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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.
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
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
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
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
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
We Are Innovators: Elementary Curriculum
The lessons in WE Are Innovators collection encourage fourth, fifth, and sixth graders to use their STEM skills to come up with innovative products or services to help solve a social, environmental, or economic issue. They tackle food...
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
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...
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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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
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
Summer Vacation
These activities are lessons used under the theme of Summer. It contains lessons in various subjects.
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
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
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...
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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...
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...
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
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...
Lesson Planet
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...
Lesson Planet
Lunar Cycle
Wax on, Wane off. How will you teach your learners the phases of the moon and stages of the lunar cycle?
Lesson Planet
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
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
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...
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
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
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
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...
Lesson Planet
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.
Lesson Planet
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...
Lesson Planet
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...
Lesson Planet
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
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. The focus of...
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.
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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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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...
Lesson Planet
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.
Lesson Planet
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...
Lesson Planet
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
Sound Uncovered
Get your pupils ready for a mind-blowing, enlightening experience with Sound Uncovered, an interactive book which introduces us to the incredible world of sound and the mind's ear. Did you know that there is an entire branch of...
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.
Lesson Planet
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, students...
Lesson Planet
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
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.
Lesson Planet
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.
Lesson Planet
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.
Lesson Planet
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.
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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.
Lesson Planet
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.
Lesson Planet
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 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.
Lesson Planet
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!
Lesson Planet
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...
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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
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...
Lesson Planet
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...
Lesson Planet
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...
Lesson Planet
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...
Lesson Planet
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...
Lesson Planet
Worm Your Way Out of This
How can you provide healthy soil for your garden? Study worms, bacteria, and other microorganisms in a activity 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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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.
Lesson Planet
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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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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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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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...
Lesson Planet
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...
Lesson Planet
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...
Lesson Planet
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...
Lesson Planet
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...
Lesson Planet
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...
Lesson Planet
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...
Lesson Planet
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...
Lesson Planet
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...
Lesson Planet
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,...
Lesson Planet
The Mayflower's Atlantic Crossing
By the end of this interdisciplinary lesson plan, 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...
Lesson Planet
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,...
Lesson Planet
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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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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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.
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Matter
In a fun lesson, kids learn about states of matter by identifying solids and liquids, then experimenting with gas to see if it has energy. Young scientists place raisins in a jar of club soda to see how the gas affects the floating or...
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The Power of Graphene
To prepare for the activity, STEM classes read about nanotechnology and the amazing properties of graphene. They collect a graphene sample from pencils, and then connect them into simple circuits to determine whether it makes a better...
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Try Your Hand at Nano
Fascinating reading about nanotechnology, nanoscale properties, and liquid crystals precedes a fun activity for young engineers. They measure their hands in nanometers, research, and then investigate how heat effects a sheet containing...
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Light but Strong: A Lesson in Engineering
Aspiring space engineers design a rocket launch platform together to explore materials. The platform needs to be lightweight so that it can be transported easily, but super strong so that it can support the weight of the rocket and its...
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Riding on a Pendulum
A comprehensive resource gets fourth grade physical scientists making observations about the period of a pendulum and then applying knowledge to a playground swing. Through seven different stations, they will record observations and...
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Statue Display Tower
Sometimes engineering problems that seem easy prove to be more challenging than imagined. Present your class with the challenge to build a functional display tower to support a statue using only the supplies available in class while...
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Water Tower Challenge
Providing clean water to a town is quite a feat... is your class up for the challenge? After a short reading about water towers, groups work together to design a working water delivery system. The water flow must be adjustable (able to...
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Tall Tower Challenge
A fun and challenging activity for nearly any age group, partners must work together to build the tallest structure possible using paper clips, straws, and pipe cleaners. In addition to being tall, the structure must also be able to...
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My Weather Station
A printable weather station that will blow you away, this includes tools that little meteorologists can use to display their observations of daily weather conditions. There is a gauge where they can slide a pointer to show the...
