Science Matters
Forms of Energy
The amount of energy Americans use doubles every 20 years. The first lesson in a 10-part series teaches scholars about different forms of energy. They rotate through five stations with hands-on activities or experiments at each in order...
Curated OER
Meter Marker Mania
Students identify integers as rational and irrational numbers. In this algebra lesson, students measure and construct number lines using positive and negative integers. They convert between decimals and fractions.
Curated OER
Power Metering Project
Students collect and analyze variable data and understand the concept of electrical power. In this energy lesson students use a spreadsheet to manage their data and create box plots.
Curated OER
One Two three Isaac Newton and Me
Ninth graders study Newton's Laws and apply these concepts to travel in space. In this space lesson plan students complete several lab activities.
Curated OER
Teaching Kids about the Environment
Fifth graders identify the species of plants and animals found in an environment. They compare these findings to plant and animal species found in an unlike environment. Students acquire and compare soil samples from the two sites chosen.
Curated OER
Pendulums
Students explore the period of a pendulum. In this pendulum lesson plan, students make a pendulum using a fishing weight, hook, string and paper clip and measure the pendulum's period. Students measure the number of seconds for 10 cycles...
Curated OER
How Tall is that Tree?
Students apply their math skills to develop an accurate estimate of the height of a tall tree. Three different methods are outlined. All grade levels should be able to perform the shadow method and the proportional method.
Curated OER
Married Math
Students participate in a two-week real-life math unit. In pairs, they calculate salaries, taxes, and a budget, plan a vacation, buy insurance, make a will, and design a room. They conduct Internet research to plan the vacation, and...
Curated OER
Filling the Glass (Water, Air, and Fractions)
Students predict which of two glasses is 1/2 full using visual estimation, height measurement, and liquid measurement methods. Mathematical equations to accurately solve the problem are determined and verified.
Curated OER
Principles of Flight: Bernoulli's Lift
Students discover how air pressure effects flight. In this physics lesson, students create two types of airplane wings so they can observe the way air pressure creates lift. Students utilize a printout to create the airplane wings.
Curated OER
Reading the River - Biological Classification
Youngsters create a list of grocery store items and then work together to categorize them as if they were setting up the shelves of the market. Then they are given a box of miscellaneous objects to practice categorizing. With these two...
Discovery Education
The Time of Our Life
Mammals are some of the newest organisms to appear on Earth. Young scholars complete an activity that results in a timeline showing the appearance of different types of living organisms. Provided with a list that spans from prokaryotes...
Curated OER
A Steep Hike
Students explore slope. In this middle school mathematics lesson plan, students analyze and interpret graphs as they investigate slope as a rate of change. Students use a motion detector to collect data as they walk at different speeds...
Curated OER
Toilet Plunger Sundial
Students build a sundial to measure the local noon time. In this third grade science lesson plan, students build a sundial out of common materials and align to measure the local noon. This lesson plan is a hands-on tracking of the sun,...
Curated OER
Explor-A-Pond: 5th Grade Soil Erosion
Fifth graders compare and contrast the rate of soil erosion along water and along a vegetation area. They observe the differences and record their information and write a hypothesis of what they think happen if the erosion continues.
Curated OER
Explora-Pond: 1st Grade Shore Count
First graders experience addition through the exploration of a virtual pond. They categorize the various plants around the pond, count the number of various types of plants on the pond shore, and calculate the number of shrubs.
Cornell University
Non-Newtonian Fluids—How Slow Can You Go?
Children enjoy playing with silly putty, but it provides more than just fun. Young scientists make their own silly putty using different recipes. After a bit of fun, they test and graph the viscosity of each.
Curated OER
"How Much?" Contest - Measurement
Students work with measurements of length, area, and volume capacity of a liquid. They watch a teacher demonstration of both English and metric units before they estimate and take actual measurements of assigned items a three different...
EngageNY
Getting the Job Done—Speed, Work, and Measurement Units
How do you convert from one measurement to another? Pupils use unit rates to convert measurements from one unit to another in the 21st segment in a 29-part series. They convert within the same system to solve length, capacity, weight,...
Cornell University
Glued into Science—Classifying Polymers
Explore the unique characteristics of polymers. A complete lesson begins with a presentation introducing polymers. Following the presentation, young scientists develop a laboratory plan for creating substances using polymers. They test...
Curated OER
Body Part Measurements
Second graders participate in a review of how to use rulers and yard sticks while collecting measurement information. They measure assigned body parts and chart the data on collection sheets. They make a spreadsheet with the information...
Curated OER
Making Metric And Customary Rulers
Students create a ruler for the purpose of measurement using the standard and metric systems. The rulers are of different lengths and are compared to one another. Then students make conversions of different lengths using both systems of...
Curated OER
Boomerang
Students explore the concept of boomerangs. In this boomerang lesson, students throw homemade boomerangs at different angles to record maximum distance and if it returned or not. Students collect their boomerang data then create a...
DiscoverE
LIDAR: Mapping with Lasers
We would be lost without maps! How are they made? Introduce junior topographers to LIDAR technology with a fascinating activity. Set up a mock city, then have learners operate a laser measure to determine the shape of the landscape using...