Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How a Liquid Changes to a Gas

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders identify three forms of matter- solids, liquids, and gases with 100% accuracy. They observe water evaporating from an open container and water evaporating and condensing in a closed container. The students assess that a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Balloons: Math with the Montgolfier Balloon

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students discover the history of hot air balloons by watching one ascent.  In this physics lesson, students utilize a Montgolfier Hot Air Balloon from an earlier lesson and record the temperature, rate of ascent and the volume....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Insects!

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students explore the diet of insects. In this "insects" biology lesson, students take a nature walk and collect various natural materials they think may be eaten by insects. Students sort and classify these materials into three diet...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

STATES OF WATER

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students identify the various states of water. They use hypothesizing and hands-on experimenting on changing the states of water, the properties of water, and the role of heating and cooling in the changes of state.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

T-Rex

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the differences between a scavenger and a predator.  In this predator lesson students research an animal and study its physical traits. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Warming by Freezing

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders discover the reasoning behind spraying water on fruit and seedlings in preparation for hard freezes. In this conceptual physics lesson, 9th graders conduct an experiment to measure the heat released when water goes from a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reaction Reasoning

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders experiment with chemical reactions and examine what happens to the atoms when different reactions occur.  In this matter lesson students divide into groups and complete a lab experiment. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students calculate the values of electron binding energies. In this physics lesson, students solve for different wavelength characteristics of X-rays. They present their findings to the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Grating Spectrometer

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students calculate the Balmer series. In this physics lesson, students observe hydrogen lamp spectra using spectrometers. They calculate wavelength and compare them with their theoretical calculations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Density, Iron, and Anemia

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students explain what factors determine density. In this physics lesson plan, students hypothesize which objects are less dense. They cite the importance of density in everyday life.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

To Float or Not to Float - A Lesson on Density

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students define density in their own words. In this physics lesson, students calculate density using mass and volume. They explain why some objects sink and some float.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Matter and Energy

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers participate in a small group read aloud of the short story, "Cerium" by Primo Levi. They answer several questions about the story and then relate the reading to a lecture on Kinetic theory. After the lecture they apply...
PPT
Pearson

The Chemical Context of Life

For Teachers 9th - 12th
An educational presentation includes atoms, molecules, the four major elements, as well as neutrons and protons. Additionally, slides focus on atomic number, mass number, atomic weight, polar and nonpolar covalent bonding, ionic...
Lesson Plan
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NOAA

Ocean Layers I

For Teachers 9th - 12th
How is it possible for ocean water to have layers? The sixth installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program investigates factors that cause different water densities to occur. Experiments...
Lesson Plan
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National Science Teacher Association

Middle School Sampler: Science

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Focus on inquiry-based learning in your science class with a series of activities designed for middle schoolers. A helpful packet samples four different texts, which include activities about predator-prey relationships, Earth's axis...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It's the Law: Periodically

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders examine the Periodic Table. In this element lesson, 9th graders observe the chemical reactivity of elements. They graph the properties and discuss the trend in the group and period of elements. The students use math to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Somethin' Sweet

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students make their own candy. In this science lesson plan, students observe how molecules interact with each other in physical changes and observe how the addition of heat can cause molecules to interact and form new molecules in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to the Periodic Table of Elements

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners explain how the elements are arranged in the periodic table. In this chemistry lesson, students determine the subatomic particles for certain elements. They research the physical and chemical properties of an element they chose.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hot Cans and Cold Cans

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students investigate the physics of heating and cooling through conduction, convection, and radiation. Working in groups, they determine the best way to cool a can of water and warm a can of water. Temperature is taken at five minute...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to Friction

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Students study the properties of the frictional force between two surfaces in contact. They inspect various phenomena in nature where friction plays an important role and demonstrate
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Communications

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students incorporate different disciplines into this lesson. In this science lesson, students investigate the use of communicating without words, and how it is different than communicating with words. They discuss the pros and cons of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Atoms

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explain what makes up matter.  For this atoms lesson students define an atom and what its components are and identify properties of elements. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heat and Temperature

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders explore the relationship between heat and temperature. After performing experiments, 9th graders record their observations and discuss the results. They investigate the properties of heat and explore how energy possessed...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Are Elements?

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Students investigate elements by by defining scientific terms.  In this Periodic Table of Elements lesson, students utilize a glass of water, and powdered fruit drink to perform a lab activity demonstrating properties of certain...