University of Minnesota
Dendritic Spines Lab
This is your brain on drugs ... literally! Your neuroscientists-in-training examine the evidence of drug use on the human brain and how neurons change their connectivity when altered by drugs. They then work together to create testing...
American Institute of Physics
The Physical Sciences at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
The history of science instruction at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) is the focus of a lesson that explores the early challenges these institutions faced in accessing equipment for their labs and instructors for...
Curated OER
Playing With Science
Young scientists investigate the scientific concepts and principles that help make common toys such as hula hoops, yo-yos, slinkies, and silly putty work. As a class, they read "Backyard Rocket Science, Served Wet" to get a look behind...
American Physiological Society
Feeling the Heat
How do the changing seasons affect the homes where we live? This question is at the forefront of engineering and design projects. Challenge your physical science class to step into the role of an architect to build a model home...
Columbus City Schools
What’s Up with Matter?
Take a "conservative" approach to planning your next unit on mass and matter! What better way to answer "But where did the gas go?" than with a lab designed to promote good report writing, research skills, and detailed observation....
Curated OER
Electromagnetic and Physical Waves
High schoolers compare and contrast electromagnetic and physical waves. In this wave lesson, students discover that all waves reflect, refract, and diffract energy. High schoolers work in small groups to experiment with waves and...
NOAA
Come on Down!
What do we do when a dive is too dangerous for humans to accomplish? Send in the robots! Middle school scientists get acquainted with several different models of submersible robots in the second lesson of six from NOAA. Lab groups then...
Curated OER
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Hot Wire Chemical Vapor Deposition, But Were Afraid To Ask
To wrap up your year of general chemistry, have lab groups compete in a tot wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) competition. With their foundation in chemical nomenclature, stoichiometry, and gas laws, each group completes several...
Curated OER
Lab Safety
Students investigate the concept of lab safety using a variety of different activities. The equipment necessary is covered. They draw the different types of lab tools using a graphic organizer.
Curated OER
Motion in Fluids
Students explore physical science by participating in a science activity. In this liquids activity, students discuss how fluids can be affected by motion unlike solids. Students define other scientific vocabulary terms and conduct a...
Curated OER
A New Phase In Town
Middle schoolers explore heat energy and how it is used to change the phase of matter, and discover that temperature does not increase or decrease until the phase change is complete. This extremely well-written plan is packed with great...
Curated OER
Invisible Rays
Students explore physical science by completing a lab assignment. In this sunlight lesson, students define a list of scientific vocabulary terms and complete fill in the blank questions. Students conduct a photographic experiment in...
Curated OER
Digestion & Nutrition: a Case Study
Middle schoolers explore digestion/nutrition and utilize scientific investigation skills. They complete meal logs for several days and graph their results. After analyzing their data, they write formal lab reports.
Curated OER
Global Warming and Hurricanes: Is an Increase in the Number of Stronger Hurricanes an Indicator of Global Warming
Ninth graders investigate whether stronger hurricanes are signs of global warming. For this environmental science lesson, 9th graders research both sides of the issue about global warming. They debate for or against this issue in class.
Curated OER
Nailing Rust
When your upper elementary or middle school class is learning about chemical changes, these activities help demonstrate the concepts. In Part A, they submerge and place a nail partially underwater, then after a week they make...
Curated OER
Air Pressure
Learners participate in a series of demonstrations about Bernoulli's principle. They explain how air pressure varies with air speed. They write a detailed lab report about the activity. This is a great way to explore this concept.
Curated OER
Light and Elements
Here is a full-fledged investigation of light waves, the electromagnetic spectrum, and element spectra. Physicists research a scientist that contributed to our understanding of the behavior of light. They take notes on your lecture, and...
Curated OER
What Are The Properties of Sea Water?
Ninth graders conduct research on the subject of sea water. They use a variety of resources to obtain information. There are helpful resource links listed in the lesson. In conjunction with the research students make inquiry of the...
Curated OER
Making Science and Literature Connections
Students access the Internet and research physical characteristics and route of migration of the gray whale. They complete a database and reproduce the information using Apple Works. They read the novel El Guero by Elizabeth Borton de...
Curated OER
"States of Matter"
Students investigate the different states of matter by experimenting in class. In this matter lesson, students participate in a lab activity moving from one station to the next creating different formations of matter....
Curated OER
Deceleration of a Toy Truck
Eighth graders complete labs using toy trucks to study deceleration, record thier data, and then transfer it to graphing software to produce a graph. They create a lab report of the completed lab using a word processing program.
Curated OER
Applied Science -Physics (4A) Post Lab
Fourth graders explore the history of electricity. For this electricity lesson, 4th graders review the connection between electricity and magnetism. They do a research project on the history of electricity.
Curated OER
Wavelengths of Light
Explore physical science by participating in a visual spectrum experiments. Budding scientists identify the colors in the color spectrum and view the colors in class by utilizing cellophane, flash lights, and other arts and crafts...
Curated OER
Physics Wiki
Young scholars write text, notes, outlines, comments, and observations that demonstrate comprehension and synthesis of content, processes, and experiences from a variety of media in this lesson created for a Physics classroom. The main...