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How to Build a Turbine
Here is a six-minute video of a pair of electrical engineers that illustrate how to build a wind turbine. A list of materials is provided, along with general guidelines for your class. Use this to introduce turbine design to your...
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The Great Marble Drop
Mike and Kellie, a team of electrical engineers, demonstrate how to to design a contraption that accurately drops a marble onto a target. The materials needed and general instructions are provided on the website or via a downloadable...
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The Case of the Mysterious Renters
Upper-elementary kids examine the water usage in their own home, then use that data to solve a case in which a landlady is trying to determine how many people are living in an apartment being rented. Combine math, scientific method, and...
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Urban Environmental Accords for Kids!
It doesn't matter how old you are or where you live, you can help protect the environment. Created in 2005 for World Environment Day, the agreement shows that the simple steps one can take to make a change have stayed the same, despite...
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Why Animals Migrate
Are you looking for a moving lesson on animal migration for kids? This one will get you there! It includes class discussion, several high-quality video clips, a printable note-taking table, and a Venn diagram for comparing and...
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Animal Migrations
Here is a fabulous set of activities for your young scientists. Each lesson contains map, hands-on, and game activities that will help the class understand why and how animals migrate from one place to another. First they'll examine the...
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Poison vs. Venom: What's the Difference?
Did you know that poison and venom are not the same? Both are toxic, but poison must be inhaled, ingested, or absorbed, while venom must be injected into a wound. The narrator explains that some toxic compounds may be used for good, as...
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Ship the Chip
Here is a tasty challenge, especially for middle school engineers: design a container that meets mass and volume criteria, and will safely transport a tortilla or potato chip through the mail without damaging it! Mostly, this is a crisp...
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Sugar Crystal Challenge
Blow your learners' minds with a sweet lesson on nanotechnology that uses sugar to demonstrate the difference nanoscale surface area makes in dissolving and crystal formation. Plenty of supportive background information is read to...
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Tinkering with Tops
Get kids' heads spinning by challenging them to design a top that will rotate for a minimum of 10 seconds without leaving a 30-cm circle. Groups of learners collaborate through a planning stage, testing stage, and evaluation stage. Some...
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The Science of Macaroni Salad: What's in a Mixture?
Mix things up in your physical science class by introducing mixtures. The three types are defined: suspension, colloid, and solution. It all depends on the size and type of the involved particles. With attractive animation and an...
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The Science of Macaroni Salad: What's in a Molecule?
After showing they quick-paced featurette on the breaking of bonds, hold a discussion using the accompanying Think questions. Complex molecules are broken down into smaller molecules during digestion. There are six main molecules that...
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Folding Matters
Have your physical scientists try some engineering origami by examining how the folding of materials can have practical and beneficial applications. Teams use their convoluted cortexes to collaborate on constructing a solar panel that is...
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Classroom Paper Recycling
After reading about the history and recycling of paper, creative crafters collaborate to think of a new process for making recycled paper. A complete teacher's guide and student worksheets are included. There is no written procedure for...
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My Insect Report
Is your class writing a report on insects? If they are, you have to check out this great set of worksheets. It provides a well-scaffolded system they can use to organize their research findings in order to compose a well-structured...
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I Want It! I Need It!
Discuss wants and needs with your elementary ecologists and get them to consider what would happen to our natural resources if we all got everything that we want. Learners play a card sorting game and take an ecological footprint quiz on...
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The Brilliance of Bioluminescence
Illuminate the darkest corners of your marine biology or life science class with this feature about bioluminescence. Viewers see that luciferase and luciferin combine in a cool, light-producing reaction. This adaptation helps glowing...
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The Simple Story of Photosynthesis and Food
Meet adorable, animated chloroplasts as they produce glucose with the help of the sun. Viewers learn how carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and electrons are combined to form carbohydrates with an engaging video. The narrator also explains how...
