Space Awareness
Greenhouse Effect
A greenhouse provides additional warmth and protection to the plants inside, but what if the greenhouse gets too hot? Pupils discuss and experiment with the difference between natural and anthropogenic greenhouse effect. They measure the...
Curated OER
Weathering and Erosion
Students examine the similarities and differences between weathering and erosion. They participate in a lab in which they test the effects of different materials when exposed to weathering and erosion. They record their observations.
Curated OER
What is Water?
Students examine water's properties. They participate in hands-on activities to show the properties of water.
Bowels Physics
Newton's First Law
Force acts on objects in mysterious ways ... until now! A comprehensive presentation explains the balance of forces acting on objects. Learners draw free body diagrams to show these invisible forces and make force calculations.
LABScI
Potential and Kinetic Energy: The Roller Coaster Lab
Ron Toomer, a famous roller coaster designer, suffered from motion sickness. Pupils design their own roller coasters, learning about potential and kinetic energy in the process. Labs focus on the importance of drop height, energy...
Florida International University
Design Your Own
Apply scientific principles to designing an experiment to study organisms living on the coral reef in our oceans. Through reading, individuals learn about the coral reef ecosystem and important factors that affect its function....
Curated OER
Looking at the Water Cycle
In this Looking at the Water Cycle worksheet, read an explanation of the water cycle and fill in missing words. Students also create a poster about the water cycle, deliver a weather forecast, and research further questions.
NASA
Collecting Electromagnetic Radiation
Astronomy is literally over your head, but this lesson will explain how we study it. Young scientists make telescopes, calculate and compare the light gathering power of lenses, and simulate detection of infared radiation....
Curated OER
Sea Water Mixing and Sinking
Students investigate the role of temperature and salinity in determining seawater density. They use a Temperature-Salinity Diagram to examine the effects of mixing on density.
Curated OER
Exploring the Far Side of the Moon
Help your classes better understand how our nearest celestial neighbor affects our world.
Curated OER
Liquid Rainbow
Students develop their own techniques for drawing a small sample of solutions into a straw. They hypothesize ways to increase the density of water, and discuss how salt-free rainwater tends to float on top of salty seawater.
Curated OER
Investigating Seasonal Variability in NO2 Concentrations
Students study different formats of data and determine the nitrogen dioxide concentrations. In this seasons lesson students understand the different relationships that NO2 can have.
Curated OER
Make a Solar Oven
Students build a solar oven. In this Science lesson plan, students construct a functional solar oven. Students design the oven and explain the energy concepts involved.
Curated OER
Coal Derivatives by Destructive Distillation
Chemists use the destructive distillation technique to produce three derivatives from a sample of bituminous coal. You will find background information, a materials list, procedures, and sample follow-up questions that you can use in...
Messenger Education
Give Me a Boost—How Gravity Assists Aid Space Exploration
The propellant needed for space explorations runs in the thousands, while paying to get the craft into orbit costs millions! In the second installment of three, two activities explore laws of conservation of energy and momentum. Using...
Discovery Education
School of Rock
Why do rocks break down over time? Learners explore this concept by simulating physical and chemical weathering of different types of rocks. They use an abrasive to demonstrate physical weathering and acid to demonstrate chemical...
American Museum of Natural History
Microbes Coloring Book and Scavenger Hunt
Coloring pages showcase microbes—bacteria, viruses, and protists. Scholars have the option to download a coloring book and scavenger hunt or color the page directly on the computer. Three paragraphs describe each microbe.
Curated OER
Glaciers and Ice Wedging
Fourth graders observe buckling sidewalks and potholes before attempting to determine how these things are caused. They freeze water filled plastic cups that have been covered. As the water freezes, the students observe what happens to...
Curated OER
Erosion in Different Soils [Erosion Races]
Fourth graders review how erosion can happen by wind, water, and gravity which they studied in previous instructional activity. They attempt to discover if all soils erode at the same rate. In small groups, 4th graders experiment with...
Curated OER
Science: What Is a Barometer?
Fourth graders discover how barometers help to predict the weather. Using newspapers, they examine the weather forecast and determine the meaning of high and low as they pertain to pressure. After making cluster diagrams, 4th graders...
Curated OER
Conserving Energy Resources
Seventh graders research on energy conversion. After they have researched several types of energy resources, teams of two to four create posters which depict how these resources can be conserved.
Curated OER
Critical Analysis Leads to Global Action
Young scholars discover the interconnectedness of the world. In this global studies lesson, students identify challenges the world faces and craft solutions to the problems they identified. Young scholars present their findings in a...
Curated OER
The Mesoamerican Mystique
Students gain a better understanding of the cultural diversity in the northern region of Central America. They engage in a lesson plan which focuses on research, archaeology, historical videos, and travel highlights.
Curated OER
What is the Rock Cycle?
Students investigate the rock cycle. In this geology lesson, students read about the rock cycle on a website and discuss the steps of the rock cycle. Students visit a rock cycle website to complete a quiz. This is the first introductory...