lesson Planet
How Do You Organize a Space Party? You Planet! (Reading Comprehension)
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are the eight planets in our solar system. Use this collection of reading comprehension worksheets to check young astronomers' understanding of reading informational text....
Lesson Planet
Summer Vacation
These activities are lessons used under the theme of Summer. It contains lessons in various subjects.
Lesson Planet
Food Sustainability Unit
Lesson Plans for the week long unit about food sustainability. This unit talks about the different aspects of food and how it relates to sustainability. Day one considers the importance of a healthy diet and how malnutrition and over...
Lesson Planet
Halloween Dry Ice Secrets
Want to use dry ice in your classroom this Halloween but you're not sure how? A thorough packet of 13 dry ice activities showcases engaging ways to bring chemistry to life this October.
Lesson Planet
5 Things You Didn't Know About Astronaut Ricky Arnold
How does a teacher become an astronaut? Astronaut Ricky Arnold talks about his experience as a teacher and astronaut in one part of the "STEM on Station" playlist. He shares five things about himself that led him to the career he is in...
Lesson Planet
Field Trip Snack Holder
Is light related to insulation? An informative hands-on STEM activity demonstrates how light affects temperature. First, the class investigates how light passes through different mediums and how that relates to temperature. Then,...
Lesson Planet
Simple Machines – Dog Gone It!
How can people use simple machines to solve real-world STEM problems? Learn about simple machines using a hands-on, project-based learning activity. First, pupils investigate and evaluate simple machines. Then, they receive a task that...
Lesson Planet
Polymers: Instant Snow
Is it easy to make snow? Scholars use critical thinking skills as they investigate the concept of polymers by making snow. The class tests several different variables and takes measurements over the course of several days. They then...
Lesson Planet
Coastal Peru: The Amazing Biodiversity of a Coastal Ecosystem
Peru's coastal ecosystem is only one of the country's amazing features. But travelers don't need passports, expensive plane tickets, or heavy suitcases to examine the biodiversity of coastal Peru. Armed with a field trip log and graphic...
Lesson Planet
Lion Lapbook
Is your class in the mood for a fantastic set of lion-themed activities? Foldables, worksheets, writing prompts, and simple-to-read information are yours for the taking! Intended to accompany a unit on lions, this resource provides...
Lesson Planet
Apples: A Class Act! (Grades 4–6)
Middle schoolers have a bushel of fun as they engage in activities and research core facts about apples. Packed with suggestions for in-class activities and out-of-class research, the colorful 6-page packet is sure to satisfy hungry...
Lesson Planet
Ice in Action
Make your own bite-size glacier! A resource teaches about the formation and melting of ice. Activities include videos, a hands-on activity where your pupils build glaciers, and a photographic analysis to teach individuals the chilling...
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Sea Floor to Summit
Who knew that mountain formation could be so entertaining? Leanr how mountains form with a resource on Mount Everest. Activities to guide learning include a simulation, project, videos, coloring activities, and worksheets.
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What's the Weather?
How many jackets do you need to stay warm and climb Mount Everest? An informatie resource covers the topic of Mount Everest, the resource helps young scientists discover the difference between climate and weather. Activities include...
Lesson Planet
Build a Watershed
What's the best way to learn how watersheds work? Build one! Combining engineering, the water cycle, and ecology concerns, the activity is the perfect fit for an interdisciplinary unit. Teams construct a model watershed with simple...
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Build a Bobsled Racer
Host a design challenge of Olympic proportion! Junior engineers build their own bobsleds using simple materials. The activity focuses on kinetic and potential energy and how the center of mass affects motion on a downhill track....
Lesson Planet
Ocean and Great Lakes Literacy: Principle 1
Is your current lesson plan for salt and freshwater literacy leaving you high and dry? If so, dive into part one of a seven-part series that explores the physical features of Earth's salt and freshwater sources. Junior hydrologists...
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Buoyancy
Swimmers know to float by turning their bodies horizontally rather than vertically, but why does that make a difference? In an interesting instructional activity, scholars explore buoyancy and the properties of air and water. They test...
Lesson Planet
PS3A - Definitions of Energy
Energy has many forms ... but very few sources! How do we present this to young scientists? Explore the Definitions of Energy, PS3A, in a video about the Next Generation Science Standards. The narrator keeps it simple by relating each...
