Curated OER
The Nature of Chemical Change: Acting Out An Example
Students illustrate the molecular nature of matter and show that chemical change involves alteration of molecules.
Curated OER
What is Matter?
Young scholars investigate what matter is and how it changes states. In this physical properties lesson plan, students examine the vocabulary database and identify the characteristics of the three phases of matter. Young...
Discovery Education
STEM Camp—Urban Infrastructure
Build a bridge to learning in a STEM-aligned unit about urban infrastructure. Young engineers explore the many aspects of civil planning and design in a five-day unit. Content includes the challenging aspects of balancing building with...
Polar Trec
Polar Detectives: Using Ice Core Data to Decode Past Climate Mysteries
How does examining an ice core tell us about weather? Learners set up and explore fake ice cores made of sugar, salt, and ash to represent historical snowfall and volcanic eruptions. From their setups, scholars determine what caused the...
Curated OER
The Chemical Nature of Water
Seventh graders simulate a Jeopardy game to examine the chemical nature of water. Among the topics featured are evaporation, water, salt, and temperature. finally, as review, 7th graders answer a battery of questions presented by the...
NASA
Modeling the Periodic Table
Imagine a race to complete a puzzle where each person has the same 50 pieces, knows they are missing other pieces, and must figure out how everything fits together. The winner gets fame, listed in books for years to come, and a financial...
Virginia Department of Education
Hurricanes: An Environmental Concern
Hurricanes, typhoons, and tropical cyclones are the same type of storm, but their names change based on where they happen. Scholars use a computer simulation to learn about hurricanes. Then they hypothesize ideas to prevent hurricanes...
Curated OER
The Seasons
Discover the change of the seasons by modeling the Earth-Sun system. Learners model the orbit of the Earth around the sun and explore how and why the patterns of winter and summer occur.
Curated OER
Mixing in the Kitchen
Young scholars identify the different types of mixtures. They identify examples of solutions, suspensions, colloidal dispersions, and emulsions through a game and basic experiments.
Curated OER
Solutions and Suspensions
Students explore matter by conducting an in class demonstration. In this liquid mixture activity, students identify the difference between a solution in which a solid dissolves into liquid, and a suspension where the solid doesn't...
Curated OER
Marine Protected Areas (MPA)
Ninth graders explain the purpose of MPA's. In this biology lesson, 9th graders identify MPA's in Southern California. They simulate coastal sampling using candy from two buckets. Students analyze their results and share it with the class.
Salt River Project
How Do We Clean Polluted Water?
How do we clean up oil spills and other pollutants in the water? Explore water treatment strategies with a set of environmental science experiments. Groups remove oil from water, work with wastewater treatment, and perform a water...
Curated OER
Earth's Water
If the majority of our planet is covered with water, why do we need to bother conserving it? With a thorough and varied investigation into the location and types of water on the earth, learners will gain an understanding of why this...
Curated OER
Winds Go Spinning Around
High schoolers simulate the Coriolis Effect to comprehend why winds in the Westerlies are prone to cyclonic and anti-cyclonic motion. They arrive at an explanation of processes that drive world wind patterns
Curated OER
Drums and Sound
Through discussion, demonstration, and observation of
performances by drum groups, students discover how vibrations
create sounds. Through exploration students can infer that when drums are struck they make noise due to vibrations.
Curated OER
Water Quality
Students play the role of scientists testing for water quality in the area. In this ecology instructional activity, students determine the water sample's pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen and turbidity. They write a journal reflection...
Curated OER
The Water Dilemma
Students read about and discuss the importance of easily available, clean drinking water. They participate in a role play scenario in which only one drinking fountain in the school has potable water.