PBS
Blow the Roof Off!
Blow the minds of young scientists with this collection of inquiry-based investigations. Based on a series of eight videos, these "hands-on, minds-on" science lessons engage young learners in exploring a wide range of topics from making...
Carnegie Mellon University
Consumer Preferences in Lighting
What is a watt? This tongue-twisting, mind-bending question and others are answered through this instructional activity on the different lighting options available. With the support of a PowerPoint, teach your physical science class...
American Museum of Natural History
Optical Illusions and How They Work
Illusions are what your mind makes them. Learners view several optical illusions. After each illusion the resource describes what is seen and the potential connection to evolution of the brain. Illusions include seeing different objects...
Curated OER
The Mind-Body Connection
Second graders learn about the human body. For this biology lesson plan, 2nd graders will begin with the basics of understanding charts and graphs and progress into units that cover the body systems, and mental and emotional health....
Curated OER
Mind Mapping
Students explore the functions of the brain. They create their own "live" model comparing a phrenology chart to our modern understanding of brain function and anatomy. Students compare and contrast brain models.
Curated OER
Pieces of Mind: What's In A Dream?
Learners explore the five stages of sleep. They view video footage of sleep labs and discuss the findings. Students conduct experiments by keeping a sleep journal to track their sleep and dream activity. They find examples of ways...
Curated OER
Opening Our Minds
Students discover the function of the brain. For this biology lesson, students participate in several experiments to demonstrate what part of the brain controls their movements. An example of an experiment is drawing with their dominant...
Curated OER
Mind Over Matter: How Does the Brain Work
Students research previous attempts by scientists to discover the ways in which the brain works, design and conduct an experiment to illustrate current research and present their findings to the class.
Curated OER
Cold Hard Facts...What Inquiring Minds Will Know
Learners work with "ice" in order to gain a practical application of math concepts that evolve into an inquiry-based study. They determine if the dimensions of the ice make a difference in the way the ice floats in the water.
Curated OER
Windmill of Your Mind - Distributed Energy Goes to School
Students research the possibility and feasibility of installing a wind-turbine distributed energy system for their school. They conduct research, watch an online video, analyze the cost of the project and examine the benefits, and write...
Curated OER
Pieces of Mind: Remembering What Matters
Students watch the program "Pieces of Mind" from PBS and participate in a class discussion about PET scans and their advantages. Students then brainstorm activities a PET scan could be used for.
Curated OER
Mind Games
Students design a prototype game as they simulate being game designers for a major corporation. They base the game on the major body systems.
Curated OER
Astronomers and Their Tools
Ninth graders have the opportunity to prepare arguments with like-minded classmates for what they believe to be the next logical step in astronomical research, in an effort to convince their opposing classmates of their position.
Curated OER
Book: Cyprus
Young scholars, after reading Chapter 1 in the book, "Cyprus," design and create a nature journal for an imaginary trip around Cyprus. They identify animals and plants that in their minds live in Cyprus as well as describe the landscape...
Curated OER
Book: Estonia
Students, after reading Chapter One in the book, "Estonia," design and create a nature journal for an imaginary trip around Estonia. They include animals and plants that in their minds live in Estonia. In addition, they illustrate the...
Curated OER
Junior Solar Sprint Series: Gears and Drive Belts
Activate middle schoolers' minds with this physical science activity. Learners vary the diameter of gears and the number of teeth on them to find how energy output is affected. This writeup features well-developed background information...
Curated OER
Geometric Sequences - Bacterial Growth
Bring algebra to life with scientific applications. Math minded individuals calculate and graph the time it takes a bacterium to double. They discuss geometric sequences and use a chart to graph their findings. There are 38 questions all...
Teacher Created Materials
A Volcano Awakes
Blow your pupils' minds with information about some of the world's most awesome natural occurrences: volcanos. Class members read a short article and respond to included questions. The focus of the resource is on understanding and...
Curated OER
Generating Hypotheses & Experimental Design 2
An outline walks your scientists through the steps of the scientific process. It begins by taking a general idea and developing a hypothesis based on related factors. Each investigator then plans a method for testing the hypothesis,...
Curated OER
Land Plan Challenge
Links to two different versions of this mapping activity are available. In "The Small Version," youngsters design a town, keeping the water supply in mind. In "The Large Version," they also design a town, but they consider services and...
Curated OER
Light
Here is a stellar slide show for illuminating middle schoolers' minds on the topic of light! An interactive slide allows viewers to sort light sources by whether or not they are man-made. More objects are displayed and learners discover...
Teach Engineering
Designing a Spectroscopy Mission
In this mind-bending activity, young engineers explore this question of whether or not light actually bends. Using holographic diffraction gratings, groups design and build a spectrograph. The groups then move on research a problem...
BioEd Online
Good Stress for Your Body
Stress the importance of the different types of pressure our mind and body experience in a lesson about how certain types of stress are actually necessary and good for our bodies. As astronauts and people with injuries can attest, not...
Baylor College
Body Strength
Your young learners will discover how muscular strength and endurance can increase with this truly hands-on activity! Beginning by writing an acrostic for the word strength, class members then engage in tracking their ability to squeeze...