Lesson Planet
NGSS: Stability and Change
Build a strong foundation for your teaching of stability and change! The video addresses the Next Generation Science Standards Cross-Cutting Concept through insightful examples. The narrator includes ideas for introducing the standard in...
Lesson Planet
How Ingenious Animals Have Engineered Air Conditioning
Humans aren't the only species to build structures with air conditioning—we weren't even the first! The video explains how a variety of species that live under and above ground design their structures to allow for air circulation. It...
Lesson Planet
NGSS Practice Posters
Begin the year with an emphasis on the NGSS practice standards. The resource provides an 8x10 size poster for each standard. When hung in a classroom, learners have a consistent reminder of what it means to be a scientist.
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Changes Over Time — Microfossils in Blake’s Nose
Scientists study sediment cores to understand climate and life throughout the history of the Earth. An interactive lesson has scholars access research data in order to better understand to which time periods specific micro-fossils...
Lesson Planet
Getting Ready for the All American Eclipse!
Give your pupils a front row seat at the biggest light show in the sky this year! In addition to admiring the total solar eclipse, young astronomers can explain the phenomenon with a little help from an inquiry-based lesson plan. The...
Lesson Planet
Memory Items
Ready to have an "unforgettable" time in science class? Try a fun and insightful activity, suitable for a wide age group of learners. Explore how human memory works when pupils try to remember objects they've seen before comparing the...
Lesson Planet
The Intertropical Convergence Zone
Young scientists know it is hotter along the equator, but why is it also rainier? Through the process of completing two experiments and a worksheet, scholars discover the answer is the intertropical convergence zone. First, they...
Lesson Planet
Disaster Preparedness Activity Book
Join the American Red Cross as well as Mickey and friends as they help to prepare young scholars for natural disasters. After reading brief informational passages about earthquakes, floods, fires, storms, tornadoes, and hurricanes,...
PD Learning Network
The Three Different Ways Mammals Give Birth
All mammals have warm blood, are vertebrates, breathe with their lungs, have hair or fur on their bodies, and produce milk for their young. But not all mammals give birth to their young in the same manner. Watch a video that explains how...
Lesson Planet
John Travoltage
Did you get to play with electric currents or were you grounded? An electrifying simulation shows how building up a charge of electricity creates a static shock once grounded. Pupils rub John's foot across the carpet and view the buildup...
Lesson Planet
Toilet Paper Solar System
Can we model how large the solar system really is? Attempt an astronomical feat with a hands-on-activity that uses a roll of toilet paper. Young scientists measure the distances of the planets from the sun to create a scale model of the...
Lesson Planet
Pulling for Biodiversity
It might seem impossible that with more than 14 million species found on Earth, biodiversity is diminishing—but it's the truth. Young scientists explore how invasive species are so destructive to native biodiversity. They compare...
Lesson Planet
Focus on Forests
Trees look different, just like people look different. Let's look at some up close! Throughout this outdoor activity, elementary learners spend time outside observing the trees on their school property, and reporting on their...
Lesson Planet
Conserving Canada's Marine Biodiversity
The ocean may seem a world away, but you can actually find it in a science classroom! Learners in the lower grade levels explore the concepts of water pollution, apex predators, the worth of animals, and commercial fishing methods. High...
Lesson Planet
Waste and Recycling: Recycling Paper
We take paper for granted, while thousands of trees are being made into the paper we toss in the trash. Start a dialogue about paper reduction and recycling in class, and share the negative effects paper production has on our ecosystem....
Lesson Planet
Activities for STEM Clubs
Need some support or ideas of how to entertain middle schoolers or what clubs to bring into your school? Let this excellent 40-page resource guide with links and step-by-step directions on STEM activities guide your decision.
Lesson Planet
Electricity
Conduct four electrifying electricity experiments that challenge young scientists to explore positive and negative charges and magnetic fields without the shock.
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Scientific Method Sheet
This snazzy little scientific method worksheet assists young scientists in acquiring new knowledge while conducting experiments. A simple, ready-to-use tool for recording data.
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Insoluble Paintings
Insolubility and density? Yup, it's art class, of course. To create insoluble paintings that continually move and change, kids mix water-based paint with mineral oil and seal the mixture in laminating pouches.
Lesson Planet
Mood Music!
