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...

A scenario is presented for chemistry techs to address. Using titration techniques, they must analyze hydrogen peroxide solution samples. They evaluate accuracy and precision in the process. They also gain experience consulting the MSDS...

Model hardness testing with a self-designed hardness test. Young scholars rate the hardness of different types of aspirin using the Vicker's Hardness scale. They then relate hardness to the solubility of each aspirin tablet.

When given too much data to simply memorize, it helps to sort it into manageable groups. The second activity in the six-part series of Cosmic Chemistry challenges groups of pupils to take a large amount of data and figure out how to best...

Students explore the concept of electricity in this activity based unit.  In this physical science lesson, students focus on electricity and electrical engineering. The teaching unit includes 5 activities to develop students...

Evaluate patterns of numbers through an engaging task. Scholars work collaboratively to determine a general rule reflecting the sum of consecutive positive integers. Multiple patterns emerge as learners explore different arrangements.

What a clever idea! Chemistry learners imagine themselves deserted on an island with a radio, but no batteries. They also have a few odds and ends in their pockets and storage chest. They are challenged to create a battery that will...

Eighth graders record the temperature change of the beakers. In this general science lesson, 8th graders create their own data table for recording observations. They discuss experimental results and cite real life applications.

Students examine the variation among responses of seeds to the same dose of the same chemical. In reviewing their seed investigation, students note that sometimes not all seeds in the same bag responded in the same way.

Study everything about plants! The 12-part series of lessons continues with an examination of many aspects of plants. Components of the laboratory activity address the growth and structure of plants by evaluating familiar plants. The...

Find similarities in seemingly unlike organisms. The second instructional activity in a series of 12 builds the concept of a taxonomy and explores the use of a dichotomous key. Learners begin in part one by attempting to group a set of...

Students learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students explore the world of spiders as they travel into a science fiction film to learn the truth about spiders.

Students investigate the trees of the Mississippi Valley, specifically looking at the coniferous and deciduous forests. The research of the area is part of a field study when students conduct a survey of local forests in order to create...

Students explore energy. In this science lesson, students conduct an experiment in which they measure how much energy is produced by the sun. Students build a calorimeter to measure the amount of energy.

Students observe a simple water cycle model to better understand its role in pollutant transport. This activity shows one way in which pollution is affected by the water cycle; it simulates a point source of pollution in a lake and the...

Students are introduced to the differences between acids and bases and how to use indicators, such as pH paper and red cabbage juice, to distinguish between them. They make predictions that can be answered through scientific...

Middle schoolers have years of experience when it comes to how their bodies work. Surely they have some questions as well. Here is an opportunity for them to practice the scientific method in an attempt to answer some of those questions....

Students study technology and the different reproductive technologies available today.  For this human reproductive technology lesson students describe how engineers create technologies to improve the health of mothers and...

Young scholars observe the brightness of stars and are introduced to the concept of apparent brightness as a measure of how much light hits a detector of a surface area during a given time. In this star lesson, students make connections...

Learners work together in groups to complete various stations on the cycles of cells. Individually, they keep their completed work in a folder after following specific instructions on how to complete each experiment. They use the...

Students examine renewable energy sources such as solar, water, and wind. They experiment to determine how renewable energy is transformed into electricity. They investigate the role of engineers who work in the field of renewable energy.

Young scholars participate in an experiment to understand how robotic systems can estimate distances.  In this robotic ranger instructional activity, students measure the the time it takes for and object to move back and...

Students research the mechanics of liquid chromatography. For this technology lesson, students calculate the concentration of unknown samples. They write a report about their research and lab results.

Young scholars examine the basic concepts of radio waves and magnetic fields. They study how the AM radios are built and demonstrate the concepts of amplitude and frequency.