American Psychological Association
Do Cookies/Donuts Improve Memory? Errors in Methodology
If the methodology is skewed, the results will be skewed. That's the takeaway from an exercise designed to get class members thinking about research methods and statistics gathering. Instructors manipulate the testing environment to...
Messenger Education
Can You Hear Me Now?—Communicating with Spacecraft
Radio signals transmitted to Pluto take five hours to reach their destination! In these two activities, young scientists explore data communication in space. In activity one, pupils learn how data is gathered and sent back to Earth....
Intel
Forensics: Get a Clue
Although the methods are all scientific, forensic science was started by police officers rather than scientists, who relied on observation and common sense. Young detectives use many tools to solve crimes around the school in a...
National Museum of Nuclear Science & History
Nuclear Popcorn
Make your lesson on radioactive decay pop with this lab exercise. Using popcorn kernels spread over a tabletop, participants pick up all of those that point toward the back of the room, that is, those that represent decayed atoms. As the...
Virginia Department of Education
Prokaryotes
Lead your biology class on a cell-sized adventure! Emerging scientists construct models of prokaryotes, then design an experiment to properly grow a bacterial culture. They conclude the activity by viewing the culture under a microscope....
Curated OER
Asthma Survey
Young scholars collect survey data on the prevalence of asthma in a community. They summarize and display the survey data in ways that show meaning.
Intel
What Does This Graph Tell You?
What can math say about natural phenomena? The fifth STEM lesson in this project-based learning series asks collaborative groups to choose a phenomenon of interest and design an experiment to simulate the phenomenon. After collecting...
Curated OER
Velocity
Students explore the concepts of velocity, acceleration, distance and football. They collect data on the velocity of a football and they determine the distance and height of a football when it is thrown. Students compare their findings...
Curated OER
Measurable You!
Conduct guided experiments and discussions while collecting anthropometric measurements. Your class will explore impact of experimental errors in a scientific system, and explain their observations/findings in writing. An introduction to...
Curated OER
Galaxy Hunter - A Cosmic Photo Safari
Space science stars journey through our night sky and take virtual photos of galaxies to investigate simple random samples. Higher math is used to analyze the data collected. Copy the evaluation/assessment questions onto a handout for...
Curated OER
The Statistical Nature of Test Data
Students investigate the properties of various metals. They conduct an experiment and gather the data by putting into the proper statistical graphs. The data is analyzed and conclusions are formed according to the properties of the metals.
Curated OER
Who? What? When? Where? Asking Questions
Sixth graders interview Veterans or role play to answer who, what, where, when questions. In this Veteran's Day questioning activity, 6th graders learn about the events in the military service of veterans. Students may simulate...
Intel
Composting: Why Bother?
The first STEM lesson in a group of 10 explores composting. After discussing how to make a better tomorrow, classes are challenged to track garbage in their communities, visit a local waste management facility, and conduct a survey about...
Curated OER
Using Spreadsheets and Graphs
Third graders explore mathematics by utilizing computers. In this graphing lesson, 3rd graders gather class data based on a particular topic such as the "favorite candy" of the class. Students utilize this information and computers to...
Curated OER
Graphing Made Easy
Fourth graders discover the appropriate way to construct and analyze bar, line, picto, and circle graphs. They set up frequency tables and perform some statistical analysis (mean, median, and mode) on their data.
Curated OER
Computation with Fractions
Upper graders are introduced to the topic of fractions and percentages. In groups, they discuss real world situations in which fractions are present, and they complete a worksheet solving problems with common and uncommon denominators....
Curated OER
Preparing for the New SAT
Read the College Board's explanation of changes in the SAT for 2005, including essay and grammar questions, use College Board's suggestions for ways to study, practice sample questions, and explore other sites with practice tests.
Curated OER
Merge Letter
Students practice creating a database of addresses and a form letter and eventually merge that information into a letter. They create a from letter that incorporates the data sheet information in response to customers complaints...
Curated OER
Cancer Warrior
Students perform an experiment to determine how different salt concentrations affect the liver's ability to break down toxic hydrogen peroxide. They record and average their data which is then graphed.
Curated OER
A Microscopically Enormous Look at Genetic Inheritance
Students use microscopes to examine fly families and analyze their genetic inheritance. In this genes lesson plan, students also use the chi square for comparing genes and compare the class results as a whole.
Curated OER
Merge Letter
Students create a database of addresses and a form letter, and merge that information into a letter.
Curated OER
The Miracle Fish: Learning to Design an Experiment
Students develop procedures to explore the behavior of fish. In this scientific experiment lesson students from a hypothesis, write a question, identify different variables and controls in their experiment.
Curated OER
Newton's Laws
Students examine and discuss Newton's Laws and discover his contribution to physics. In groups, they participate in an experiment in which they much apply the Laws to the world around them. They describe contact and conservative forces...
Curated OER
Pedestrian Safety for Students
Students create a spreadsheet. In this spreadsheet lesson plan, students take the responses they received from a pedestrian safety survey to create their spreadsheet. Then they turn this information into a graph.