DNA is the code for all biological traits, both plant and animal. Using an exploratory lesson, learners begin to explore the concept of a biological code by decoding word puzzles. They then extract DNA from plant cells using detergent to...

The Cold War—with its roots in World War II—impacts the world today. Using an extensive curriculum, scholars consider its impact through primary sources, including speeches and propaganda, as well as other skills-enhancing activities. An...

Learners investigate a frog's life cycle. In this tadpole lesson, students observe tadpoles in an aquarium and record results. Learners fill in a KWL chart as an assessment.

Students read The Empty Pot as an introduction to plants. In this planting lesson, students understand a sequence of events in the book and relate it to the sequence of a plants life. Students grow plants and record information in flower...

What's in soil? Young scientists study the pH levels of soil from their school yard. They observe the land and area the soil came from to decide if location has anything to do with acidity level.

Exactly how environmentally friendly is your school? From the air fresheners in the bathrooms to the cleaning solvents used in the classrooms, young conservationists search the school grounds for sources of air pollution in...

Be shore to use this drifter resource. The third installment of a five-part series has learners using the NOAA's Adopt-a-Drifter website to track to movement of a drifter (buoy) in the ocean. Graphing the collected data on a map allows...

Pupils explore the function and structures of cells, including plant and animal cells. They explore cell parts including cell wall, ribosomes, chromosomes, nucleoid, plasmids, flagella, pilli, and plasma membrane, cel

Students explore human senses. In this applied Science lesson, students utilize their senses to distinguish various objects. Students explain their descriptions.

What does it mean to be resistant to electricity? Scholars answer the question in a six-part STEM lesson on electricity. They begin by assessing the conductivity of several different materials and progress to designing their own circuits...

Students investigate forms of energy. In this physical science energy lesson, students work with a partner classifying household items according to the type of energy they have. Students complete a related worksheet.

Students listen to literature selection, describe life cycle of silkworm, discuss what they know about growth in living things, observe silkworms for one week and record observations in science journals, and review stages of growth.

Fourth graders generalize that all animals, including people, depend on plants as a food source. In this science lesson plan, 4th graders describe and construct a food chain, tell how pesticides enter the food chain, and discuss possible...

Students create a town model and analyze the type of greenhouse gases their town emits. In this earth science lesson, students build greenhouses to investigate how trapped heat causes temperature change. They relate this activity to...

Students research about the physiological effects of prolonged lead exposure. In this chemistry lesson, students investigate the lead content of different paint, soil and water samples. They analyze data trends and share their findings...

Learners study about senses by taking a walking field trip, creating a word bank, reading a story and singing a song.

Fifth graders are introduced to the concept of clustering. In groups, they use their new science vocabulary words to put into a web or cluster. To end the lesson, they read a book related to electricity and write the definitions of any...

Students identify the five senses and their functions and explain what information each sense gives us. They collect information gained through observation and experiences. They practice identifying new vocabulary words from the word wall.

Students explore the parts of the cell. In this cell lesson, students use foods to create cell models that represent the nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane, mitochondria, ribosomes, vacuoles, endoplasmic reticulum, and Golgi bodies...

Students listen to "Heat Wave" by Helen Ketterman and discuss the story by creating a word web with heat as the main topic. They break into groups and conduct an experiment using a thermometer to record the temperature of melting ice...

First graders associate events and objects with day or night. They create a word bank and use is as a reference to create sentences about the sun. They conduct sun-themed experiments and art projects.

Students explore the states of water. In this physical science lesson, students use ice and dry ice to observe the changes in the state of matter. Students record the results.

Pupils review properties of matter and discuss how materials change when things are done to them. They observe how materials change as a reaction to temperature by following the procedure to make ice cream and recording the temperature...

Are you feeling the pressure? Let loose a little with a kinesthetic activity that models molecular motion in a closed space! The activity varies conditions such as volume and temperature and examines the effects on molecules.