Purdue University
Exploring Whirligigs
What's that silly thing spinning in the wind? It's a whirligig! Explore wonderful windy whirligigs with a STEM-based unit that teaches the science and concepts behind these gigs. Scholars discover how gravity and air resistance...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Straight Line Motion
Students examine gravity, mass, and friction. In this speed and motion instructional activity, students investigate how straight line motion is impacted by gravity, mass, and fiction as they participate in a hands-on activity.
Curated OER
Roller Coasters
Twisting and turning through the sky, roller coasters are popular attractions at amusement parks around the world, but how exactly do they work? Explore the physics behind these thrilling rides with an engineering design activity....
Curated OER
Simple Machines I - Inclined Planes, Wedges, and Screws
The principles and uses of inclined planes, screws, and wedges are the focus of a science lesson. In it, youngsters come up with every day examples of simple machines, and build an example of one in class. That project is then used to...
Curated OER
Insoluble Paintings
Use this art lesson plan to study insolubility and density. Combining water-based paint and mineral oil will cause a fun and interactive painting. This is a great art project to incorporate during a science unit.
Curated OER
Seed to Soup Organic Garden
Have your young biologists visit decomposition stations as they explore the process of organic material. This activity involves some set-up as kids will be visiting 13 desks to collect colored paper each representing a different element...
Curated OER
Living On The Moon
Students evaluate what life would be like living on the moon or another planet in our solar system. In this science lesson, students create a colony that they would use to live in on the moon using Legos.
Curated OER
The Science of Swinging
Students learn how a pendulum works in the concept of an amusement park ride. In this pendulum lesson, students are introduced to Newton's first law of motion and how it works in an amusement park ride. Continuous motion and inertia are...
Curated OER
Toys in Space
Studentsexplore how gravity affects the operation of toys and simple machines. They watch a video and experiment with simple machines.
Cornell University
Catapults
Ready, aim, fire! Launch to a new level of understanding as scholars build and test their own catapults. Learners explore lever design and how adjusting the fulcrum changes the outcome.
Curated OER
Mini-Landslide
Students explore how different materials (sand, gravel, lava rock) with different water contents on different slopes result in landslides of different severity. They measure the severity by how far the landslide debris extends into model...
Curated OER
The Incredible Light Bulb-Egg Drop Challenge
Students examine how spacecraft land on Mars. Using eggs or lightbulbs, they design a craft that withstand a drop from a table or ladder, competing in groups to see which module demonstrates the most successful landing.
Curated OER
Environment: Erosion Boxes
Fourth graders discover how the processes of erosion and weathering alter the physical characteristics of the environment. In a student log,they record the various types of erosion and list ways to prevent it. Using clear, plastic...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Investigating Friction
Young learners explore friction. They view a video or DVD (bibliography provided) and define terms related to friction, and work in groups to experiment with the effects of friction on speed and motion using ramps and toy cars.
Curated OER
Go To The Head of the Cloud
Students pretend they are water droplets traveling through the water cycle. Using their text, they discover the steps in the cycle and the different paths water can take. They write a report about their journey through the water cycle...
Curated OER
Infection Wars
Students observe blood cells under a microscope and make drawings of their observations. They write and act out a short play starring blood cells, antibodies and bacteria to demonstrate fighting infection.
Curated OER
Planetary Poster
Learners engage in a study about the planets and create a poster as one of the projects during the study. They create individual charts for mapping the solar system so the locations can be found in mock space missions to other planets.
Curated OER
Convection and Wind
Learners use water, beakers, hot plates, paper dots, and goggles to participate in a hands on activity where they see how a convection current creates wind. In this convection current lesson plan, students participate in a hands on...
Curated OER
Lunch in Outer Space!
Students explore the challenges astronauts face while eating in outer space. In small groups, they design and construct an original model device to assist astronauts eat in a microgravity environment.
Curated OER
Erosion: Slip Sliding Away
Fourth graders investigate the causes of erosion. Through several demonstrations including one using sugar cubes and warm water, they observe the effects of erosion. In groups, 4th graders conduct similar experiments and record their...
Curated OER
Infection Wars
Students explore how our bodies fight infection. Using a microscope, they observe red blood cells, white blood cells and different bacteria under a microscope.
Curated OER
Build Your Own Parachute
Students study the basics of parachuting. For this flight and aerodynamics lesson students make a simple parachute and investigate different variables that can cause potential problems.
Curated OER
Erosion
Students examine soil erosion and what causes it. In this soil lesson students complete several experiments on soil erosion and the weathering process.
Curated OER
Plop! Plop! Fizz! Fizz!
Fourth graders study physical and chemical weathering. They explain how the processes of weathering and erosion change and move materials that become soil. They create a K-W-L chart to show what they know and list what else they would...