Curated OER
Nature Notes
Students spend some time outdoors and record their observations of abiotic conditions, geologic surroundings and living organisms. They reflect and write about the experience of being observant in nature.
Curated OER
Observing Apples - Skill Lesson
First graders listen to a story about Johnny Appleseed read by their teacher. They discuss his life as a class and describe what they see when a cut apple is before them. They draw a picture of what they see and write three adjectives...
Curated OER
Science: Identifying Properties of Matter
Students observe a demonstration of the the three forms of matter - air, water, and solids - in plastic bags. After discussing the properties, they transfer them to a Venn diagram. Finally, students identify five items in the classroom...
Curated OER
Science: Evolution and Natural Selection
Students watch a clip from the film, Jurassic Park, as an introduction to analysis and discussion of the evolutionary history of dinosaurs. As an exercise in evolution, students in groups, draw dinosaur pictures based on the previous...
Curated OER
Ecosystem Study
Pupils collect an ecosystem in a jar from a local pond and record what happens in the ecosystem. In this ecosystem lesson plan, students observe the food chains and human impact that occurs in ecosystems. Pupils also take readings at...
Dr. Seuss Enterprises
Read Across America
Celebrate the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss on Read Across America Day with a collection of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics activities, each linked to a popular Dr. Seuss story.
Fluence Learning
Writing About Literary Text: Wise or Foolish?
A three-part assessment promotes reading comprehension skills. Class members read literary texts and take notes to discuss their findings, answer comprehension questions, write summaries, and complete charts.
Fluence Learning
Writing Informative Text: School Days
A three-part writing assessment challenges scholars to think critically about schools of the past and present. Learners read informative texts, answer questions to prepare for a discussion, research in small groups, complete a Venn...
National Academy of Sciences
Lights at Night Webquest
Help learners find ways to become more efficient energy consumers. To start, individuals research how different countries address energy efficiency and then analyze their own carbon footprint. They use their research to identify ways to...
University of Georgia
Density and Texture of Soil
All soil is not created equal! A lab activity asks learners to collect and analyze soil. Specific calculations determine the amount of sand, silt, and clay in a sample and allow individuals to identify the soil texture.
Curated OER
Non-Point Source Pollution Program
Written as field trip preparation to Gateway National Recreation Area, this resource is also appropriate for any class that is studying the impact of human activity on the environment. During the first activity, learners identify...
Alabama Wildlife Federation
Forest Floor Investigation
Most living things go unnoticed. Change that using a fun activity about the nutrient cycle. Pupils use hula hoops to mark areas of study and then make observations about the living things they see. They first make surface observations,...
EngageNY
How to Write Like a Scientist in the Field: Introduction to the Elements of Field Journals
It's time to start journaling. Scholars look at examples of science field journals. They work in pairs to examine and complete a note catcher about a field journal. They then add to an anchor chart by discussing the different features...
Virginia Department of Education
Heat Loss from a Fur-Insulated Animal
How do animals adapt to weather changes? Provide your class with the ability to understand adaptations and body temperature as they participate in this hands on experiment, using fake fur and hot water. Pupils collect data and...
Channel Islands Film
Natural Resources, and Human Uses of Plants and Animals
As part of their study of the restoration projects on Santa Cruz Island, class members demonstrate their understanding of the connections among plant life, animals, and the actions of humans by crafting a model that reveals these...
Virginia Department of Education
Acid-Base Theory
Litmus paper, why so blue? A chemistry lesson includes a pre-lab activity, practice calculating pH, an experiment measuring the pH in acids and bases, a titration demonstration, and a titration experiment.
Baylor College
Plant or Animal?
Teach your class about the necessities of life using the book Tillena Lou's Day in the Sun. After a teacher-read-aloud, students make puppets depicting different plants and animals from the story and illustrating the habitat in...
Curated OER
Insect or Arachnid?
Students compare and contrast the characteristics of insects and arachnids through research, observation, and discussion. They write accurate statements describing insect and arachnid life cycles and anatomies. Afterward, they listen as...
Curated OER
Making Oxygen
Use demonstrations to enlighten learners on oxygen's role in combustion. Use potatoes and hydrogen peroxide to increase oxygen concentration in a jar, then stick a glowing splint and a burning wad of steel wool into the newly formed...
National Wildlife Federation
Wind Power
Many have played with seed helicopters at one time or another. Learners use paper to create their own helicopters to model the Linden seed. After a discussion of seed dispersal, they take their models outside, let them go, and make...
American Chemical Society
Crushing Test
Solidify understanding of the properties of crystals by crushing them to compare hardness. After some class discussion, a procedure is planned, and then small groups go about making observations as they crush five different crystal...
Concord Consortium
Diffusion of a Drop
Trying to learn through diffusion rather than simply studying the material rarely works for scholars. This simulation helps make learning diffusion fun. Pupils add a drop of dye to water and observe the diffusion as the molecules bounce...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
BiomeViewer
Which holds more influence, the environment over humans or humans over the environment? Young scientists explore an online interactive that addresses this discussion. They observe changes in the natural world over time and see which...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Coffee Break with Nanoscience: Film Formation and “Coffee Rings”
Prepare scholars for micro and nanoscale investigations. A lab activity allows individuals to practice their experimental techniques while becoming to accustomed to the smaller scale of the materials. They also make decisions about the...