Virginia Department of Education
Freshwater Food Chains
What's in the water? Encourage your class to further explore this question and learn about pond ecosystems, food chains, and food webs as they complete this hands-on activity. They view the environment from a new perspective after...
Curated OER
DNA Fingerprinting
Students discuss methods used by forensic scientists and the basics of DNA and how it can be used to identify an individual after reading an article from The New York Times.
Curated OER
Curriculum Activities: Ecological Concepts
Students explore a variety of microclimates to develop an awareness of why organisms live where they do. Moisture, time of day, land cover, and temperature form the basic concepts of this investigation.
Curated OER
Environmental Harmony
Students use information from a variety of media to evaluate different artists' views on the human relationship to nature. From these sources, class discussion, and personal experience, students will synthesize a thoughtful,...
Curated OER
Using Maps to Make Public Health Descisions Case Study: Harmful Algal Blooms in the Gulf of Mexico
Students are introduced to GIS and its uses. Students participate as public health scientists to deliberate a course of action to explore possible research questions. Pupils interpret spatial data, and make predictions based on GIS data,...
Discovery Education
Sonar & Echolocation
A well-designed, comprehensive, and attractive slide show supports direct instruction on how sonar and echolocation work. Contained within the slides are links to interactive websites and instructions for using apps on a mobile device to...
California Academy of Science
Coral and Chemistry
Using cabbage juice as a pH indicator, future scientists explore the effect of increasing carbon dioxide on the pH of the ocean and relate it to the health of coral reefs. Ideal for an earth or environmental sciences course, this lesson...
Curated OER
Far Out!
Students research and compare/contrast how routine tasks on Earth would be without gravity. They read and discuss the article "The Life Galactic: A Lot of Work, a Little Play, Plenty of E-Mail." In groups they write a pitch for a TV...
Curated OER
Fishing
Students explore the techniques and basic needs of the fisherman. For this fishing lesson, students view a demonstration of the use of fishing equipment. Students research Iowa farm ponds and design a class mural from their...
Curated OER
Polymerization Experiments
Students study the concepts of polymerization and the function of crosslinkage. For this polymer lesson students complete a lab activity and write down their observations.
Curated OER
The Cell
Students study the basic processes by which cells divide and transfer their genetic information. They recognize and distinguish possible inherited traits and through the discovery method of the facts and principles of inheritance. this...
Curated OER
Cell-to-Cell
Ninth graders use online tutorials, class discussion, presentations and scientific articles to explore types of cells along with cell structure, function and behavior. They explore ethical questions related to cells and disease.
Curated OER
Remote Sensing
Students study the effects of global warming on specific organisms. They research the possible problems global warming is causing.
Curated OER
The Hand Drill: An Example of a Screw
Students examine how a screw works as an inclined plane and a hand drill works as a screw. In this physics lesson, students complete two hands-on activities working with simple machines including screws and hand drills. This lesson...
Curated OER
Seeing in 3D: Interpreting Two-Dimensional Diagrams of Three-Dimensional Objects
Students hone in on their skills at reading diagrams. For this dimensional lesson students collect information on the functions of organs then figure out how all the parts work together.
Curated OER
Reading Chemical Formulas
Students interpret basic chemical formulas. When class begins, students interpret a "chemical formula" for fruit salad. After they interpret the recipe, students use the same strategies to identify chemical formulas. They evaluate the...
Serendip
Soap Opera Genetics – Genetics to Resolve Family Arguments
Did she cheat on her husband? Did the hospital switch the babies? Should they have children? As much as this sounds like the plot for a soap opera, all of these questions fit into a single lesson on genetics. Scholars read about three...
Give and Let Live
Blood and Transplant: Bone Marrow
What causes someone to need a bone marrow transplant? Fascinate your class with a lesson on the intricate task of procuring bone marrow for patients suffering from illnesses like leukemia. The fourth and final installment in a series...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Is Measuring an Art or a Science?
Not only do future engineers learn the difference between accuracy and precision, they also get some hands-on experience using different measuring tools.
Virginia Department of Education
Go with the Flow
How does nature's hierarchy relate to our local human environment? Answer this question, along with others, as the class visually depicts the natural hierarchy provided by nature. Pupils discuss each piece of the pyramid and its energy...
Curated OER
TECH:Model Rocketry - Air Powered (Trans)
Students describe the evolution of rocketry and the impacts of aerospace technology. They explain the basic principles of flight and basic physics of motion. Students design, construct, and launch a small rocket.
Curated OER
To Smell or Not to Smell, That is the Ester
Students explain the basic concepts of polymerization. Students participate in a lab to create a crude preparation of carboxyl esterase and test its effectiveness in reducing the residual monomer in an emulsion such as paint.
Curated OER
Radiation
Students distinguish between natural and man-made radiation. They measure radiation using a Geiger counter and investigate footprints of radiation.
Curated OER
The Global Impact of Insect Borne Diseases & Agriculture
Pupils study the global impact of insect borne diseases, the appropriate use of pesticides, and the concept of human interrelations on a world wide scale. They examine how to safely apply a pesticide, according to the label.