Curated OER
Seed Germination
Young scholars germinate a Mung Bean seed. In this seed lesson students conduct an experiment germinating a Mung Bean. They apply three different treatments to the seeds: dry, moist, and underwater incubation.
Curated OER
In The Dark
Students go on a "trust walk" during which one student is blindfolded and led around by his/her partner.
Curated OER
Earth Science Lesson Plans - The Hadean
Fourth graders review the Clock of Eras and learn about The Hadean. In this eras instructional activity, 4th graders study the characteristics of the first time period on the Clock of Eras; The Hadean. They watch a demonstration of a...
Curated OER
Plant Lifecycles
Students examine the life cycle of plants. In this plants lesson, students identify the various stages of plants and their parts. Students compare the life cycle of a plant with that of an animal. Activities suggested can be modified for...
Curated OER
Sponges, Cnidarians, Flatworms, and Roundworms
In this simple animals worksheet, learners read information about sponges, cnidarians, flatworms, and roundworms and then complete a chart comparing and contrasting these groups of animals. This worksheet has 11 fill in the blank questions.
Curated OER
Igneous Rock Lab
In this igneous rock worksheet, students answer 5 questions about igneous rocks and then use a website to find the 6 textures of igneous rock. Students record data such as the color, the texture, if it's intrusive or extrusive, if its...
Curated OER
Photosynthesis
If you need summary notes for independent study, or a Powerpoint to review as a class, then these slides will fit your need. There are really great, quite detailed, diagrams and some slides to summarize the 2 stages of reactions in...
Green Learning
Build Your Own Solar Oven
This is not exactly a lesson plan, but rather a six-page document detailing how to build a solar oven. A bit of background information, materials list, diagrams and photos, and clearly-written procedures are all included. There are no...
Colorado State University
How Does the Earth Cool Itself Off?
Where does all the heat go when the sun goes down? An interesting lesson has learners explore this question by monitoring the infrared radiation emitted over time. They learn that hot spots cool more quickly that cooler spots.
Curated OER
How to Hide in the Ocean
Students observe and discuss the advantages of camouflage, then try their hands at designing a well-camouflaged fish.
Curated OER
Can You Make a Muscle?
Why are muscles important? Third graders study the different kinds and functions of muscles in the human body. After drawing arrows in an illustration to indicate where a muscle contraction would occur, they do their own experiment about...
Space Awareness
Day and Night in the World
How do different parts of the world experience day and night? Introduce scholars to the concept of global citizenship while teaching about animal behavior with discussion of nocturnal and diurnal animals. Then, learners complete...
Curated OER
Sky Observations Sky & Cloud Windows
Students observe the sky and weather to gather data. They conduct experiments to answer questions about the sky and weather phenomena. They measure, analyze and present data. They create sky windows by gluing sky colored paint chips...
Polar Trec
Can Carbon Dioxide Act Like a Greenhouse Gas?
Ninety-seven percent of scientists who study climate agree that human activity is warming the planet. Learners explore carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas, a gas causing this warming, through a hands-on experiment. Once complete, they...
Curated OER
Rooftop Gardens
Second graders investigate how to help a city building remain cooler on the inside. They create a rooftop garden in order to shield the building and lower the internal temperature. The garden is meant to replace the black tar paper that...
Curated OER
Human Cheek Cell
Get up close and personal with human cells with this lab worksheet. Learners use a microscope to examine their own cheek cells, drawing diagrams of the cells and identifying the parts when they have focused in on a visible specimen....
Curated OER
Hawk in Flight
Learners use information gathered by satellites to explore the migration of the Swainson's hawk from the western border of Minnesota to the southern portion of South America.
Curated OER
Heating and Cooling a Really Large Lizard
Remind your middle school scientists how fox ear size varies depending on the climate they live in; large ears allow heat loss while small ears keep heat in. Discuss how a cold-blooded animal might try to regulate body temperature. Then...
Space Awareness
Meet Our Neighbors: Sun
The sun isn't just a ball of yellow! Young scientists learn about the features of the sun using a hands-on modeling activity. They build models of the sun using common household items to represent sunspots, solar prominence, and the...
American Museum of Natural History
Moon Flip Book
Flip over the phases of the moon. Using an interactive, pupils view the location of the moon relative to the sun and earth for the eight major phases of the moon. Individuals record how the moon looks through a complete cycle. Using...
Agriculture in the Classroom
Seed Match
Using this resource, your team of green thumbs discuss why plants are a part of a healthy diet and the different ways they are used in daily life. They then observe the characteristics of different seed as they attempt to match...
Science Matters
Up and Down Fault Blocks
The Sierra Mountains in Nevada and the Tetons in Wyoming originally formed as fault block mountains. In order to visualize these fault blocks, pupils use construction paper to create layers of earth. They cut the paper models and form...
Curated OER
Evidence of Evolution by Natural Selection
Being able to test a hypothesis is a scientific must. AP Biology pupils can see the process of hypothesis testing through evidence for evolution as seen in natural selection. Slides contain solid information and excerpts from academic...
Curated OER
Evidence of Evolution by Natural Selection: Testable Hypotheses #2
These slides will activate prior knowledge with real-life examples of natural selection. The predictions and outcomes for those examples are explained. Your students will like the information about the relevant chromosome tests that can...