Curated OER
Astro-Madness
Students study the different telescopes and instruments used in the Observatory. In this engineering and research lesson students explore telescopes using a website and build data tables about them.
Curated OER
Mammals: Mammals and Their Ways
Learners study the difference between innate and learned behaviors. They observe the adaptations and behaviors of mammals in this series of lessons.
Curated OER
Using Magnetotactic Bacteria to Study Natural Selection
Students demonstrate that living organisms may possess incredible adaptations which enable them to survive. They observe bacteria that are able to orient themselves using the Earth's magnetic field and formulate a hypothesis as to how...
Curated OER
What are rice farmers doing to help the environment with their water-filled rice fields?
Third graders research rice fields. In this rice fields lesson, 3rd graders discuss how fields contribute to the environment by providing an important food source for birds. They find the benefits of rice fields to water and soil as...
Curated OER
Going My Way?
Learners, in groups, study how a magnet works and how people use the Earth's magnetic field to orient themselves.
Curated OER
Hide and Seek Science
Learners examine macro-invertebrates in order to better understand their link to the food web. Working in groups, they record observations of several areas of a stream or river, collect samples from the river bottom, and identify the...
Curated OER
Create a Community Tree Tour
Students study tree identification. In this tree identification lesson plan, students design and assemble a tree tour booklet describing 5 trees found in their community. The booklet should feature common and Latin names of the species,...
Curated OER
Boy Scout Merit Badge: Nature
In this boy scout merit badge: nature worksheet, 8th graders research the topic using the websites listed, answer 4 detailed questions about plants, animals, and the environment, then perform specific tasks of identifying in the...
Curated OER
Raptor Study
Young scholars describe characteristics and special adaptations common to raptors and then name some of New Jersey's raptors. Students discuss the implications of raptor eradication. They participate in an interactive classroom...
Curated OER
Digital Field Trip Report
Young scholars create a series of guided tours through a museum, creating a virtual museum for others to acess using audio, images, and an iPod. Their reflections serve as a way to allow other students that are unable to attend the...
Curated OER
Ecology: Why Are Rice Fields Suitable Habitats for Birds?
Fifth graders discover the uses for rice by reading about the habitats of certain birds. In this agriculture lesson, 5th graders research birds from the Gulf Coast and California and their reasons for living in rice fields....
Curated OER
Fields, Meadows, and Fencerows Habitat
In this fields, meadows, and fencerows worksheet, students click on the links to explore the investigative question "How is a field, a meadow, and a fencecrow habitat an essential part of a community?". Students look at 5 different...
Curated OER
Earth Science/ Scientific Methods
Students identify questions and problems in the earth and environmental sciences that can be answered through scientific investigations. They design and conduct scientific investigations to answer questions related to earth and...
Curated OER
Marine Field Trip to Whytecliff Park
Students study the intertidal habitat, tidal pools and the organisms that live in them. In this aquatic ecosystems lesson students take a field trip and experience first hand the local seashore environment.
University of Kentucky
The Great Spider Debate
Poor, misunderstood spiders! They are feared, disrespected, and detested by many people, yet they do so many positive things. A great addition to any insect unit, learn about some of the more common spiders, while hopefully dispelling...
Pulitzer Center
Extractive Industries
Here is a chance for environmental studies classes to take a critical look at crises occurring around the globe by reading articles and viewing video clips. The human activities under scrutiny are the extraction of oil, logging, and...
University of Texas
Understanding Migration
Human migration—often the result of push and pull factors—sometimes has dramatic outcomes for both those leaving their homelands and the host countries. Using a variety of case studies, learners consider those issues. Then, by completing...
Curated OER
Don't Call Me A Pig
First graders explore wildlife and habitats in the Arizona desert. Throughout a classroom discussion, 1st graders observe pictures of the desert and animals that live there. As they go on a nature walk around the school, students...
Polar Trec
Animal Monitoring Introduction
Not only do mealworms taste great, they are also great for classroom science lessons. In pairs, young scientists observe and record what they see as they check out what their mealworms are doing from minute to minute. Each minute...
Physics Classroom
Universal Gravitation
Are you feeling weighed down by your current gravitation presentation? Assign a hands-on interactive instead! Physics scholars work through a series of progressively harder questions about mass, distance, and gravity using an online...
Curated OER
Controversial Issues
Hot topics are often engaging and can get heated. High School students engage in an academic discussion were they must learn to engage with a person holding a different view than their own. They practice discussing different opinions...
Curated OER
Tell Me More
Fifth graders demonstrate research techniques in addition to endeavoring to display focus and stay on topic. Using books and stories, they gather, organize, and share information about a topic. Additionally, they explain to the class...
Virginia Department of Education
Moles Lab Activities
Want my name and number? It's 6.0221415 times 10 to the 23rd, and my name is Avogadro. Providing nine different activities, experiments, and labs, this lesson keeps Avogadro relevant to your class all year long.
Teach Engineering
Force on a Current Carrying Wire
What do electrical currents have to do with an MRI? Using a simple wire setup and a magnet, class members explore forces used in an MRI by investigating the magnetic force acting on a wire carrying a current.