Curated OER
Trash Talkin'
Students analyze classroom solid waste. In this environmental lesson plan, students weight and categorize classroom waste over a one week period. Students examine ideas on how to limit the amount of waste.
Curated OER
The States of Matter
In this states of matter learning exercise, students learn about the 3 different states of matter and how matter shifts states. They then answer the 20 questions in the packet. The answers are on the last page.
Curated OER
Melting, Freezing, and More!: Phase Transitions
Third graders listen to a talk on phase transitions and view three demonstrations. In this phases of matter lesson, 3rd graders complete a worksheet as they listen about phase transitions. They move through three demonstrations of phase...
NASA
Applying Newton’s Laws
Newton's Laws get the rocket to work, but do they serve any other functions? A six-page resource classifies rockets by the type of propellant they use. It then describes applications of Newton's Laws of Motion, both in the ability to...
Curated OER
How hard is it?
Inquiry is probably one of the most fun ways kids learn. They will test the hardness of 10 different minerals in order to classify them. They rate each of the minerals from most to least hard. Note: Having real minerals for this...
Center for Learning in Action
Investigating Physical and Chemical Changes
Super scientists visit ten stations to predict, observe, and draw conclusions about the physical and chemical changes that occur when different states of matter—liquid, solid, and gas—are placed under a variety of conditions. To...
Science Matters
Wave Watching
Seismologists use the direction and arrival times of p waves and s waves to determine the distance to the source of an earthquake. The engaging lesson has students line up to form human waves. Through different movements when attached,...
Science 4 Inquiry
Battle of the Waves
Which travels faster, light or sound? Scholars work in groups to simulate the ability for waves to travel through solids, liquids, gases, and through a vacuum. Then, they learn about the properties of a mystery wave and must determine...
Curated OER
Sediment Sleuths
Are you looking for a good, solid lesson on sedimentary rocks? This one, produced by the Illinois State Museum, is just such a lesson. Middle schoolers identify common rocks and minerals by analyzing sediments from local water sources....
Prince William Network
Migration Headache
During this game, kids become migratory shorebirds and fly among wintering, nesting, and stopover habitats. If they do not arrive at a suitable habitat on time, they do not survive. Catastrophic events are periodically introduced that...
Normal Community High School
Classification of Matter
Steel is an example of homogeneous mixture, also called an alloy, which is made of iron and carbon. The presentation introduces learners to elements, compounds, and mixtures. They explore their similarities and differences, and then take...
Curated OER
A World Of Matter
First graders complete a variety of experiments with solids, liquids and gases. They read books about matter, identify the characteristics of solids, liquids and gases and the sort and classify a variety of matter. Students make...
Curated OER
Science-Introduction to the Unit on Matter
First graders gain knowledge about solids, liquids and gases by taking a look at the things around them. They have to classify certain picture cards based on which category they feel the picture falls under. As a whole, the class...
Curated OER
Make a Leaf Banner
Students create an leaf print banner, and classify, sort and find patterns in the leaves as they work.
Curated OER
Shoeless Math
First graders sort and classify, and complete a T-chart using Students' shoes.
Curated OER
Shape All Around
Students investigate solid shapes. In this geometry lesson, students take pictures of solid shapes and classify their pictures according to the vocabulary terms: edge, face and vertex. Students present their findings to the class.
Illustrative Mathematics
3-D Shape Sort
From the apple on your desk and the coffee cup in your hand, to the cabinets along the classroom wall, basic three-dimensional shapes are found everywhere in the world around us. Introduce young mathematicians to the these common figures...
Curated OER
Marshmallow Figures
Learners enjoy making 3-D figures while learning about rectangular prisms, pyramids, vertices, edges, and faces. After a lecture/demo, students use marshmallows, toothpicks and a worksheet imbedded in this lesson to create 3 dimensional...
Curated OER
Kindergarten Music Time
Little ones are led through a series of rhythmic songs and chants while they march, clap, and use their tummies as percussive instruments. They work on singing in pitch, chunking, and keeping a steady beat.
Cal Recycle
Conserving Natural Resources
Trying to plan an engaging elementary science unit on natural resources? Conserve your energy! This five-part series of lessons and hands-on activities has exactly what you need to teach young scholars about the importance of conservation.
Curated OER
Angles
Fourth and fifth graders investigate angles and name them according to the criteria for obtuse, acute, and right angles. They examine a human-made yarn pattern on the floor of their classroom and identify angles, vertices, and types of...
Curated OER
Matters of Milk and Marshmallows
Young scholars observe a teacher demonstration o classifying matter by its physical properties of shape and size. After discussing the definition of matter, students describe the state of matter. They sing a song to the tune of "Bingo."...
Curated OER
Sink It
Introduce your class to the concept of sinking and floating. In groups, they classify objects after making predictions about which materials will sink or float. They record their results and create graphs and charts to share with the class.
Curated OER
Teaching Matter with The Wild Christmas Reindeer
Second graders learn the proper way to take measurements, explore the properties of objects and expand their vocabulary.