Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind Curriculum Activity: From a Distance
Challenge your class with an amazing set of ideas that really put the project back into project-based learning. It all starts with a whole class research task. Each learner will look up and take notes on multiple facets of things that...
Mascil Project
Circular Pave-Stones Backyard
Pack the lesson into your plans. Young mathematicians learn about packing and optimization with the context of circular paving stones. They use coins to model the paving stones, and then apply knowledge of circles and polygons to...
Curated OER
Dry Ice: Simply Sublime
A fascinating instructional activity on states of matter is here for your young scientists. Dry ice is used to challenge learners preconceived notions about how solids work. They discover all sorts of interesting facts about states of...
Chemistry Collective
Virtual Lab: DNA Binding Problem
Why do the bases in DNA pair up the way they do? Unravel the mystery of the double helix in a virtual lab. Young scientists follow in the footsteps of Watson and Crick to determine the free energy associated with DNA base pair binding....
Curated OER
Pollination of Flowers by Moths
Turn your classroom into a pollination station as your kids transform into moths or predators trying to survive and aiding in plant reproduction along the way. Using silent party blowers as proboscises, the moths will have two minutes to...
American Chemical Society
Diapers: The Inside Story
There shouldn't be any accidents with this activity! An inquiry-based lesson has learners explore the absorption properties of the gel compound in diapers. After testing its properties, they learn the science of the molecules that make...
Field Museum
The Case of Darwin's Finches
One of the most striking pieces of evidence for Darwin's Evolution of Species was his observations of finches and how their beaks differed from island to island, depending on their primary food sources. So what would happen to the theory...
Curated OER
I Wonder...
Students review information they have gathered from previous lessons. They create their own experiments and carry them out. They reflect on the project as a whole.
Curated OER
Grass as Biomass
Students explore energy properties by listening to a sustainability lecture in class. In this biomass instructional activity, students identify what biomass is, how it can be transformed into a usable energy and how it complements the...
Curated OER
The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry
With The Great Kapok Tree, by Lynne Cherry as the hook learners discuss the rainforest, the animals that live there, and conservation efforts. Then, students write a letter to the man in the story asking him not to cut down the Kapok...
Curated OER
Science is a Wonderland
Students use the scientific method to study Animalia and Plantae Kingdoms. In this science inquiry activity, students watch a PowerPoint about science process skills. Students complete the National Geographic bottled Eggs-periment or the...
Curated OER
I Wonder What Would Happen if Lots of Manduca Lived in a Small Place...
Students discuss the reasons why humans fight and look for similiarties in animals. They make predictions on what they think will happen when they observe insect crowding. They make conclusions about their predictions to end the activity.
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
Documenting Science Through an Active Inquiry Process
Students follow procedures regarding scientific data collection. In this scientific inquiry lesson, students investigate inquiry questions through research and data collection. Students use technology tools to create products that...
Curated OER
Science Simulation: BBC Science Simulations 3
Students perform experiments on a Promethean Board and will identify and use stages of the inquiry process. Students will be in instructed in the use of a Promethean board, will practice and eventually perform experiment on their own.
Curated OER
Scientific Method Unit: Bacteria
Students discover how to apply the steps of the inquiry process through the study of bacteria. Working in groups of four, they cooperatively read an article about bacteria and complete a graphic organizer. Group members share with others...
Curated OER
The Wheels on the Bot Go Round and Round, Part I
Students determine how speed is measured. In this physics lesson, students design an experiment to find out if the robot's drive wheel size affects its speed. They collect data and discuss results.
Curated OER
Rainfall and Water Table
Through inquiry, experimentation, and observation, young scientists see how an increase in rainfall under climate change can affect the water table and soil salinity underground. Young scientists build models that represent the...
Curated OER
When Floating Ice Melts in the Sea
With this simple inquiry exercise young scientists observe the effects of melting ice on water level. Set up an easy experiment with floating ice cubes in a dish of water then have your pupils make and record their observations of the...
Curated OER
Make a Windmill
Students explore Earth science by conducting an energy experiment in class. In this windmill lesson, students identify how wind has been used to pump water throughout history and the latest developments wind energy has produced. Students...
Curated OER
The Science of Weather: Hurricanes
Students use this USA today activity to learn about hurricane season. For this hurricane lesson, students study the map of the earth and hurricane science. Students complete discuss questions. Students draw a map of the United States and...
Curated OER
What Floats Your Boat?
This open-ended boat building exercise is meant to be part of a three-lesson series on ships. Links to the other two lessons are included. This particular part is mostly a group lab activity in which they build a boat, find its load line...
Curated OER
When Are We Wasting Water
Students study water conservation. In this water conservation activity, students participate in a water conservation experiment. Students discover how to conserve water while washing their hands.
Curated OER
Newton's Three Laws of Motion Lesson Plan
Students explore Newton's three laws of motion using a variety of activities. In this physics lesson, students calculate the average speed of a vehicle they constructed using distance and time information. They identify and draw the...