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...
Computer Science Unplugged
Beat the Clock—Sorting Networks
Can multiple computers sort a list faster than one? Using a network drawn with chalk outside, groups move through the decision network to sort numbers. A series of extension questions come with the lesson and can be used in the same...
United Nations
Compost Monitor Training
What should go in the trash, and what can be composted? Guide your young conservationists through the process of composing their trash with a instructional activity about the different ways we can dispose of garbage. Using a trash bag...
Curated OER
Honey, I Shrunk the Lids!
Students discover the lightweighting concept used by manufacturers. In this environmental education instructional activity, students research the reduction of the amount of aluminum used in cans. Students wrap the instructional activity...
Curated OER
What is the Evidence for Evolution?
Students identify one object that would tell the story of their lives. In groups, they determine what can and cannot be told from objects left behind. After watching a video, they compare and contrast chicken bones to human bones. To...
Curated OER
Practical Illustrations of Astronomical Concepts Relating to the Solar System
Eighth graders are introduced to concepts related to the Solar System. In groups, they participate in an experiment in which they must describe a ray of light and how it travels. They draw a diagram of the electromagnetic spectrum and...
Curated OER
Altogether Now, The Five Senses
Students make popcorn to summarize end of five senses unit.
Curated OER
The Changing Times of The Future
First graders share their wishes for the future and discuss changes that have taken place. They observe a puppet who describes life in the future and identifies positive and difficult challenges he may face. Individual students draw a...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Vanishing Newspapers
What is happening to our newspapers? In the context of the current trends of media and the ever-declining print news industry, this handout includes two political cartoons for pupils to analyze, both created by artists working for...
Curated OER
Use Google Maps to Teach Math
Capture the engagement of young mathematicians with this upper-elementary math lesson on measuring time and distance. Using Google Maps, learners first measure and compare the distance and time it takes to travel between different...
NASA
Space Shuttle Glider
Your charges will enjoy putting together this model of the space shuttle and completing the three challenge activities described in the lesson. The worksheets embedded in the plan that pupils use to cut out their gliders are beautifully...
PBS
The Impact of Genetically Modified Seeds
What is all the fuss about genetically modified foods? PBS provides this resource designed to supplement the documentary Food, Inc. to help learners investigate the benefits and controversies of genetically modified foods...
Curated OER
A Research Project and Article For the Natural Inquirer
Get your class to use the scientific process to solve a scientific problem. They utilize the Natural Inquirer magazine to identify a research question which they write an introduction to and collect data to answer. They use graphs,...
Curated OER
Inventors of New England
Students examine the ways that technology effects our daily lives. Students also identify the processes involved in designing new technology.
Mathematics Assessment Project
College and Career Readiness Mathematics Test C1
Challenge high schoolers with a thorough math resource. The 20-page test incorporates questions from upper-level high school math in applied and higher order questions.
Curated OER
Volcanoes!: Forecasting the Path of Mudflows
Students construct a mockup of a volcano by crumbling up newspapers and piling them into the shape of a volcano. They place a tarp over the newspapers making sure the tarp is large enough to simulate a flat area at the volcano's base....
Curated OER
Motion of the Sun and Earth: Using a Classroom Model to Explore Rotation and Revolution
Students use a concrete model of the Sun and Earth to observe and manipulate a 3-D model of the Sun and Earth.
Curated OER
100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet
Students examine the possible ways to recycle, reuse, and re-imagine products and objects in order to reduce pollution and waste on our planet. In this 100 things you can do to save the planet instructional activity, students take three...
Curated OER
The Universe
Learners recognize that the stages of evolution a star goes through are determined by the size of the star. They conduct research to draw a set of diagrams illustrating the stages in the evolution of three sizes of stars.
Curated OER
2000 U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Local Section Exam
This 60-question comprehensive exam was designed to determine who would go on to compete in the 2000 US National Chemistry Olympiad. Hopefuls answer multiple choice questions regarding all chemistry topics taught in the first year...
Curated OER
# 05 Color Me Analytical
Students are introduced to colorimeter on two levels. They investigate how to physically manipulate the colorimeters. Secondly, the students start on a pathway of discovery to one of the most important principles in analytical chemistry:...
Curated OER
Exploring Seasonal Shadows and Sunlight
What can shadows tell us about the changing season? Over several months, astronomy learners record length and position of an outdoor object's shadow, such as a flagpole. They apply the data to a growing hypothesis and note the...
Science Friday
Fossil Detectives
What can this rock be? Pupils pretend to be paleontologists by sketching fossils and making predictions about their types. To determine whether they can identify the type of dinosaur, class members compare their observations and...
Next Generation Science Storylines
Why Don't Antibiotics Work Like They Used To?
Bacteria get more resistant to antibiotics every year. Learn the reason for this pattern and how scientists are addressing the problem in a six-week unit. Learners analyze different types of bacteria and their adaptations.