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...

Learning to craft quality questions is a skill that can be taught. Class members use the Question Formulation Technique to learn how to create and refine both closed-ended and open-ended questions. They then view West of the West's...

What can layers of rock teach us about the climate? Young scientists solve a mystery about who stole a cookie by applying the law of superposition. Then, they apply the same concept to solve a more difficult mystery, trying to determine...

Students explain how cells reproduce. In this biology lesson, students explain the different stages of the cell cycle. They calculate the number of new cells produced.

Can you name a type of reproduction that produces no variation in the offspring? The multimedia lesson covers both sexual and asexual reproduction through videos and discussions. It includes topics such as genetic modification, meiosis,...

Students use the Five E method to solve problems. For this Five E lesson, students complete math lessons using the Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate technique. They use the Five E's with lessons on tessellations, magnets,...

Third graders investigate bald eagles. They examine a map of the United States, locate states where bald eagles live, read and discuss books, and write a paragraph on how eagles are tracked.

As an anticipatory set, biologists listen to the story of Ruth Patrick, a scientist who used algae to detect water quality. They observe a demonstration of osmosis and diffusion. In their lab groups, they place Elodea stalks in...

What are the factors that limit growth and expansion? As part of their study of Catalina Island, class members view the West of the West's documentary Magic Isle and research William Wrigley and the Santa Catalina Island Company. After...

Explain the importance of radioactive half-life as your high school biologists demonstrate the concept by performing a series of steps designed to simulate radioactive decay. Pupils use pennies to perform an experiment and gather data....

Students discover methods that can save the planet by recycling.  In this sustainable planet lesson plan, students read The Berenstein Bears Don't Pollute Anymore, and practice memorizing the 3 R's.  Students write...

Young scholars investigate the cycle of life by observing tadpoles.  In this biology lesson, students utilize the Internet to read stories, observe pictures, and listen to sounds of frogs.  Young scholars create a poster board...

Don't be caught in the dark! Young scientists investigate the causes of both solar and lunar eclipses using an interactive to help them understand the development of an eclipse over time. They then research facts and characteristics...

Biologists extract the DNA from a strawberry. After completing the procedure, learners write answers to a few questions on the lab sheet provided. This is ideal lab practice during a DNA unit in your general biology course. 

How is energy transferred within an ecosystem? What would happen to a food web if one of the organisms was removed? Elementary or middle school ecologists examine these questions and more in a comprehensive 5E learning cycle...

Students examine how living cells reproduce and how traits are passed on.  In this genetic reproduction lesson students research a topic and present it to the class. 

Students examine how living cells reproduce to make new cells.  In this cell reproduction lesson students complete a lab activity and answer questions. 

Take a "conservative" approach to planning your next unit on mass and matter! What better way to answer "But where did the gas go?" than with a lab designed to promote good report writing, research skills, and detailed observation....

Elementary life science explorers compare and contrast aquatic and terrestrial plants (elodea and soybeans) in a Venn diagram. Some background information is provided to support direct instruction, and general instructions are provided...

Fourth graders explore and experiment with objects that float to see if they float differently in salt water or fresh water. After the experiment, they write a paragraph in their science journal explaining how fresh water and ocean water...

Young scholars investigate various chemical reactions when creating mixtures in ziplock baggies. In this chemistry lesson, students will recognize various chemical reactions and cite evidence. Safety and assessment strategies are...

Third graders observe and create a record of seed growth over time. After planting a seed, 3rd graders record their observations of the seed's growth over a three week period. Upon conclusion of the experiment, they write a paragraph...

Students examine the importance of good quality safety gear. In this investigative lesson, students will tests various polymers, collect data, and analyze the data to determine which polymer is best for safety helmets. They will design a...

Fifth graders inquire as to why scientists use observable characteristics, how they sort the characteristics, and why they do so. They write journal entries to be used throughout this unit.