Grouchy? Sad? Here's a great resource that shows kids how music can be used to lift their spirits. Kids collect and chart data on the effects of music on emotions. After analyzing the results of their experiment, they develop their own...
Lesson Planet
Making Regolith
You may not be able to take a field trip to the moon, but that doesn't mean your class can't study moon rocks. Using graham crackers as the moon's bedrock and powdered donuts as micrometeorites, young scientists simulate the creation of...
Lesson Planet
Designing a Crew Exploration Vehicle
Take your class on an out-of-this-world adventure with this fun engineering design lesson. Working in small groups, young scientists design, build, and test crew exploration vehicles using some creativity, teamwork, and an assortment of...
Lesson Planet
Food for Spaceflight
When astronauts get hungry in outer space, they can't just call and have a pizza delivered. In order to gain an appreciation for the challenges associated with space travel, young learners are given the task of selecting, testing, and...
Lesson Planet
Get a Leg Up
Traveling through space is an amazing experience, but it definitely takes a toll on the body. After reading an article and watching a brief video, learners perform an experiment that simulates the effects of zero gravity on the human body.
Lesson Planet
The Chesapeake Bay in Captain John Smith's Time
When Captain John Smith visited the Chesapeake Bay in the summer of 1608, what types of animals and habitats did he encounter? Your young historians will analyze primary source documents to answer this question, as well as compare the...
Lesson Planet
Simple Machines
Planning an elementary science unit has never been simpler! These twelve lessons guide young scientists through an exploration of simple machines and their many uses in the real world before asking them to apply their learning in the...
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Good, Clean Fun!
Henry the Hand leads youngsters on an exciting adventure through coloring worksheets, word puzzles, and comic strips on everything they need to know about preventing the spread of germs by washing your hands.
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Critter Curators
Young scientists explore the dark, damp, and dirty world of earthworms in this hands-on life science unit. In order to gain a better understanding of these slimy critters, children first perform a series of investigations before finally...
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Compost in a Bag
Young scientists create a compost bag, predict changes, and after one month, examine the bag to observe the changes that have occurred.
Lesson Planet
Aquifer in a Cup
All you need is a little water, some soil, sand, and gravel to conduct this experiment. Using plastic cups, kids create their own aquifers and observe the processes of infiltration and contamination.
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A Moving Crust
Young scientists piece together the geological puzzle that is the earth in the third and final lesson of this earth science series. With the help of numerous multimedia resources and a series of engaging hands-on activities, learners...
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Life Science Toolbox for Fifth Grade
Help build young scholars' understanding of living things with the tools provided in this comprehensive life science resource. Including a total of nine lessons that cover topics ranging from plant and animal life cycles to heredity and...
Lesson Planet
Tsunami!
How does the depth of an ocean affect the speed of a tsunami's waves? Use Jell-o, graham crackers, and marshmallows to model the effects of an underwater earthquake and its resulting tsunami. The lesson includes hands-on activities,...
Lesson Planet
Conserving Natural Resources
Trying to plan an engaging elementary science unit on natural resources? Conserve your energy! This five-part series of lessons and hands-on activities has exactly what you need to teach young scholars about the importance of conservation.
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Let's Build a Worm Bin!
Kids get the dirt on worms by building a vermicomposter and observing, over time, the changes red worms make in the soil in the bin.
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Space Travelers
Groups of three scientists from the rocky planet Zog investigate the composition of soil so that they can take the information back to their home, create soil there, and begin to grow food.
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Introduction to Vermiculture
As part of a study of soil and composting, fourth graders become worm farmers, build a vermiculture bin, observe, and care for their red worms.
Lesson Planet
EdTech Tuesdays: PLEx Life Science by Filament Games with Dan White
The use of interactive, hands-on learning games in the classroom is the focus of an interview with Dan White of Filament Games. White models how the "thing that you are doing in the game is the thing that we want you to learn."
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Writing Goes Wild
Young scientists develop their observation and writing skills as they craft and then post a detailed description of a plant or animal they have spotted and photographed.
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Fun with Magnets
Searching for ways to make your science unit on magnetism a little more attractive? This 47-page collection of printable materials, worksheets, and activities is perfect for any elementary teacher exploring magnets with their class.
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Describing Materials
What's the matter? Learners explore the states of matter through a card sort, note-taking guide, data table activity, Venn diagram, and more. Find everything you'll need here, ready to cut out and use!
