There are an average of three human fatalities by bears in North America every year, which is low when you compare it to the 26 killed by dogs and the 90 killed by lightning annually. The lesson encourages researching human-bear...

In 2006, New Horizons began its mission to fly to Pluto. As it continues its journey, scholars track its progress with the help of an informative website, all the while reinforcing measurement concepts with the construction of a scaled...

In the summer of 1815, snow fell every month in New England. Was this related to the volcanic eruption of Tambora in Indonesia earlier in the year? Young scientists design their own experiments to research the long-term effect a volcanic...

If someone yelled for eight years and eight months, they could produce enough energy to heat one cup of coffee. A instructional activity on energy encourages scholars to research 10 different energy sources in groups before playing a...

Pupils interpret maps and graph data related to volcanic ash. Then they analyze the importance of wind speed and the dangers of the ash to both life, air temperature, and technology. 

Neptune takes 164.8 Earth years to travel around the sun. In the fifth of 22 lessons, young scientists create a travel guide to a planet in our solar system. They provide tips for others on what to bring, what they see, and their...

In this float or sink worksheet, 8th graders solve 1 science/math puzzle about displacement of water; the answer is available online.

Students investigate the concept of stars and how they go through a life cycle. They take part in class discussion with the help of dialogue provided in the lesson plan. Students also view a powerpoint presentation for visual learners.

If you are looking for how to introduce elementary environmentalists to the process of composting, here is a comprehensive outline for making it happen. The plan is to set this up at the beginning of a school year in order to observe the...

Do you know who Jonas Salk is? Print these pages and have your middle and high schoolers read his biography in Time magazine. The reading itself is short, and it is followed with a key date chart, three reading questions, two connection...

Students take a mission to Mars. In this space science lesson, students listen a lecture about space travel to Mars and the planet itself. Students then create timelines of exploration and write poetry about their ideal planet.

Looking to take a trip? Why not go to space? Here, scholars take on the role as travel agent to create a guide to their favorite planet including travel tips and sightseeing recommendations. 

Students examine the lunar phases by locating and graphing the Moon phase of their own birthdays. They listen to and discuss lunar myths and create their own Birthday Moon Stories.

In this tree observation worksheet, students pick a tree that they observe over the course of a school year. They make observations, they sketch the tree, they take photographs of the tree, they get a leaf sample. They estimate the tree...

In this giant panda worksheet, students read and complete 5 pages of information and activities pertaining to the giant panda. Students study maps of the area, read fun facts about pandas, cut and paste life cycle sequencing, and read...

Students study facts about Florida panthers. In this Florida panther activity, students read a page of fun facts about the panther's life cycle, habitats, predators, and families. They complete three worksheets with information from the...

Students examine the elevation of the sun to discover the changes in seasons. They observe and measure the length of their shadow. They compare this measurement to one taken four months later.

Students use yearly averages over a five-year period to understand weather trends for a specific area.

Students compare two objects at different distances. They explore the concept that distance affects how we perceive the size of objects.

Students practice using reference materials to locate information by making a nature calendar.

First graders engage in a writing activity about manatees and use e-mail to contact representatives about important issues. This would be a very exciting, and meaningful lesson for a first grade writer!

Students analyze line plots. In this weather lesson using real NASA data, students discuss how weather affects the way the Earth is heated by comparing different line plots.

In this space activity, students click on the links in the questions about space to find the answers to the questions and then come back and answer the questions. Students answer 17 questions total.  

Third graders consider outer space. In this introductory solar system lesson plan, 3rd graders complete a KWL chart and listen to the story The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System, by Joanna Cole & Bruce Degen. They will...