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Abrupt Climate Change
Students explore how scientific knowledge changes in the context of abrupt climate change. They are introduced to some recent ideas about abrupt climate change. This gives them a glimpse into how scientific theories are formed and...
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Understanding How Potatoes Grow
Second graders make a KWL chart and brainstorm what they need for the project of growing potatoes. They choose one potato and plant it in water or peat moss cups and choose a location in which meets the needs of the plants and make their...
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QuickPlan: Mystery Boxes
Primaries explore the concepts of observation and inference. Given a set of six sealed boxes, children lift, tip, or gently shake in order to make observations about what is inside. The lesson plan gives preparation instructions in...
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A Star is Born
Students research the life cycle of a star. In this astronomy lesson, students work in groups to research on stage in stellar evolution and report back to the class their findings. They will discuss as a class the order of the stages and...
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It's Just Right
Young scholars conduct an experiment to determine the temperature tolerance of yeasts. In this biology lesson, students collect data and compare them by plotting graphs. They explain how extreme temperatures affect organisms.
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Galileo: His Times & Beliefs
Students study Galileo and his scientific discoveries. They complete a series of experiments/model constructions, using 17th century equipment and procedures, to "recreate," demonstrate and explore the various discoveries of Galileo.
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Reflecting on Reflectivity
High schoolers plan and construct a "mini-lab" to measure the reflectivity of different earth surfaces. They measure reflectivity of materials, including ice, soil, rocks, etc., and then extrapolate from what they have learned to...
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Magnets---Polarity
Students identify and describe the poles of a magnet. They demonstrate how the poles interact with one another.
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Activity #4 What Do Equations Mean?
Students practice with writing and balancing simple chemcial equations. they comprehend that chemical equations are a method of using a set of univeral symbols to represent what happens experimentally in chemical reactions. Pupils...
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Come On, You Can Trust Me
Fourth graders see how to define and then recognize a variety of propaganda techniques at work in their everyday world. Choosing one technique, they creatively demonstrate a thorough understanding from real world experiences. A very rich...
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The Gingerbread Boy Comes Alive
Students make cut-out gingerbread cookies. After reading "The Gingerbread Boy", their cookies "disappear" and students must make predictions and draw conclusions about what happened to their cookies.
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Monkeying Around
Third graders study machines. They watch a video about and identify and chart machines they find at home and at school. They design and build simple and compound machines, create an advertisement for them and attempt to sell them at the...
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Research Ethics
Young scholars develop an ability to distinguish between simple error, misconduct and fraud. Students are lead to consider a widening circle of the consequences of misconduct and fraud. They expand their knowledge on the...
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Activity #1 Reactions: Chemical or Physical?
Learners distinguish between physical changes and chemical changes. They comprehend that chemical reactions produce new substances with compositions and properites which are different than those of the starting materials. Pupils also...
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Activity #3 Are Particles "Real?"
Students verbalize a simple particle theory, They apply their particle theory to explain what happens during chemical reactions and how this theory supports the law of conservation of matter. Pupils comprehend that the atomic theory,...
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Greek Gods Who Are They?
Sixth graders research a Greek God with a partner and prepare a presentation for the class. They use the computer and Internet, as a motivator for a Social Studies unit and explore the mythology, legends, values and beliefs of a people.
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Using Primary Sources to Discover Reconstruction
Fifth graders discover how reconstruction had an impact on racial issues in the United States. In this Reconstruction lesson, 5th graders are introduced to primary vs. secondary resources and then rotate through stations to view...
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Bushy Run: A Decisive Battle of Pontiac's Rebellion
Students study the battle at Bushy Run. In this Pontiac's Rebellion lesson, students examine an 1765 map of the Bushy Run battle as well as letters and a modern topographic map of the area in order to simulate the event and research how...
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Child Labor in the Carolinas
Fifth graders explore child labor and how children were exploited and used in the work place. In this Industrial Revolution lesson, 5th graders research child labor by reading, looking at photographs and drawing conclusions...
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A Package of Pringle
Here is a problem-solving lesson that has learners take the role of a packaging expert to design an inexpensive means of packaging a potato chip. It could benefit from having more specific detail about the lesson itself, but it does make...
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Ar.... What Gives?
Students investigate the properties of air through inflated objects. In this physical science lesson, students examine gas as a state of matter. Student push on inflated objects and note the space the gas has taken up inside. Students...
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Science Experiments - The Low-down
Third graders discover the process thinking about science experiments, and why they are important. They work in small groups using incline planes and a small toy car to design one scientific question that can be answered through...
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Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam A Study of the Vietnam Era
Students examine letters that US service people wrote to their family and friends while they served in Vietnam. They examine the daily hardships and the role of medical personnel and helicopters. They write letters in response to those...
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Orientation of the Earth in Space
Students hypothesize the location of the sun in the sky at diferent times of day and at different latitudes. They perform several experiments to provide evidence for their hypothesis. Experiments including observing the sun's position at...