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Moon Phases
Kids are fascinated by the moon for good reason! Here's a great resource to help them chart the lunar cycle for a month, referencing high-detail photographs and an informative chart as they complete their own calendar.
Lesson Planet
The Moon Seems to Change: Phases of the Moon
Use Eric Carle's sweet book, Papa, Please get the Moon for Me to learn about phases of the moon. They use a moon template calendar to chart moon phases for a month, sing lunar phase chants, and create a delicious visual diagram using a...
Lesson Planet
The State of Things
Is it a solid, liquid. or gas? Cut out these graphics for a fun manipulative game that has kids sorting everyday items into their states of matter. They complete three worksheets referencing the sorting activity.
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The Science of the Sun
There's more to that glowing ball of light in sky than most children realize. From the overall structure of the solar system, to the changing of the seasons, these hands-on lessons open the eyes of young scientists to the important role...
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Don't Waste Your Energy
Don't lift another finger, this physical and environmental science unit has everything you need to begin teaching your class about energy. Starting with a look at the greenhouse effect, these lessons and activities take young scientists...
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Simple Machines
Planning a unit on simple machines? Save some time and energy with this collection of lessons and activities that explores how these devices are used in the real world to make life a little easier.
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Will He See His Shadow? Groundhog Day Activities
What a fantastic collection of activities for celebrating Groundhog Day! This resource includes a variety of holiday reading selections, groundhog facts, links to printables, story comprehension lessons, and much more!
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Sorting Living and Nonliving Objects
Is a rock living? How about lima beans? You'll find everything you need for an interactive sorting activity exploring living and non-living things.
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Population Change
Your youngsters become cheetahs in search of food, water, shelter, and space in a fun physical game that does a fantastic job of representing fluctuating species population based on resources available over years.
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Simple Machines Make Things Go
Trying to plan a physical science unit on forces and motion? Make your work a little easier with this comprehensive collection of simple machines resources. Offering a wide variety worksheets, activities, and projects, these materials...
Lesson Planet
Floods Happen
Did you know that flooding is the most common natural disaster in the United States? Prepare your learners with the facts about floods and offer them the proper knowledge and tools for dealing with this type of emergency.
Lesson Planet
EdTech Tuesdays: Shout Science!
Learn how you can use technology to bring together the subjects of English language arts, science, and social studies with this look at Shout Science! Follow along as Rich and Jennifer demonstrate the different features of this storybook...
Lesson Planet
A Holiday Tradition: Which Christmas Tree Will You Choose?
Different varieties of Christmas trees provide an interesting way to combine social studies, science, math, and technology. Class members not only research the history of the Christmas tree holiday tradition, they compare and contrast...
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Shark!
Is that a shark? Here's a 10-lesson unit that will have learners expanding their definition of what a shark actually is as they examine different features, habitats, and diets. They explore endangered species, using information cards...
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How Big is a Blue?
Whales are all big, but some are larger than others! Kids will love sorting the 10 whale species by size at their desk (whale cut-outs provided). Next, use a whale rope to visualize how long each of these whales actually is. A large...
Lesson Planet
Forests, Carbon & Our Climate
To conclude their examination of forest ecosystems, class members consider the role forests play in the carbon cycle and how forests can offset climate change.
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EdTech Tuesdays: The Jörgits and the End of Winter
Watch this quick video to learn all about the Jörgits! Jennifer and Rich lead you through this interactive book with a synopsis of the story and the features of the app itself. Full of information and application ideas, this video will...
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Youth Emergency Preparedness
In case of an emergency, try out this short unit! Prepare your youngsters for disasters with a set of activities that will teach them what emergencies are, how to prepare for them, and what to do when they experience them. This intricate...
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Life-Size Printout: Adult, Modern Homo Sapiens
A set of printable skeletons will make a perfect addition to any class learning about life science. With life-size displays of both an adult and juvenile skeleton, the educational resource will engage young scientists as they learn about...
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Predicting Whether the Weather is Good for the Garden
Can your class predict the weather? Show them how they can come close with a lesson about creating weather instruments, including weather vanes, barometers, wind socks, anemometers, and thermometers. Kids research weather patterns and...
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Help a Sister Out: Garden Companions
Explore Native American gardening traditions with a lesson on companion planting. Based on the concept that certain crops grow better when planted near other specific crops, kids research the gardening method with background links and by...
