Chicago Botanic Garden
What Can Tree Rings Tell Us About Climate?
Tree rings are slightly thicker on the south side of the tree because it receives more sunlight. Part two in a series of five lessons helps learners analyze tree rings to determine the environmental conditions that caused size...
Virginia Department of Education
The Law of Conservation of Matter
The Law of Conservation of Matter can be complex for young scientists to fully grasp. Use this experiment to help simplify the process as pupils perform two experiments to determine mass: one that melts a substance and the other that...
Curated OER
Searching For Power
Fourth graders explore different forms of energy and discover ways that natural resources are important. They research how your town would be affected by building your type of power plant.
Curated OER
Sugar and Light
High schoolers connect starch to sugar as the storage form of energy. They find that no starch is produced in the plant without light. Students perform the old favorite of looking at starch deposition in geranium leaves using Lugol's...
Curated OER
WATTS UP?
Second graders research the Internet as they classify different forms of energy, investigate electrical energy and how to conserve energy.
Curated OER
Don't Marry the Mole!
Third graders examine the power of solar energy. In groups, they create their own pizza box solar oven to discover the power of the sun and how it is a source for heat and light. To end the lesson, they use the internet to examine...
Curated OER
Solar Lesson
First graders complete sunlight and solar effects activities to learn about light and its power. In this solar activity lesson, 1st graders complete a sunscreen test activity, a light test, a black light test, a cloudy test, a sunglasses...
Curated OER
Waterwheel Work
Students investigate the history of the waterwheel and common uses for water turbines today. They construct an experimental waterwheel using a two-liter plastic bottle, measure the rate of revolution of a waterwheel, and complete a...
Curated OER
Making Waves with the Electromagnetic Spectrum
Learners explore various types of electromagnetic waves, the range of the spectrum, and common sources of electromagnetic waves.
Curated OER
Breezy Energy
Third graders view photos of machines that measure wind energy and chart what they observe in the pictures and the questions they have about the pictures. In this wind energy lesson, 3rd graders make a pinwheel. Students show...
Curated OER
Volcanic Activity in the U.S.
Young scholars locate and map ten volcanoes in United States, create chart comparing volcanoes by last eruption, type of volcano, location, and interesting fact, and create Powerpoint slide show describing basic
information about...
Curated OER
Active Transport
In this active transport worksheet, students review the cellular process of active transport including the structures and functions of the cell organelles involved. This worksheet has 28 fill in the blank statements.
Curated OER
A Pre-Treatment Model for Ethanol Production Using a Colorimetric Analysis of Starch Solutions
Learners recognize the benefits of ethanol and study photosynthesis. In this ethanol lesson plan students complete an experiment that shows the procedure that starch can be hydrolyzed by salivary amylase.
TryEngineering
Here Comes the Sun
Students explore concept of how solar energy is gathered by solar panels and adapted to provide power to machines, disassemble solar powered calculator and explore component parts, and work in teams to suggest design enhancements to the...
Curated OER
The Path of Electrons
Students engage in an interactive "hot potato" demonstration to gain an appreciation for the flow of electrons through a circuit. They role play the different parts of a simple circuit and send small items representing electrons (paper...
Curated OER
Stop Heat from Escaping
Students explore the uses of insulation and describe how insulation helps to conserve energy. They work in groups and use plastic, wool, paper and aluminum to experiment with the heat-retaining properties of various materials.
Curated OER
Completing the Circuit
Students use a battery, wires, small light bulb and a light bulb holder to learn the difference between an open circuit and a closed circuit, and understand that electric current only occurs in a closed circuit. They describe the...
Curated OER
Stations of Light
Student groups rotate through four stations to examine light energy behavior: refraction, magnification, prisms and polarization. They see how a beam of light is refracted (bent) through various transparent mediums. Young scholars...
Curated OER
ABCs of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells
Students are introduced to the concept of hydrogen technologies through inquiry-based classroom activities.
Teach Engineering
Corn for Fuel?!
Can corn power the world? Young scientists learn about how corn and other plants can provide renewable biofuels in the second of nine lessons. They set up an experiment to investigate how different variables affect plant growth. All of...
Teach Engineering
Trash to Treasure!
One person's trash is another man's treasure. Challenge your class to build something useful out of the trash they throw away on a regular basis. Groups design and build a practical item from trash they collect, allowing the class to...
Teach Engineering
Exploring the Lotus Effect
The Lotus Effect ... is it not some kind of yoga pose. In the last installment of a nine-part series, young scientists observe the Lotus Effect on lotus leaves and water-repellent cloths. They observe how motion and damage affect the...
Teach Engineering
Live Like an Animal
When your parents say that your room's a pig sty, tell them about biomimicry. The sixth installment of a nine-part Life Science unit has scholars research the shelters used by animals in the natural world, like turtle shells. Using the...
Curated OER
Technology and Oil
Learners demonstrate how much our society depends on petroleum products. They show how advances in technology have allowed us to find, obtain, and transport oil more efficiently.