Virginia Department of Education
Mineral Identification
What's the difference between a rock and a mineral? And what properties are used to identify minerals? The first installment of a five-part series on earth materials and processes prompts young scientists to identify a set of...
Curated OER
Food Pyramid Relay Race
Students explore healthy eating habits by conducting a physical food challenge. In this food pyramid lesson, students identify the main concepts behind the food pyramid and what choices they should be making with their food intake....
Curated OER
Snack Attack: Food Packaging Activity
Students design and create packaging material for food. In this snack attack lesson, students design a package to protect a food item from heat and water. Students consider costs of materials, design, and test the package to see if it is...
Curated OER
Matter
Students recognize that some changes to matter are reversible and some are not. In this matter lesson, students experiment a physical and chemical change. Students record experiment results in their science journals. Students act...
Curated OER
Winogradsky Column Unit
Students are introduced to two changes, physical and chemicl, in order to prepare them to comprehend what changes take place in a Winogradsky Column. They participate in two activities including completion of a worksheet, balloon...
Alabama Learning Exchange
How Fast Can You Go?
Learners investigate force and speed. In this physics lesson, students construct model cars in small groups and perform experiments to identify what factors influence speed and force.
Curated OER
The Physics of Skateboarding
Students are able to analyze gravity as an universal force. They are able to determine how the force of friction retards motion. Students are able to apply Newton's Laws of Motion ot the way the world works.
Curated OER
Matter: Solids Liquids and Gases
Young scholars participate in a science experiment to understand that matter takes up space. In this matter lesson, students experiment with solids, liquids and gases to recognize that matter is everywhere. Young scholars make...
Curated OER
Physics: Bounce - Projectile Motion and Collisions
Students conduct and observe experiments in Newtonian mechanics, kinematics, and projectile motion. They analyze the motion of a ball rolling off a table, falling, and then bouncing. Students answer a series of questions analyzing the...
Curated OER
Top Quark Lab
Students find the mass of the top quark. For this physics lesson, students create a vector diagram from a given set of data. They discuss their calculations and findings in class.
Curated OER
How to Think Like a Scientist
Fifth graders study the scientific method and understand how to apply it. In this "thinking like a scientist" lesson students complete several activities.
Curated OER
Properties of Matter
Ninth graders explore the molecular structure of matter and how it can affect the physical characteristics of a specific material. They demonstrate that isotopes of an element have different masses. Students demonstrate that the rates of...
Curated OER
Discovering Dinosaurs
Students investigate the physical characteristics of dinosaurs. They participate in a puppet show, take a field trip to a dinosaur museum, and compare/contrast dinosaur characteristics at the museum.
Curated OER
Allocating Energy from a Photovoltaic System
How much electricity do you use in a day? Physics fanatics calculate their energy use by consulting a chart of the watts required to run typical household appliances. They compare power to amounts of electric energy used or generated....
Curated OER
Series or Parallel?
Physics classes that are studying electricity connect photovoltaic cells into both series and parallel circuits. Inquiry and critical thinking come into play as learners try to determine which circuit is more productive. They associate...
Curated OER
What Does the Sun Give Us?
Pupils study the sun and how solar energy works. To learn about renewable energy, they complete a lab activity using a pizza box as a solar heater. Quite clever!
Curated OER
Wavelengths of Light
Explore physical science by participating in a visual spectrum experiments. Budding scientists identify the colors in the color spectrum and view the colors in class by utilizing cellophane, flash lights, and other arts and crafts...
Captain Planet Foundation
Sorting Out Soils
Sift through soil and learn about why it's important for organic processes. After discussing what makes up soil, such as the living organisms and what types of soil have more nutrients, kids sample layers of mulch and deeper soil to...
Rochester Institute of Technology
Biomechanical Joint
Discuss mechanical advantage and how the human body moves/works. Learners focus on bioengineering, working together to build a functioning mechanical arm. Additionally, they analyze an air muscle, discussing its appropriate use in...
American Chemical Society
Exploring Moisture on the Outside of a Cold Cup: For Dry Environments
If the area you live in is arid, or the preceding experiment in this unit didn't yield obvious results, use this one in place of it to help reveal where condensation comes from. The mini unit that this is part of a comprehensive...
Baylor College
Challenge: Microgravity
What a festive way to examine what happens to the heart in different gravitational situations! Small groups place a water-filled balloon in different locations (on a table top, in a tub of water, and held in a vertical position), drawing...
Journey Through the Universe
The Voyage Scale Model Solar System
Young scientists learn how to select a scale factor for a large scale model. Then they figure the scale for each of the planets and the distance between them. Finally, they construct a giant scale model of the solar system and answer...
Curated OER
Physical and Chemical Changes
Students examine the different changes in matter. In this chemical change lesson plan students determine the amount of reactant made in a reaction using the law of conservation.
Curated OER
Magnetism
Students explore physical science by participating in a class science activity. In this magnet attribute lesson, students define a list of scientific vocabulary terms associated with magnets and participate in hands on magnet activities....