California Academy of Science
Ocean Acidification Mock Conference
In a comprehensive role playing activity, teens play the parts of different stakeholders in the realm of acidic oceans. They research, debate, and create a presentation from the perspective of either ocean organisms, the fishing...
Curated OER
Industrialization of the American Landscape
Learners explore the Chernobyl incident and the resulting environmental health impacts. They explore three different isotopes that were released into the atmosphere. Through inquiry, students determine the difference between types of...
Playbooks
Reader's Theater Exercise: The Night Before Christmas
Yes, Virginia, there really is a reader's theater script for "The Night Before Christmas." The exercise is a great way to productively channel pre-holiday energy.
Curated OER
Radioactivity, Time, and Age
Four activities demonstrate the chain reaction of nuclear fission to your physical science fans: falling dominoes, snapping mouse traps, throwing paper wads, and igniting a series of matches. They perform additional...
Curated OER
Something Fishy in Ontario
Students create a diorama of the habitat of the fish of their choice, along with a research paper. They research habitats, the factors which affect specific habitats, and how fish adapt to different habitats in order to meet their unique...
Curated OER
Human Body Series - Digestive System
With articles entitled, "What's Puke?" and "What is a Fart?" this digestive system lesson plan is sure to be a gas! Elementary anatomists do a belly dance to illustrate how food moves through the digestive system and then design a board...
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Waste and Recycling: Recycling Paper
We take paper for granted, while thousands of trees are being made into the paper we toss in the trash. Start a dialogue about paper reduction and recycling in class, and share the negative effects paper production has on our...
Curated OER
CO2 and You
Learners study the scientific evidence about carbon dioxide emissions. They learn to calculate the amount of energy used by different appliances. They complete a worksheet which analyzes the amount of energy that their home uses.
DiscoverE
Aviary Architect
Groups of two to four work collaboratively to engineer a birdhouse that will stay cool in the summer heat. Teams examine several different-colored roofs, testing the efficiency of each with a heat lamp. Then, groups sketch their ideas,...
Exploratorium
Modulated Coil
Transmit sound with an electromagnet. Class members follow the provided direction and build an electromagnet that will transmit sound though a cassette-tape player. As as extension they create an air core electromagnet and...
Nemours KidsHealth
Skin Cancer: Grades 9-12
Lather up! That's the takeaway from two activities that focus on skin cancer. To begin, class members read articles to gather information about sun exposure, tanning, and skin cancer. They use this information to design a pamphlet to...
Curated OER
Solar
Students study solar energy. In this renewable energy lesson students complete several lab activities using different controls and variables.
Curated OER
The Magic of Solar Thermal: How the Sun Can Be Used to Heat Water
Students are introduced to how the sun is used to heat water. In this solar instructional activity students identify the different types of solar water heating and demonstrate how it works.
Curated OER
Rate of Photosynthesis
High schoolers investigate the rate of photosynthesis using elodea leaves. In this photosynthesis lesson plan, students place elodea in a test tube filled with water. They include baking soda and place the test tube under a lamp. High...
Curated OER
What Does the Sun Give Us?
Pupils study the sun and how solar energy works. To learn about renewable energy, they complete a lab activity using a pizza box as a solar heater. Quite clever!
Curated OER
Classifying Chemical Reactions
For this chemical reactions worksheet, learners follow a flow chart to determine what type of reaction is occurring. Students then classify reactions and balance the equations. This worksheet has 2 short answer and 10 fill in the blank.
Curated OER
Improving the HVAC System
Students describe the components of an HVAC system and determine which factors influence how efficient the system can be. They work together to develop hypotheses about the systems and their cost effectiveness and efficiency.
Curated OER
Building Polymer Cup Speakers
Students investigate sound waves and they build audio speakers. In this audio speakers and sound lesson, students explore how to make quality audio speakers. As a team they build their own speakers to have clarity in sound, quality in...
Curated OER
Environmental Issues
In this environmental issues activity, students are given 10 current topics that are problems in our environment today. They complete sentences about each topic by filling in the blanks with the appropriate terms. Some of the issues...
Green Learning
Build Your Own Biogas Generator
Where this is not exactly a lesson plan, it is a terrific outline of how to generate biogas from an animal manure sample. If you are up for the challenge, the generator can be built by your class as a concluding project at the end of an...
Curated OER
Animals, Soil, Trees
Fourth graders describe the various kinds of soils and how plants and animals are affected by them. They describe the baic needs of plants, scoring at least a 3 or 4 on a 4-point rubic. Students are able to predict and/or infer what...
Curated OER
Understanding: Electricity
Students view a segment of "Electricity's Power," they focus on the professions- lightning researcher, scientist specializing in electricity in space, and a lineman. They choose one profession, students explore and investigate about the...
Curated OER
Electricity
Students identify the different professions that are related to electricity. In this professions lesson students write a story about performing one of these jobs and share it with the class.
Curated OER
Kinetics Practice 2-Key
In this kinetics worksheet, students solve seven problems related to chemical reactions and their rates. Students identify rate laws for mechanisms, they draw reaction diagrams, and they determine rate constants.