Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chemical or Physical?

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders make observations of the reactions that happens between calcium carbonate and various liquids. During the experiment the students determine if there is a chemical change, a physical reaction, or no reaction when they mix...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science Trail

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the solar system by conducting Earth science experiments. In this Sun lesson, students identify the different seasons on Earth and discuss their purpose and cause. Students create a sundial and observe the changes to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science: Draining the Land - the Mississippi River

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use topographic maps to identify parts of rivers. In addition, they discover gradient and predict changes in the channels caused by variations in water flow. Other activities include sketching a river model with a new channel...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

In your Science! - Merging Art and Science

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders reflect on what they have learned throughout the unit.  In this Science lesson plan, 9th graders demonstrate how working together can produce an informative useful project.   
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Baseball Activity: Bouncing Balls

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students explore the concept of motion. In this hands-on physics lesson, students examine how the construction of baseballs and the temperature they are stored at affect their bounce.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Physical Education Lesson Plan - Medicine Ball

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Use the medicine ball to help young learners develop strength in the core muscle groups. The Russian twists develop oblique strength, push-ups develop triceps strength, sit-ups work on abdominal strength, and squats develop quadriceps...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Migration Activation

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students play the role of migrating birds. As a class, they simulate a migration of birds to one place and back again. They relate their habitat size and changes to their current population numbers. They discover the many dangers of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exercise and Water

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders discover the needs of their body by trying different types of aerobic exercise.  In this physical education lesson, 2nd graders analyze The Busy Body Book by glancing at the pictures inside and predicting what the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Vocabulary Bursting with Energy

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners review key physics terms using a Visual Thesaurus. In this science lesson, student groups compete against each other to correctly identify "imposter" words from a list of related physics vocabulary terms.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction And Brief History of Materials Science

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students develop an understanding of the concept of matter. They l participate actively in the bubble raft experiment as described on the Center for Thermal Spray Research's website. They demonstrate dislocations and grain...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

TE Activity: Don't Crack Humpty

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Young scholars perform mathematical calculations to design safety device or enclosure to protect an egg as it is rolled down a ramp at increasing slopes.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

TE Activity: Super Spinners!

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students make spinners to investigate rotational inertia, rotational speed, angular momentum, and velocity. They make two sets of spinners that have different mass distributions and shapes. They complete a worksheet while experimenting...
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Using Java Applets for Inquiry-Based Physics Lessons

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Using Java Applets in the physics classroom can be a great way to reinforce scientific concepts.
Lesson Plan
Discovery Science Center

Kindergarten Observing, Comparing and Contrasting

For Teachers K Standards
Although this is a science instructional activity, it can be adapted to help meet Common Core standards in math as well. Starting scientists describe physical properties of objects and explore three forms of water. To address the Common...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ANALYSIS

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine a variety of maps and documents to identify physical and cultural features of neighborhoods, cities, states, and countries, to explain the historical migration of people, expansion and disintegration of empires, and the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

TE Activity: You're in Hot Water

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars study different ways of using solar energy. They design a solar water heater and determine how much water it can heat in a set amount of time. They examine how the heaters work by solar radiation and convection.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Watershed Landscape

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students demonstrate how water flows by building a human watershed using themselves. For this ecology lesson, students compare and contrast point-source and non-point source pollution. They write what they have learned from this activity...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

TE Activity: Yogurt Cup Speakers

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders build a speaker as they investigate the roles of electricity and magnetism. They discover the properties of magnets, create an electromagnet, and determine the direction of a magnetic field. They show cause and effect...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Global Warming and Hurricanes: Is an Increase in the Number of Stronger Hurricanes an Indicator of Global Warming

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders investigate whether stronger hurricanes are signs of global warming. In this environmental science instructional activity, 9th graders research both sides of the issue about global warming. They debate for or against this...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science Hits Activity

For Teachers 7th - 11th
Students listen to a song that teaches the elements of the periodic table and write their own song to be used as an aid in remembering scientific information.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chromatography Lab

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students discover the components of primary and secondary colors. In this physical science lesson, students create a set up in which water will separate a color into the component colors along a piece of filter paper. Students will...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Physical Principles in Living Systems

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders experiment with white light, plane mirrors, and curved mirrors in order to demonstrate the physical principles of living systems. In this physical principles lesson plan, 7th graders take 3 days to discover what happens...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Compare and Contrast to Write in Science

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders investigate and compare the behavior of magnetism using magnets. In this physics instructional activity, 5th graders write about the similarities and differences of a variety of magnet types.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Science of Weather: Hurricanes

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students use this USA today activity to learn about hurricane season. For this hurricane lesson, students study the map of the earth and hurricane science. Students complete discuss questions. Students draw a map of the United States and...