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Adopt-A-Plant
Note the way that plants change during the season by adopting a plant on your school campus. After your class chooses their plant, they research the plant's needs, how it differs from other plants, find ways to support their plant's...
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Frog Garden Party! Toads and Triangles in the Math Garden
It's frog party time! With frog banners, frog juice, and a triangle hunt, your garden party is sure to be both entertaining and educational. The lesson connects geometry, earth science, and delicious snacks to teach kids about ecosystems...
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Energy Flow in the Garden
How can you tell what an owl has eaten? Study the food chain and flow of energy in an ecosystem by dissecting an owl pellet and noting the bones found inside. Additionally, the lesson includes a game about consumers and producers with a...
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Worm Your Way Out of This
How can you provide healthy soil for your garden? Study worms, bacteria, and other microorganisms in a lesson about decomposition and organic compost. After discussing what you know about worms and watching a video, watch what worms do...
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Solar Cooking Race
Study heat transfer with activities that focus on how heat energy works. Using a solar cooker, ice cubes, and heat transfer bracelets, kids experiment and record what they find by keeping ice cubes cold and vegetables hot.
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Shape Shifters in the Math Garden
Combines mathematical measurement with gardening skills. Third graders hunt for worms in the garden and try to find the longest one. They also measure and weigh vegetables that they harvest from the garden, measure rainfall amounts, and...
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Rotting Away
What happens at the end of a plant's life cycle? Show kids the natural way that plants show that they're decomposing, as well as the importance of compost, with a lesson about living organisms. After reading Log Cabin by Anne Schreiber,...
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Soda Straw Rockets
Three, two, one, blast off to a better understanding of force and motion with this exciting science lesson! Beginning with a discussion about rockets and gravity, young scientists go on to complete a series of worksheets about net forces...
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Astrobiobound! The Search for Life in the Solar System
A multi-faceted and exciting activity awaits your astronomy students. In collaborative groups, they plan a mission to hunt for extraterrestrial life within the solar system, while adhering to specific measurement criteria.
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A Dissolving Challenge
After collecting carbon dioxide bubbles from a cup of club soda, learners attempt to make their own lemon soda while preventing the loss of carbonation. They do so by creating a syrup before mixing the substances into the club soda....
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Climate Change Metaphors
You will want to use this unique approach to increasing awareness of human impact on the environment. Each participant pulls an object out of a grab bag and comes up with a metaphor for how that object might represent or relate to the...
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Climate Change Bingo
Here is a 20-box bingo card to use when exploring ways that humans impact the environment. Various environmentally aware activities are listed in the boxes, and learners circulate the room to find someone who practices the different...
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The Three Little Pig(ments)
Photocopy single-color images onto acetate transparencies and either demonstrate or have your class experience the combination of colors to produce images. Children will learn that cyan, magenta, yellow, and black combine to make all of...
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Formation of a Precipitate
Conclude this chemical change unit by having your class combine two liquids that result in formation of a precipitate. The learners discover that chemical reactions result in new materials. Make sure to consider all of the preceding...
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Comparing the Amount of Acid in Different Solutions
Upcoming chemists use chemical reactions to determine relative pH in two different acids. This is a terrific lesson plan for middle schoolers that can stand alone as a practice in precision and lab skills, or as part of the unit on...
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Color Changes with Acids and Bases
Getting back to the beginning of the unit, learners use reactions with red cabbage juice to determine if solutions are acidic, neutral, or basic. This is a straightforward and classic investigation, but what you will appreciate is the...
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Change in Temperature - Exothermic Reaction
Alone, or as part of the intended unit on chemical reactions, this activity allows learners to experience an exothermic reaction. Here, learners add calcium chloride to a baking soda solution and watch the temperature rise! They will...
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Production of a Gas - Controlling a Chemical Reaction
Though the publisher designated this unit for use with third through eighth grades, this particular instructional activity would be best used with middle schoolers due to the specific measurement skills required. Basically, they set up...
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Change in Temperature - Endothermic Reaction
Now that learners have been exposed to chemical changes, they learn that some take in heat and therefore, decrease in temperature. The same reaction that they have been investigating between baking soda and vinegar is revisited,...
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Using Chemical Change to Identify an Unknown
If you have taught the first lesson in this mini unit, learners already know that cabbage juice and vinegar cause chemical changes in some materials. Now, they get a chance to use them to compare the liquids' reactions to five known and...
