Curated OER
Uses of Coal
An interesting series of puzzles and word games are available in this multi-page collection, which focuses on coal. Learners practice math and language arts skills as they solve the puzzles, and learn many facts about coal at the same time.
Kenan Fellows
What Is Heat?
If objects have no heat, how do they can gain and lose it? Scholars experiment with heat, temperature, and specific heat of various substances. They create definitions for these terms based on their own conclusions to complete the fourth...
Cornell University
Glued into Science—Classifying Polymers
Explore the unique characteristics of polymers. A complete activity begins with a presentation introducing polymers. Following the presentation, young scientists develop a laboratory plan for creating substances using polymers. They...
Curated OER
Sometimes, solid + liquid = gas
Third graders experiment with common household liquids and solids. In this chemical reaction lesson plan, 3rd graders discuss phase changes and experiment to find other ways to create gases. They use water, vinegar, lemon juice, flour,...
Curated OER
Speakers in Action
Tune into C-Span and tape politicians delivering testimony before congress. Class members view these tapes, formulate a rubric for rating the effectiveness of such a speech, and then emulate best practices and include them in their own...
Curated OER
The Nutrients Public Transportation System
Students investigate the human circulatory system by experimenting with hoses. In this human body lesson, students create a system of hoses simulating the circulatory system which they utilize to pass objects through....
Curated OER
Sports Helmets and Impact Testing of Polymers
Students examine the importance of good quality safety gear. In this investigative lesson plan, students will tests various polymers, collect data, and analyze the data to determine which polymer is best for safety helmets. They will...
Curated OER
Discovering How a Car Works
Students explain the four stroke process in internal combustion engines. In this physics lesson, students role play this process and present their reenactment in class. They draw and label the diagram of an internal combustion engine.
Curated OER
Water Cycle
Third graders define and discuss evaporation, precipitation, condensation, and collection, color web pages to illustrate Water Cycle book, listen to stories about Water Cycle, play trivia game to demonstrate knowledge of what they...
Curated OER
Integrating Biology: The Elements in Your Body
For this body elements worksheet, learners read about the chemical make-up of the human body and answer questions about the elements.
Curated OER
Light and Optics
Third graders utilize the scientific method to explain light and optics in this five lessons unit. Through experimentation and discussion, 3rd graders canvass the concepts of light traveling, reflection and refraction.
Curated OER
Create a New Animal
Students understand what physical adaptations are and how they help an animal to survive. In this adaptations lesson plan, students research four animals and then make an original animal that has adaptations to make them survive.
Curated OER
Making Waves, Making Music, Making Noise
Students construct "talking cans" and instruments to explain how vibration of objects produces various sounds.
Curated OER
Three Little Pigs and Heat Transfer
Young scholars use the Internet to research the ancient practices of building structures and to help them recognize what building materials serve as good conductors and insulators of heat. They build a structure using straw bale walls.
Curated OER
Sounds Like Music
Students define and examine the connections between sound and music and how engineers design instruments. They listen to examples of musical instruments, view a demonstration of a tuning fork and bottles filled with varying amounts of...
Curated OER
Harvest the Wind
Wind is a natural resource available around the world. Help your pupils appreciate the power and importance of wind by researching wind farms, making pinwheels, and designing windmills.
Curated OER
Hot Air Balloons
Students examine how a hot air balloon works. In this hot air balloon lesson, students do an experiment to test the effects of heat on density. Students make their own hot air balloon and act out how nitrogen moves when turned to a liquid.
Curated OER
Writing the Wind
Students make a windmill. For this wind lesson, students learn background information about the windmill, complete an activity where they create a windmill, discuss using wind as a natural resource and brainstorm other inventions...
Curated OER
Lesson 5: Designing an Experiment
The intent of this instructional activity is to introduce young scientists to the steps of the scientific method. To this end, they consider the question, "Which brand of battery lasts longest?" In this case, the experiment is carried...
Illustrative Mathematics
Combined Fuel Efficiency
Practice simplifying complex fractions and long division of polynomials with this brief exercise. These four questions make a challenging warm-up activity or a short, but comprehensive, follow-up after a detailed lesson on algebraic...
Curated OER
Cell Communication
Learners clarify common misconceptions about cells. They assess initial knowledge of cells and cell behavior, read and discuss an article and consider the role of cell communication in the diseases of diabetes, multiple sclerosis and...
American Chemical Society
Changing State: Melting
Dry ice is extremely cold — it is -109.3°F or -78.5°C. Scholars observe and explain the molecular motion associated with melting. Then they design their own experiments to speed up the melting process. Finally, a teacher presents a...