US Environmental Protection Agency
Aquifer in a Cup
Young scientists create their very own aquifers in this science lesson on ground water. After learning about how some people get their drinking water from underground wells, young learners use sand, modeling clay, and aquarium rocks to...
Curated OER
Teaching About Plate Tectonics and Faulting Using Foam Models
Young scientists learn about plate tectonics and the three different types of faults (normal, reverse, and strike-slip) using foam models. The activity also covers common types of locations where these faults are found.
LABScI
Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table of Elements: The Secret Agent Lab
Food always gets attention! Model atomic structure using fruit loops to represent the subatomic particles. After building models, scholars create ionic bonds using their models. Finally, they use these concepts to create a periodic...
Curated OER
Principles Of Flight: Wings That Spin
Students discover how flight is possible. In this physics lesson, students investigate the properties of a blimp and gyro-copter, comparing rotating wings and fixed wings of aircraft. Students create their own model aircraft...
Discovery Education
Sonar & Echolocation
A well-designed, comprehensive, and attractive slide show supports direct instruction on how sonar and echolocation work. Contained within the slides are links to interactive websites and instructions for using apps on a mobile device to...
Cornell University
Polymerization
Explore condensation polymerization and additive polymerization through hands-on activities. Young scholars first model additive polymerization with paperclips. They finish the activity by using condensation polymerization to create a...
Foundation for Water & Energy Education
What is the Water Cycle? Activity B
Curious physical scientists follow a lesson on the properties of water with this lesson on distillation. They observe a miniature water cycle model that filters dirty water into clean water. These two lessons combined are an enriching...
California Academy of Science
Plants: Hanging Tough
Learning about the rainforest can be more fun than you think. The class discusses vocabulary-in-context as they cut cardboard boxes, destined to become part of a rainforest model. Small groups of children color, cut, and construct...
Curated OER
Bringing Climate Change Into the Classroom
Learners investigate the greenhouse effect and examine the potential effects of climate change in the Arctic. They construct a mini-greenhouse and test its effect on temperature, analyze historical climate statistics, and conduct an...
American Institute of Architects
Architecture: It's Elementary!—First Grade
Build an interest and appreciation for architecture in your young learners with this fun 10-lesson art unit. Engaging children in using their five senses, the class first observes the environment around them, paying...
Curated OER
Don't Slip!
Students measure, record, and graph the force of moving a block of wood along sand paper. In this friction lesson plan, students read a spring scale, collect data, construct a graph, and propose a model to explain how fiction works.
Curated OER
Energy Efficient Buildings
Seventh graders create plans for an energy efficient addition to the school. They work in small groups with each group having responsibility for examining one aspect of the problem. They create working diagrams and a model of their...
Curated OER
Isomer
In this isomer worksheet, students use molecular model kits to build isomers. Students work in groups and draw and name the isomers they build. They answer 9 questions about both geometric and structural isomers.
Curated OER
Isomers and Polymers
Students create models of structural isomers, geometric isomers, and polymers. In this chemistry instructional activity, students are given definitions and molecular model kits to create a variety of different isomers and polymers.
Curated OER
Beautiful Butterfly Tiles
Third graders create a butterfly drawing that includes the elements of art and principles of design. They create artwork that can be made into ceramic tiles to be installed around the classroom doorways in our new addition.
Curated OER
Matter
Students complete a unit of activities to learn about states of matter and how to measure matter. In this matter lesson plan, students complete 8 lessons to learn about matter, its states, and how to measure matter.
Curated OER
The Structure of Materials
Students brainstorm what matter is and how they define it. They construct a water molecule with marshmallows and toothpicks. In addition, they watch videos to explore the use the idea of nanoscience to investigate the properties of...
Curated OER
What is the Mantle Like?
In these earth science worksheets student complete this project to model activity in the mantle, one Earth's four layers. The project includes liquid and powder materials in addition to several measuring components. Students must then...
Curated OER
A Helthy Diet
Students examine their eating habits and experience analyzing data and drawing conclusions. They construct models of the molecular backbone of saturated and unsaturated fats. In addition, they examine the labels of their food, record...
Ahisma Summer Institute
The Power of One - Math in a Different Angle
In this 2-day lesson focused on exponents, middle schoolers will cross the curriculum by engaging in science, history and language arts activities. Exponential growth will be explored using grains of rice on a chess board. Exponential...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Watch That Plant Grow
Middle schoolers examine the growth of marigolds in a greenhouse environment. They chart data in spreadsheets showing plant growth over time and under a number of conditions. They record measures of plant height and greenhouse temperature.
Curated OER
Beads, Balls, and Beakers
Students analyze the amount of space required to pack round objects. In this geometry lesson, students practice using space economically by practicing packing spheres into beakers. They then translate this concept to molecules being...
Curated OER
Which Brand of Air Freshener is Most Cost Effective?
Learners use scientific method to determine cost-effectiveness of air freshener, and create PowerPoint presentations to share their results.
Curated OER
Waves Interference
Young scholars identify different wave types and their characteristics. In this wave instructional activity students complete activities by activating tuning forks and interpreting data.