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Powder Particulars
By both demonstration and hands-on investigation, physical science fanatics come to know that some materials react when they come together. Adding vinegar to both baking soda and to baking powder, the difference between the two is clear....
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Changing the Density of an Object - Changing Shape
Continuing with the concept of volume and its effect on density, learners now work with a piece of clay to see if they can get it to float in water. This is a memorable end to a seven-part investigation of density. Make sure to check out...
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Changing the Density of an Object - Adding Material
In this sixth of seven activities revolving around the concept of density, physical science fans figure out if anything can be done to change the density of an object. Demonstrate by placing a can of regular and a can of diet soda into a...
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Changing the Density of a Liquid - Heating and Cooling
During a unit on density, pupils ponder whether or not temperature affects this property. By carefully inserting blue cold water and yellow hot water into a room-temperature sample, they will see the answer. Make sure to have done the...
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Changing the Density of a Liquid - Adding Salt
Fourth in a set of several little lessons on density, this one compares the density of fresh and salt water. First by demonstration, and then by a hands-on activity, learners find that adding salt increases the density, as is evidenced...
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Comparing the Density of Different Liquids
Learners will like making a liquid layer cake to investigate the relative densities of various liquids: water, oil, and corn syrup. They will also introduce a few solid materials to find out how their densities compare. Standing alone,...
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Comparing the Density of an Object to the Density of Water
Investigators construct a makeshift balance and compare equal volumes of wax and water. They do the same for clay and water. Then they discover whether the wax and clay will float or sink in water. Ultimately this is a comparison of...
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Defining Density
Three simple activities kick off a unit investigation of density. Your physical scientists make observations on the volume and mass of wood, water, and rocks, and make comparisons. Though this is written for grades three through eight,...
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From Gas to Liquid to Solid
From gas to liquid condensation to solid frost, water undergoes phase changes before students' eyes! Using ice, salt, water, and a metal can, they set up an investigation that can be used in a physical science setting, or as part of a...
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Exploring Moisture on the Outside of a Cold Cup: For Dry Environments
If the area you live in is arid, or the preceding experiment in this unit didn't yield obvious results, use this one in place of it to help reveal where condensation comes from. The mini unit that this is part of a comprehensive...
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Exploring Moisture on the Outside of a Cold Cup
As a stand-alone or as part of the intended unit, this is a valid investigation of what causes condensation to occur. By limiting the amount of air around a cold cup of water and comparing it to one out in the open, they find that the...
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Matter on the Move
Start this mini unit on matter out by demonstrating how food coloring behaves when placed in cold and in hot water. Then have the class experiment with warm water and soap film. Pupils will learn that an increase in thermal energy also...
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Noodling Around: Powers of Ten
How many noodles long is your classroom? Find out when engineers of all ages explore measurement through the use of pool noodles. With the noodles pre-cut to certain metric lengths, the activities could be used to introduce the metric...
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Condensation
It's time to break the ice! If you are doing all of the lessons in the unit, children have already seen that increasing heat increases the rate of evaporation, but is the opposite true? Does decreasing temperature cause more condensation...
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Evaporation
This is one in several lessons that explore the relationship between temperature and phase changes of water. After some discussion, elementary physical scientists place wet paper toweling on a hot and a room-temperature water bag and...
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Solubility Test
Make sure to consult the teacher's handbook, Inquiry in Action - Investigating Matter Through Inquiry, for two demonstrations that can be done to introduce solubility and measuring crystal mass before having the class conduct this...
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Look-Alike Liquids
Here is the first of four experiments to differentiate among unknown liquids by their behaviors and properties. Pupils observe how different liquids respond to being placed on plastic and paper, and they take notes about their...
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Temperature Affects the Solubility of Gases
Dare your class to drive dissolved carbon dioxide out of carbonated liquid at different temperatures to discover if there is a difference in rate. To make this experiment more sound, have explorers use equally measured amounts of soda...
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Dissolving Different Liquids in Water
Not many youngsters realize that solids aren't the only materials that can possibly be dissolved in water. During this investigation, they find out that some liquids can dissolve in water as well. This is part of a unit on solubility,...
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Temperature Affects Dissolving
Stir chocolate drink mix into hot and cold water to see if there is a difference in how quickly it dissolves. Number three in a six-lesson unit on dissolving, this installment investigates the effect of temperature. If you consult the...
