Combine science and playtime with the final lesson in an innovative unit. Scholars apply everything they have learned in previous lessons to build their own motors/generators and use it in a toy of their own design. 

High schoolers test wood splints that have been soaked in mystery solutions to identify the different colors it produces when lit. The lesson concludes with a reading passage and analysis questions.

Has your class wondered how fast a human could run or how high they are capable of jumping? Help them understand these concepts as they explore acceleration and use an accelerometer to make semiquantitative measurements of acceleration...

How important is momentum? Pupils investigate and apply the definition of momentum as they conduct analyses during a series of one-dimensional collisions. They infer the relative masses of two objects by carefully staging and predicting...

Assist your class with understanding collisions as they apply the Law of Conservation of Momentum. Pupils measure the momentum before and after manipulation of two objects so that one strikes another in an inelastic collision. The lesson...

Were it not for Sir Newton, our understanding of physics and matters of the world would be drastically different. Present your class with detailed information of Newton's Second Law as they explore the concepts of mass and acceleration....

Did you know that cars weren't designed for passenger safety until the 1960s? The lesson starts with a quick quiz on automobile safety. Then, scholars evaluate three cars for their safety features. This is the third in a set of nine...

Math modeling is made easy with the first installment of a 16-part module that teaches pupils to model real-world situations as linear relationships. They create graphs, tables of values, and equations given verbal descriptions.

Scholars build robotic arms that swing back and forth and use them to collect velocity and acceleration data. To analyze the results, pupils compare data to the equations for angular velocity and centripetal acceleration.

Would you live in a tree for three years to protect a redwood forest? Viewers of Rainhouse Cinema's Among Giants documentary consider the actions of Earth First! environmental activists who moved into the treetops of a grove of giant...

How does chemistry help deep-sea explorers? Part four of a five-part series of lessons from aboard the Okeanos Explorer introduces middle school scientists to technologies used in ocean exploration. Groups work together to analyze data...

Sometimes it's okay to text in school. Young computer scientists work in the Scratch program to write a text message conversation among friends. They use different sprites within the program to represent each side of the conversation to...

There's no need to filter out the project. Future computer scientists set up a program that acts like a photography filter to complete the sixth of eight parts in the Google CS Art unit. They use the turbo mode in the Scratch coding...

Here's a creative resource that definitely isn't paint by numbers. As the fourth in and eight-part Art series, learners create a paint program using the Scratch block code. By completing the activity, class members come to understand the...

You'll have oodles of Google Doodles. Scholars create their own Google logos using the Scratch coding program. After watching videos on how to add blocks of code in Scratch, they use their newfound knowledge to design a logo based on a...

The March sisters (Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy) have delighted readers for more 100 years—and they continue gaining young fans every day. An eBook of the classic novel, Little Women, provides a more modern look, but it does so without...

Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream takes center stage in an interactive designed for an audience of English learners. After watching a short animated version of the play, individuals read a printed version of the script, match the...

Boost observational skills with an inquiry-based lesson that takes scholars on a virtual field trip. With help from webcams, learners observe animals in a zoo or aquarium. Observations go into a journal and a discussion is held to review...

What is Internet fraud? Explore Internet ethics and engage in a collaborative discussion. In order to create a Guide to Internet Honesty, learners read and discuss the article "A Beautiful Life, A Tragic Death, a Fraud Exposed." Then...

Students gain an understanding of some of the challenges the U.S. faced at its birth. They are asked to compose a report on the state of the nation in 1790 (addressed to President George Washington), which includes a narrative, maps and...

You can demonstrate the destructive force of volcanic mudflows to your early earth scientists using this lesson plan. Messy, but memorable, the two demonstrations require some preparation. Use one or both! Included is a link to activity...

Students use persuasive speech techniques to encourage philanthropy in others. Their speeches will include details of philanthropic acts within the community, home/family and school. In addition to speeches, students commit to an act of...

Students investigate a hypothesis about birds in their backyard using identification and survey skills.

Here is a tasty topic for a instructional activity: Christmas candy! Third and fourth graders research classic Christmas candies, then create their very own! They write a descriptive paragraph about their candy, then use KidPix to create...