Curated OER
The Day an Egg Solved the Mystery of the Cell
Students conduct an experiment comparing human cells to chicken cells. In this cells lesson plan, students conduct an experiment to see how nutrition moves through cells and how to better take care of their bodies.
Curated OER
What's Your Sign? The Science Behind The Zodiac
Students investigate the concepts dealing with the motions of celestial objects, the ancient origins of the Zodiac and the science behind the Zodiac.
Curated OER
An Internet Lesson on the Planets
Sixth graders research one of the planets in the solar system based on questions that they develop using information from the Internet. They create a travel brochure using the research information.
Curated OER
Fall Lesson Plans
Fall lesson plans can combine science, history, and writing into an enticing combination.
Curated OER
What's This Solar System All About?
Sixth graders complete a unit of lessons on the solar system. In small groups, they participate in a Webquest, watch movies, complete graphic organizers, and answer questions, create a model of the planets, and develop a Powerpoint...
Curated OER
Our Space Station Earth
Students discover ways to preserve the Earth's resources. For this natural resources lesson, students investigate how many gallons of water the average American uses per day and then total their estimated usage. Students discuss the...
Curated OER
Phases of the Moon
Sixth graders learn that the moon orbits the Earth in a predictable cycle. Each learner engages in a two-week observation of the moon. They sketch its appearance, and take note of its position in relation to objects in their yard. Some...
Curated OER
Can You Hear a Tree Fall in Space?
How does sound travel in space? Fifth graders investigate this question with a science activity, in which they research the properties of sound. Schedule a lab visit for individual Internet research, or include the activity after you...
US Environmental Protection Agency
Weather and Climate: What's the Difference?
Future weather forecasters collect daily temperatures over a period of time. Afterward, they compare their data with monthly averages, as researched on national weather websites, in order to grasp the difference between weather and...
University of Colorado
The Jovian System: A Scale Model
Jupiter has 67 moons! As the seventh in a series of 22, the exercise shows learners the size and scale of Jupiter and its Galilean moons through a model. They then arrange the model to show how probes orbited and gathered data.
University of Texas
Observing the Moon
Why does it look like there is a man on the moon? Why does the moon look different every night? These are the focus questions of a lesson that prompts class members to observe and record the nightly changes of Earth's natural...
Colorado State University
Why Do Clouds Form in the Afternoon?
The stability of the atmosphere changes on a daily basis. A kinesthetic lesson models how the stability of the air changes as it's warmed by the sun. Learners connect their models to the changing air currents and movement of warm and...
Teach Engineering
Air Under Pressure
Introduce your class to air masses and how they affect the weather with a activity that focuses on the differences between high and low air pressure systems. The class explores actual weather data using archived weather data.
Curated OER
Tides - The Ins and Outs of Tides
Get your junior oceanographers to generate tidal prediction graphs on an interactive website. They will feel like experts in the field, or shall we say, experts in the ocean! This is a brief, but worthwhile activity that could be used to...
Curated OER
A Design You’ll Dig: Designing a Habitat for Worms
Learners discover how worms contribute to the balance of the environment. For this composting lesson, students study the composting and decomposition processes. Learners then create habitats for worms that allow them to do their jobs.
Green Learning
Build Your Own Solar Oven
This is not exactly a lesson plan, but rather a six-page document detailing how to build a solar oven. A bit of background information, materials list, diagrams and photos, and clearly-written procedures are all included. There are no...
Teach Engineering
The Amazing Red Planet
Introduce your class to Mars with a resource that provides information about its size, location, length of day, length of year, number of moons, and average temperature. Also includes is information about the lans for past...
Curated OER
Recycling Quiz
Ten multiple questions about recycling comprise this quiz. Administer this as a pre-test prior to presenting a lesson on recycling glass, plastic, and metals. Since an answer key is provided along with comments, you can use it as a guide...
Curated OER
Winter Wonderland - Winter Olympics and the Water Cycle
After a concise introduction to the water cycle, junior meteorologists access NOAA's average snowfall data. They choose a city to examine in terms of precipitation. Then they look at historical snowfall data and use it to predict snow...
US Environmental Protection Agency
Non-Point Source Pollution
Investigate the different types of pollution that storm drain runoff carries into oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams with this class demonstration. Using an aquarium and an assortment of everyday items that contaminants like motor oil,...
ARKive
Human Impact on the Environment
Study the ways that humans have impacted the environment, particularly the spread of plastic waste. After watching a short film about the Laysan albatross population, learners complete a worksheet and research other ways that plastic...
Colorado State University
What Is Energy?
Don't let the energy of your classroom falter! Explore the scientific definition of energy through play. A hands-on lesson focuses on the change of energy from one form to another.
PHET
Measuring the Interplanetary Magnetic Field
Scientists need to figure out how to measure interplanetary magnetic fields, but the magnetic field of the spacecraft is interfering with their readings. Scholars attempt to solve the problem that has perplexed NASA scientists for years.
Curated OER
Lunar Learning
Students learn about the phases of the moon. In this moon phases lesson, students learn about what causes the moon to look different to us everyday and how the Earth and Sun's position determine what phase the moon is in.