Curated OER
Raptor Force
Students observe a video about pilots, their desired traits, and explore the similarities between a bird and an airplane. Using paper, wood or foam, they design create an aircraft to be flown in a competition to see which plane will fly...
Curated OER
The Legendary Raptors
How are raptors and airplanes alike? Combine science and language arts in this fun and interactive project. Young scientists research the animal in order to design their own aircraft, and compete in a contest for farthest, fastest, and...
Curated OER
We're Not in Kansas Anymore: Disasters!
Students explore weather. They discuss a variety of extreme forces of nature. Students select a topic of their interest and research that topic. They prepare a multimedia presentation on their selected weather topic. Students present...
Curated OER
Redesign the Rover: Mars Research Year-Round
Students discuss the solar system, the planets, periods of orbit and revolution. In this space lesson students discuss the importance of the study of Mars and brainstorm ideas on how NASA might solve its Rover design problem.
Curated OER
The Science of Hurricanes
Students are introduced to the science of hurricanes in an effort to highlight how forces change the speed and direction of motion.
Curated OER
Balloonautics
Students are introduced to basic aerodynamics through a discussion of thrust and drag and a hands-on activity. They examine the forces of thrust, drag, air pressure, aerodynamic shapes and Newton's Third Law Of Motion.
Curated OER
Tsunamis
Students investigate the natural disasters known as tsunamis by researching the Internet. In this nature lesson, students define the word tsunami and discuss how they are created. Students complete an online activity based on water...
Curated OER
Hurricane and Weather Power Points
Providing a wealth of information about hurricanes, tornadoes, and other types of weather-related events, this resource could be used in the classroom in a variety of ways. A teacher could use the PowerPoints listed as a way to introduce...
Curated OER
OPEC Research and Simulation
Students research the organizational structure of OPEC and its political and economic role. They simulate an OPEC meeting. They determine the circumstances that led to the formation of the OPEC cartel.
Curated OER
Smithsonian Research Cuts
Students investigate the Smithsonian research projects of 2001. They complete a Webquest that explores the Smithsonian Institution website, answer discussion questions, and locate newspaper articles about research conducted by the forest...
NASA
Gravitational Waves
Young scientists participate in a hands-on experiment to explore Einstein's theory of relativity in a creative manner. They investigate various waves and compare their characteristics as they discuss how each wave is created. Next,...
Curated OER
Sound Waves
Students explore sound. In this "sound" science lesson, students define sound and explain how sound travels. Students experiment with paper cups and string to conclude how sound travels. Students research a chosen aspect of sound with a...
Curated OER
Fabrics and Polymers
Learners explore natural resources by reading a science story in class. In this fibers lesson, students identify and discuss the differences between fibers such as wool, silk, rayon, linen and cotton. Learners identify the common uses of...
National Research Center for Career and Technical Education
STEM: Lou-Vee Air Car
A comprehensive lesson plan on acceleration awaits your physicists and engineers! Two YouTube videos pique their interest, then sample F=ma problems are worked and graphed. The highlight of the lesson plan is the building of a Lou-Vee...
National Wildlife Federation
Conceptualizing Module II - Putting It All Together
"Creativity is just connecting things." - Steve Jobs. After weeks of researching climate change, the ninth lesson in a series of 21 combines the data and analysis to address essential questions. It covers natural phenomenon, human...
Curated OER
Darwin’s Bees
What do you call a bee born in May? A maybe! This first instructional activity in a series of four begins with a starter activity to get scholars thinking about the topic. Then a circus, or circuit of seven activities, show Darwin's...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Hamlet Meets Chushingura: Traditions of the Revenge Tragedy
Students read texts, view film and video and conduct research in an analysis and comparison of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and the Kabuki piece "Chushingura". They focus their analysis on the theme of revenge.
Cornell University
Fibers, Dyes, and the Environment
Nanofibers can be made through electrospinning or force spinning in order to reduce the negative impact on the environment. Pupils study the role of fibers and dye on the environment through a series of five hands-on activities. Then,...
Curated OER
Simple Machines: Levers
Students discover the fundamentals and daily applications of simple machines. They practice basic engineering theory through their hands-on demonstrations of levers.
Curated OER
Robot Gears
Students build simple gear trains and record data to discover how to compute gear ratios. They investigate the definition of torque and how torque can be increased or decreased in a gear train.
MENSA Education & Research Foundation
Hurricanes
Learn the ins and outs of hurricanes through a series of lessons answering, "What is a hurricane? How does it travel? How is one formed, measured, and named?" Information is presented through informative text and images, while...
Curated OER
Landforms of Illinois
Fifth and sixth graders are introduced to the primary landforms of Illinois and discover how they were created. Landform cards are made for each pupil. They use the twenty-questions format until they have identified each one. Then,...
Curated OER
Innovation for Good
Many historical innovations were created for the common good. Get your students ready for life as a critical thinker with this activity which defines the differences between innovation and invention. They will conduct Internet research,...
Curated OER
Avoiding Armageddon
PBS has written a series of lessons on avoiding Armageddon. This is instructional activity 4 of 5 and focuses on defining terrorism. Upper graders watch episode 3 of "Avoiding Armageddon - The New Face of Terror," read how terrorism is...