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Rain Gauge Activity
Complete teacher narrative and presentation slides for teaching about Earth's water make up the bulk of this lesson. Embedded within the slide show, you will find videos about the water cycle, keeping track of the limited supply of fresh...
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Study Jams! Arthropods
No need to be crabby! Here is a resource that teaches your class about the characteristics of arthropods and provides stunning photos of several of them. In addition to the superb slides and their informative accompanying captions, the...
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Study Jams! Animal Adaptations
Physical and behavioral adaptations are discussed by two teen girls as monarch butterflies flutter by. They also describe the process of natural selection. With colorful animation and relatable teen language, learners are sure to adapt...
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Study Jams! Weather Instruments
Concise, yet complete, this set of seven slides describes with photos and text the different basic instruments for measuring weather factors. After viewing, young meteorologists will be able to talk about how to measure humidity, wind...
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Study Jams! The Moon
Take your class to the moon and back with this compact slide show. A mix of computer-generated images and photographs are supported by explanatory text. Observers learn about the moon's movements, its physical features, and its phases....
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Study Jams! Clouds & Precipitation
Pretty pictures of water droplets, clouds, and snow-covered mountains are the backdrop for information about clouds and precipitation. With 10 slides in all, viewers see how and where clouds form as well as what forms of water can fall...
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Study Jams! Weather & Climate
Introducing your class to weather concepts is a breeze with this fresh film! It differentiates between weather and climate, describes the factors that affect weather (temperature, air pressure and humidity), and displays Earth's climate...
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Study Jams! Severe Storms
Tornadoes and hurricanes and blizzards, oh my! Severe storms are always occurring somewhere on the planet. By reading through these slides, learners discover the characteristics of each type. Have them do this as homework and then take...
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Study Jams! Force & Motion
Set youngsters in motion when studying forces. This quick animated film stars Sam and Mia, two intelligent but cool kids who talk about forces and motion on the soccer field. Consider using this resource when preparing junior-high...
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Study Jams! Volcanoes
You will lava this little clip about volcanoes! It explains what a volcano is and describes the four different types. It also addresses how magma flows through a conduit, passes through a vent, and becomes lava. All of this takes place...
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Study Jams! Landforms
First-class photographs dazzle your class as they are acquainted with Earth's various landforms. To reinforce learning, they can take a multiple-choice quiz, sing along to a karaoke song, or review key vocabulary terms, all on this...
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Study Jams! Light
Let there be light in your classroom with a video that explains that light travels in waves, the electromagnetic spectrum contains seven colors, and the color of an object depends on which light waves it reflects and absorbs. With...
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Next Generation Science Standards
Are you having trouble deciphering the Next Generation Science Standards on the website, or just trying to find the standards for your grade in a quick-and-easy format? If so, here is a free and easy-to-navigate app made with you in mind.
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Nano Waterproofing
This lesson will make an impact, especially on scientist-athletes who may have an interest in waterproof clothing! Acting as materials engineers, they work collaboratively on waterproofing pieces of cotton fabric. This challenge is...
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Telescoping Periscope
Ahoy, matey! Here is an engineering expedition that mini mariners are sure to be swept away by! After reading a brief description and history of periscopes, they work in crews to construct one. Use this activity to enhance a lesson on...
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Heart and Lungs
With a partner, youngsters measure their pulse and breathing rates, both at rest and after running in place for a minute. While this activity is not novel, the lesson plan includes a large-scale classroom graphing activity and other...
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Filtration Investigation
Scholars build a simple filtration system to remove impurities from muddy water and rate the filtered water to a grade of clarity scale. The focus is on teamwork and problem solving. This instructional activity would be effective in your...
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Exploring at the Nanoscale
Nano-nano! Nanotechnology can seem like it's from another planet! After learning about this tiny technology, collaborative groups experiment with how smaller particles affect chemical reactions. They do this by immersing a whole and a...
