Space Awareness
What is a Constellation
Why do some stars in a constellation appear brighter than others? Using a get-up-and-move astronomy activity, scholars explore perspective and the appearance of constellations in the sky while developing an understanding of the...
Curated OER
Spyglass
Students distinguish between visualization and scientific visualization. They use the software program Spygalss to create images from two-dimensional arrays of numbers.
Curated OER
Human Effect
Students investigate changes in air quality. In this science lesson, students compare data to determine the air quality. Students explore how humans affect the air quality.
Curated OER
Technology - Data Collection
Students collect and analyze data from the United States Census Bureau. Using spreadsheet technology, students explore their results and make preductions about income groups. Students compute the mean, median and mode. They create...
Curated OER
See Turtles Nest! See Turtles Hatch!
Students graph data of sea turtles hatching rates from Watamu/Malindi Marine National Park and Reserve in Kenya. In this math lesson, students use real life science data to calculate mean and median values. Students use the data to...
Kenan Fellows
Determining Stream Health by the Diversity and Types of Benthic Organisms
How diverse are the benthic organisms found in local streams? Using the information learned in previous lessons on identification of macroinvertebrates and on calculating stream index values, groups determine the health of local streams....
Curated OER
Growing a Lawn
Learners research plant growth. In this plant growth lesson, students explore the needs of plants. Learners compare and contrast grass and broadleaf plants and grow a miniature lawn in a cup of soil. Resources are provided.
Curated OER
Smoking: The Real Cost
Third graders discuss the adverse effects of smoking and predict the financial cost of a smoking habit. They collect data regarding the cost of a pack of cigarettes and average packs smoked a day. They create bar graphs displaying the...
Curated OER
Velocity
Students explore the concepts of velocity, acceleration, distance and football. They collect data on the velocity of a football and they determine the distance and height of a football when it is thrown. Students compare their findings...
Curated OER
Algebra: Sorting, Representing, and Patterns
Students sort objects and create patterns. In this sorting and graphing lesson, students work at centers to find a way to sort a group of objects, then make a graphical representation of the number of each item. Finally, students create...
Curated OER
Fostering Geospatial Thinking: Space to Earth: Earth to Space (SEES)
Students locate and access data to help them with their science inquiry. In this geographical positioning activity students evaluate and compare data sets.
Curated OER
Shake It Up with Scatterplots
Students identify how to use a scatterplot to compare two sets of data to determine if they are related. Then they identify and describe the definition of regression line (the "line of best fit"). Students also identify how scientists...
Curated OER
Differences between Climate and Weather
Students collect weather data over weeks, graph temperature data and compare the temperature data collected with averaged climate data where they live.
Curated OER
How Trees Contribute to the Water Cycle
In this water cycle instructional activity, 3rd graders conduct an experiment where they observe and calculate how water transpires in different types of trees. Students engage in a class discussion and use Venn Diagrams to compare...
Curated OER
Buzzing is BEE-lieving
Students investigate insects. In this insect lesson, students explore various insect models and identify the characteristics of each. Students observe insects outside and tally how many insects they observe.
Curated OER
Pick A Short Story
Students select a short story and apply various literary elements they have used throughout the year. They deconstruct a short story according to plot, setting, characterization, and theme. Students create a PowerPoint.
Curated OER
Math in the Wetlands Field Trip
Get your class out in the environment for hands on math activities. In this wetlands lesson, learners transplant native plants, calculate how much soil is needed, and perform math activities based on this experience. They then make...
Statistics Education Web
Using Dice to Introduce Sampling Distributions
Investigate the meaning of a sample proportion using this hands-on activity. Scholars collect data and realize that the larger the sample size the more closely the data resembles a normal distribution. They compare the sample proportion...
Curated OER
How Many Letters Are In Your Name?
Learners discover how to make a graph that represents the number of letters in their names. In this early childhood math lesson plan, students collect data, categorize data, and develop skills to analyze the pieces of data.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Historical Climate Cycles
Ice core samples give scientists access to climates of old—those from more than 800,000 years ago. Through an analysis of various temperature graphs from ice cores, tree rings, and weather stations, scholars compare historical climates...
Illustrative Mathematics
Puzzle Times
Give your mathematicians this set of data and have them create a dot plot, then find mean and median. They are asked to question the values of the mean and median and decide why they are not equal. Have learners write their answers or...
Inside Mathematics
Party
Thirty at the party won't cost any more than twenty-five. The assessment task provides a scenario for the cost of a party where the initial fee covers a given number of guests. The class determines the cost for specific numbers of guests...
University of Colorado
Looking Inside Planets
All of the gas giant's atmospheres consist of hydrogen and helium, the same gases that make up all stars. The third in a series of 22, the activity challenges pupils to make scale models of the interiors of planets in order to...
University of Georgia
Heating and Cooling of Land Forms
Compare heating and cooling rates of different land forms. A lab activity has groups collect data on the rate of heating and cooling of soil, grass, saltwater, fresh water, and sand. An analysis of the rates shows how the different land...