Learn the science behind one of the most beautiful acts of nature. A comprehensive lesson explores the causes and characteristics of auroras. The instruction also explains the differences among auroras and what the differences indicate...

In 2015, Peter Cook found that sea lions with high levels of exposure to toxins suffered permanent brain damage if they survived at all. Scholars learn about the accumulation of toxins at various levels of the food chain. Using...

Learn about polymers while playing with shrinky dinks. Young scholars create a shrinky dink design, bake it, and then record the area, volume, and thickness over time. They model the data using a graph and highlight the key features of...

The jet stream can reach speeds of up to 250 miles per hour. Scholars learn about the jet stream and ocean currents as they rotate through stations. They answer questions leading them to understand the impact these fluid streams have on...

What a big job for such a small particle. Young scientists learn about the role of nanoparticles in catalytic converters for cars. They conduct an experiment to create alginate-MnO2 catalytic spheres. 

Young meteorologists explore different aspects of the weather while learning about measurement devices. They build instruments and then set up a weather station outside and measure temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind speed, and...

Talk like a scientist. Pupils engage in a science talk about rainforests, using a note-catcher worksheet to record important points. Next, they work in triads to synthesize their ideas about the rainforest, adding notes to a KWL anchor...

Scientists know the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today is higher than at any point in the last 800,000 years. Scholars learn about the amount of thermic radiation absorbed by air and what happens to the rest of the...

Mini-marine biologists use Scholastic Explorers website to learn about declining numbers of leatherback sea turtles and dusky dolphins. They fill out a K-W-L chart and observation journal worksheet, which are both provided in the lesson...

It's not easy to find fabulous physics lesson plans, but School Power Naturally has put together a series of them. In this particular lesson, high schoolers learn about the structure and functioning of photovoltaic cells. They construct...

Utilizing the Nebraska State Quarter, pupils learn about the pioneers who had wagons that were pulled across Nebraska by oxen during the westward movement. Excellent worksheets are embedded in the plan that guide them through this fine...

Here is a comprehensive package in which middle schoolers learn about types of seismic waves, triangulation, and tectonic plate boundaries. Complete vocabulary, colorful maps, and a worksheet are included via links on the webpage. You...

Zap! Ouch! That hurts! But why? And how come people don't experience or respond to pain in the same way? Take a journey on the sensing pathway, from your nociceptors, along your nerves, up your spinal cord, to neurons and glial, through...

How is risk determined? Through the use of a reading passage, individuals or groups learn about bird interactions with man made structures along with wind turbines. Pupils use information from the second reading passage to conduct an...

Small groups use information they have learned about blade construction to design, build, and test their own concepts. The teams compete in order to determine which design has the best average power output. 

Can you eyes be fooled into seeing colors that aren't actually there? Budding scientists view a presentation that addresses this topic. They explore how their eyes interpret color through the retinas and messages sent to the brain. They...

How important is the tip of a new shoot on a growing plant? Individuals learn about the results of experiments on shoot tips and must interpret them. They apply previous learning and connect complex ideas through advanced analysis.

Human bodies prove evolution thanks to our genes, bones, and more. Learning about specific body parts and how they evolved from other species helps individuals better understand the transition species that helped us become who we are today.

What does a future as a computer scientist look like? Pupils learn about loops in computer coding by writing a story about the future. They include the repeat until and wait blocks in the Scratch program to incorporate these loops.

More asthma attacks happen at higher altitudes, but why? Scholars complete worksheets, learning about homeostasis and feedback related to breathing. Then, they work in small groups to experiment with breathing in limited amounts of...

Personalized medicine prevents many trial-and-error scenarios when time counts the most. Learn how gene expression and screening genomes improves health outcomes in cancer patients, those with auto-immune disorders, and more. An online...

It's not easy to measure the weather. Pupils learn about what all weather has in common—the atmosphere. Scholars discover how a meteorologists must be able to measure aspects of the atmosphere and decipher the data. They then create a...

Students learn about the causes and properties of tornados. Students create a simulation of a tornado and observe its characteristics.

Young meteorologists read basic weather maps by learning about the symbols that are associated with them. This two-day lesson has some excellent demonstrations and activities to get youngsters thinking about the weather in scientific...