Curated OER
Energy Efficiency Ambassadors
Students consider how to cut their energy use. In this physical science lesson, students investigate the connections between energy use and climate changes. Students compute the actual electrical energy consumption of 2 bulbs and...
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Electrical Energy
Young scholars compare and contrast a cell and a battery. In this physical science lesson, students explain how they create energy. They conduct an experiment to apply what they have learned in this lesson.
Institute of Physics
Activities for STEM Clubs
Need some support or ideas of how to entertain middle schoolers or what clubs to bring into your school? Let this excellent 40-page resource guide with links and step-by-step directions on STEM activities guide your decision.
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Health Care
Students analyze information and draw conclusions about the reality of human life expectancy; the battle between health care technology and our own internal time clocks. Students answer questions such as "Why does aging occur and can...
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Bird Up
Third graders identify basic physical and behavioral characteristics of birds and how they adapt to their environments. To organize and share scientific information with peers. They discuss similarities and differences among birds....
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Model Rockets
Students build a model rocket. In this model rocket lesson, students explore a rocket launch cycle. Students investigate the laws of physics for each part of the launch. Students build model rockets and launch at school.
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What Does It Matter?
Students match definitions with vocabulary words and learn basic facts about matter. Then, they see how to determine the physical characteristics of matter. They determine the mass, volume, and density of objects using appropriate tools...
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Designing a Solar Concentrator
Learners design and build a solar concentrator. In this physics lesson, students evaluate their design and convince everyone why theirs is the best. They create a presentation and share it with the class.
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Water Quality
Students analyze water quality and turbidity of collected samples. For this physics lesson, students conduct tests to identify the suspended particles in the samples. They explain how human activities affect water quality.
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Could a World of Swimmers Raise Sea Level?
Students determine the volume of water they displace. In this earth science lesson, students calculate the total water displaced by the world's population. They evaluate whether or not this value is enough to raise the sea level...
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Glacier Presentations
Students research news articles relating to global climate change. In this earth science lesson, students create a news broadcast using the information they gathered. They present this in class and each student gives their peer...
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Marvelous World Of Magnets
Students research the concept of magnetism in order to increase understanding of the subject. By accessing information they could explain the concept with a written report used as an end product for assessment.
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Matter, Matter, Everywhere!
Eighth graders make inquiry about the existence of matter. A definition of the word is needed before students can engage in various activities. The application of knowing about matter is done in the working of experiments.
Teach Engineering
Amusement Park Ride: The Ups and Downs in Design
Groups design the ultimate roller coaster by considering potential and kinetic energy. They test their designs using marbles and then go on to rate each group's design based on aesthetics, loop diameter, and cost.
Kenan Fellows
What Element Would You Be?
Primo Levi wrote a collection of short stories comparing his life from Italy to Auschwitz to elements in the periodic table. Pupils read an excerpt from his book and research the characteristics of various elements. Then, they make a...
Discovery Education
Cushion It!
Sugar cubes, collide! Groups design protection systems using bubble wrap to protect sugar cubes from being destroyed by falling batteries in the STEM lesson. They consider how the experiment relates to collisions in real-world...
Teach Engineering
Photosynthesis—Life's Primary Energy Source
Wouldn't it be great if you could produce your own food? Scholars learn about the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in plants. They consider how to use photosynthesis as a model of an efficient system and how to apply...
NASA
Revising an Investigation
Write, edit, and then revise! The fourth lesson in a five-part series asks peers to provide feedback on research. Individuals then use the research to edit and revise conclusions and develop their presentations.
Lawrence Hall of Science
Photolithography
Examine the use of photolithography in the fabrication of circuit boards and other components. An advanced activity teaches pupils a process for transferring a pattern onto a surface. Using UV light and a light reactive substance,...
Space Awareness
Star in a Box
What happens to stars as they get older? A simulation takes pupils through the life cycle of stars based on their masses. The resource introduces the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram and the common relationships and life cycle patterns observed.
Kenan Fellows
Density
Most scholars associate density with floating, but how do scientists determine the exact density of an unknown liquid? The third lesson in a seven-part series challenges scholars to find the mass and volume of two unknown liquids. Each...
Code.org
Text Compression
The second lesson in a unit of 15 introduces pupils to text compression. The class begins with discussing how they already use text compression when sending text messages. Pairs learn more about the subject as they work to compress a...
Curated OER
The Physics of My Life
Twelfth graders review the basic principles of physics. In groups, they use these principles to discover how they are present in their everyday lives. They create a webpage that demonstrates on of the principles and share it with the class.
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Physical Changes and the Water Cycle- Three
Third graders take note of the changes in the water level in a cup of water that is left out. Using a model of the water that depicts a lake and landscape that is being heated by a heat lamp, the students observe precipitation, and...