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Food Webs
Explore various ecosystems from around the world as your class discovers the interdependence of all living things. Using the provided sets of ecosystem cards, young scientists work in small groups building food webs to demonstrate the...
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Toxic Popcorn Design Challenge
Engineering enthusiasts are sure to explode in understanding as they practice the engineering design process (EDP). A container of "toxic popcorn" is placed in the classroom. Teams must work together to devise a method for removing it...
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Working with Watermills
In collaborative groups, emerging engineers or environmental scientists plan and construct a water wheel or watermill that rotates for a total of three minutes. Everything you need to carry out this lesson is included: objectives,...
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Heart Rate and Exercise
What is the relationship among the heart, circulation, and exercise? Your class members will explore first-hand how different physical exercises affect an individual's heart rate. They will begin by learning how to measure their own...
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Can Nutrients in Water Cause Harm?
Ecology candidates culture pond water organisms over a few days time, then they experiment to find out how increasing nutrients affects the population. As part of a unit on water, this exploration gives your class an understanding of how...
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Characteristics of Inner Planets
Aspiring astronomers assess the inner planets using this handout. They read about the characteristics of each, noting that all four of them have rocky surfaces. Rotation and revolution are introduced, including Venus' retrograde...
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What Is the Water Cycle?
Small groups place sand and ice in a covered box, place the box in the sunlight, then observe as evaporation, condensation, and precipitation occur. These models serve as miniature water cycles and demonstrations of the three phases of...
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Using Heat from the Sun
Let's heat things up! This simple experiment demonstrates for students the important role the sun plays in providing the earth with energy. Place one cup of water in direct sunlight and one in shade, then take measurements in order to...
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Rainbow in the Room
Uncover the science behind the beautiful phenomena of rainbows with a simple demonstration. Shine light through different-sized containers of water as young scientists learn that rainbows occur when visible light is split up into its...
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Fossil Fuels and the Carbon Cycle
Humans are quickly depleting Earth's fossil fuels and locating them is becoming increasingly difficult! Layered muffins are used for models as young geologists take core samples in order to determine the presence of oil. Consider first...
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Study Jams! Sound
Listen in as Mia and Sam expound on sound. It is caused by vibrations and travels in waves. It has the qualities of pitch, frequency, and volume. This hip animation displays a graph to depict the frequency and amplitude of sound waves....
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Study Jams! Light Absorption, Reflection, & Refraction
Zoe and RJ are trying to photograph an egret on a lake, but they are having trouble with the lighting. Reflection, refraction, and absorption are explored through their thoughtful dialogue so that your physical scientists are illuminated...
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Study Jams! Properties of Matter
Does matter really matter? Properties of matter are discussed by Sam and RJ: mass, volume, and density. They differentiate between mass and weight. They explain how to measure these properties. Make sure to teach your class about other...
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Study Jams! Solids, Liquids, Gases
Your physical science class learns that there are three states of matter, and that adding or removing heat can cause it to change from one state to another. By the animations, printed information, and discussion between RJ and Zoe, they...
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People and Climate
Model how the sun's energy strikes the planet and help your class relate it to a climate map. Assign small groups an individual climate zone to discuss. They reflect on and research how humans survive in the assigned climate and write a...
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Creating a Butterfly Garden and Habitat
This complete set of instructions for creating your very own butterfly garden and habitat is so cool! With some seeds and the handy resources in this activity, you and your class will be able to determine which type of habitat is best...
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How to Fossilize Yourself
Here is an unusual question: How can I become a famous fossil for future generations to examine and adore? It is from this comical perspective that viewers learn how fossilization occurs. Show this for your middle school paleontologists...
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Study Jams! Periodic Table
In a friendly, casual conversation on the beach, two animated teens discuss the periodic table. Assign this video to be viewed at home by physical science fans. After viewing, they can write definitions for key vocabulary terms and take...