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Dissolving a Substance in Different Liquids
Second of six lessons in a unit on dissolving, this one focuses on how sugar behaves in different liquids. Learners stir it into water, alcohol, and oil and make observations. This lesson can stand alone, but is best used as part of the...
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Defining Dissolving
Physical science investigators mix sugar and food coloring into different cups of water and cooking oil to compare how the solid and liquid behave in each. As the introduction to this unit on dissolving, it is relevant.
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Using the Combining Test to Identify Unknown Liquids
Once investigators have learned how their mystery liquids interact with water during the preceding activity, they now use their observations to identify them. This is an ideal conclusion to the mini unit on the properties of water.
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Using Color to See How Liquids Combine
Blue-tinted water is added to unknown liquids that have been tinted yellow to find out how they interact. This is a memorable activity that is part of an investigation on the properties of liquids, which is part of a unit on the...
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Recrystallization Test
Crystallize the answer to the question that has been investigated since the first of four lessons: What is the unknown crystal? Pupils have examined, crushed, and dissolved four samples plus an unknown as an exploration of the properties...
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Curious Crystals
Crystals are more than meets the eye! Can learners tell them apart simply by observation? As they examine five samples with a magnifier, they find that appearance alone is not enough. This serves as an introduction to a mini unit on...
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Mysterious M&M's
The first in a six-lesson mini unit, all using M&Ms® candies, this physical science activity gets kids to observe a single piece and discover what happens when it is placed in a plate of water. The activity can be used to introduce...
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Disappearing Act
Crafty critters are camouflaged to escape predators, and crafty science pupils can construct a camouflage demonstration. They work with a partner to show that as a camouflaged animal moves, it becomes more visible.
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Pupil
Give pupils a magnifier, a mirror, and a flashlight so that they can examine their own pupils. As they shine a light on their eyes, the light is shone on how this structure dilates and contracts to control how much is allowed into the...
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Where’s the Water?: Acting Out Science Cycles
Young scientists transform themselves into rivers, oceans, clouds, and drops of water in order to explore the water cycle. After assigning and explaining to students their different roles in the activity, the teacher reads aloud a...
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How Whales Breathe, Communicate... and Fart with Their Faces
Dr. Joy Reidenberg is an expert in comparative anatomy, but also quite relatable to preteens! Here, she lectures on echolocation by likening it to "farting with the face!" She explains with film, actual whale voice recordings, diagrams,...
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The Mayflower's Atlantic Crossing
By the end of this interdisciplinary lesson, youngsters will be able to describe the Gulf Stream ocean current and how it impacted the journey of the Mayflower ship. Reading, research, and the use of a really neat interactive website,...
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Non-Renewable Energy Resources
After brainstorming on our use of electricity, elementary energizers participate in a simulation where each student represents a city, utility provider, or fuel company. Tokens are used to purchase electrical energy, and as more is used,...
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Afterimage
To illuminate how afterimage occurs, create a star, square, or other geometric-shaped light for learners to look at for 30 seconds. Then, have them explain what they see as they shift their focus to a blank wall. A full explanation of...
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How is Flowing Water an Energy Source? Activity A
Here is a fun little exploration of the potential energy potential of falling water. Learners drop water from various heights using a straw, and they analyze the diameter of the splash. Pair this with two more activities of the same...
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How is Flowing Water an Energy Source? Activity B
Explore the world's water without leaving the classroom! In this second of three uncomplicated but wonderful activities, physical science learners feel the pressure of water. They discover that the deeper the water, the stronger the...
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Popsicle Bridge
Using popsicle sticks and glue, groups must work together to design and build a bridge that can support weight and is aesthetically pleasing. The lesson begins by learners reading about different features of bridge architecture, followed...
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Assembly Line
Working under specific constraints and with designated criteria, groups work together to create a product using an assembly line process. In addition, they work through the entire engineering design process with an excellent graphic to...
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Penny Droplets
Compare the number of drops of pure water and soapy water that will sit atop a penny before spilling over. This is an engaging exercise that will demonstrate the amazing property of cohesion in water molecules that results in a surface...
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Interactive Gumball Machine
Sure, you may be able to build a better mousetrap, but what about a gum dispenser? In a fun engineering challenge, teams must design and build a working interactive gumball machine with specific constraints and criteria.