EngageNY
TASC Transition Curriculum: Workshop 15
What do a cheetah, Audi commercial, and air have in common? They're all topics of an engaging inquiry-based, hands-on workshop for educators about background knowledge, reading strategies, the CER model, and argumentative writing. The...
Discovery Education
It's Getting Hot in Here
Class members engage in a STEM experiment and investigate how materials affect heating in a house by creating models of houses and using different top surface materials. They record the temperature inside the models and consider what the...
Curated OER
Galileo's Dialogue
Explore how Galileo's controversial theory raised objections in his time. In this physical science activity, learners research about current controversial issues. They role play both sides of the issue, and decide which one has a...
Curated OER
LAND USE DEBATE / TOWN MEETING
Ninth graders research, analyze, and orally defend an issue related to the use of geologic resources. They defend their position in written form by composing a letter to an appropriate source.
Curated OER
Meteorology
Young scholars research and produce an oral history that reflects the importance of meterologists in the lives of people in their community.
Curated OER
Interplanetary Travel Guide
In groups of six, middle school space scientists create an imaginative travel brochure for attracting visitors to the planet Mars. Information must include surface features and atmospheric conditions. Although time-consuming, this is a...
Curated OER
Ozone Hole Expert Groups
Research topics associated with the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica. Researchers write five facts about their topic and one question for each of those facts. They present what they learned to the rest of the class. Six topics are...
Curated OER
Galaxies
The first thing to note is that this lesson plan was written for use in a parochial school. Even if you are in a non-religious setting, however, the website exploration of galaxies and the accompanying worksheet make for an engaging...
Curated OER
Ice Cube Experiment
Students explore the rate at which ice melts. In this science lesson plan, students place ice cubes on colored index cards and place them in direct sunlight. Students observe which ice cubes melt fastest and slowest.
Curated OER
Small Pox Scare Wks 1-2
Students identify basic similarities and differences between B- and T-lymphocytes, stressing function, location, and role. They complete a worksheet that requires them to apply knowledge about ELISA and antibodies.
Curated OER
Getting to Know Soil
Young scholars make predictions and analyze soil. In this soil properties lesson, students make predictions about soil properties for various soil samples. Young scholars examine the types of soils and record their observations. Students...
Curated OER
I Don't Think We're in Kansas Anymore (Grades 2-5)
Learners give examples of erosion and weathering processes. They determine causes of America's Dust Bowl phenomena.Students define erosion as the condition in which the earth's surface is worn away by the action of water and wind.
Curated OER
Hero Or Zero?
Students investigate science and technology by reading a children's book. In this reading comprehension lesson, students read the story Archibald Frisby and discuss the ways we use science and technology in everyday life....
Curated OER
Rock Identification Lab
Eighth graders compare and contrast the three different types of rock. For this earth science lesson, 8th graders classify rock samples according to their correct rock type. They design their own data collection table.
Curated OER
Weather Forecasting Basics
Eighth graders analyze weather diagrams and weather maps. In this earth science lesson, 8th graders explain why it is important to know the weather. They complete a handout at the end of the lesson.
Curated OER
Mineral Lab
Eighth graders examine the physical properties of different minerals. In this earth science lesson, 8th graders explain the uses of minerals in their daily lives. They complete the mineral identification table during the lesson.
Curated OER
Redefining an Earthquake
Ninth graders build an "Earthquake Machine" (a manipulative model of a fault line) and use it to explore stick-slip behavior of some faults and to develop a more accurate definition of an earthquake and its causes.
Curated OER
Is There Water on Mars?
Students decide whether or not there is or has even been water on Mars. They analyze temperature and pressure data from the Pathfinder mission to Mars, and then they analyze images of Mars, interpreting the landforms they see and...
Curated OER
Glove Gardens
Students investigate how seeds sprout. In this scientific inquiry lesson, students make predictions on which seeds will grow the fastest and observe the seeds over a period of time. Observations are recorded into a journal.
Curated OER
The Phantom of the Computer Lab
Learners calculate the power consumption of computers in school. In this physics lesson, students design an experiment to determine whether the school should unplug computers at the end of the day. They collect data and report findings...
Curated OER
Your Expedition of Discovery
Students study GPS and see how it is used to determine points on the Earths surface. In this expedition lesson students use GPS to find given coordinates.
Curated OER
The Nine Planets
Sixth graders examine and investigate the solar system. They participate in a Webquest, and create a Powerpoint presentation that is meant to be a research guide to help alien visitors find a suitable habitat in the solar system.
Curated OER
How Do Cartographers Find Points on a Map?
Ninth graders describe latitude and longitude and how they may be useful to find things on a map. In this cartography lesson students divide into groups and devise a coordinate system that can be used to communicate a position.
Space Awareness
How Light Pollution Affects the Stars: Magnitude Readers
Did you know light can decrease visibility? Light pollution absolutely makes it more difficult to see stars. Scholars build a simple magnitude reader to determine the magnitude of stars. They use these data to estimate the impact of...