Curated OER
Design a Bobsled
Students apply their knowledge of friction, drag, mass and gravity as they design, build, and test mini-bobsleds.
Curated OER
Sensational Soil
Fourth and fifth graders explore soil by taking a simulated field trip under the earth. They go to an Internet site that runs a simulation which charges them with finding a source of pollution that could destroy all of Earth's soil, and...
Curated OER
Water Cycle Stories
Young scholars explore the water cycle and associated phase changes. They predict what happens to the mass of an ice cube in a Ziploc bag, discuss and act out phase changes and diagram the water cycle.
Curated OER
Solid Waste Recycling
Students seek scientific and technological solutions to envrionmental problems. They record class activities in a journal. They identify relationships among living things and their environments.
Curated OER
Finding the Formula of Magnesium Oxide
Rather than simply matching up the ionic charges on paper, this exercise gets chemists into the lab to determine the chemical formula for magnesium oxide! If a know amount of magnesium is used, an oxidation reaction results in this...
Curated OER
What Class Are You In?
Classifying animals has never been this much fun! Pupils discuss the animal groups, fish, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, birds, and also identify their characteristics. Then, they take pictures of animals and classify them in a group...
NASA
Rocket Wind Tunnel
Using a teacher-built wind tunnel constructed from a paper concrete tube form, a fan, and a balance, individuals determine the amount of drag their rocket design will experience in flight. Pupils make modifications to increase the...
Teach Engineering
Equal and Opposite Thrust in Aircraft: You're a Pushover!
It's the law—every action requires a reaction, no matter how small. Pupils experience two demonstrations of Newton's third law of motion as it relates to thrust in the 10th segment of a 22-part unit on flight. Using their mathematical...
EngageNY
TASC Transition Curriculum: Workshop 15
What do a cheetah, Audi commercial, and air have in common? They're all topics of an engaging inquiry-based, hands-on workshop for educators about background knowledge, reading strategies, the CER model, and argumentative writing. The...
Curated OER
Seed Swapping
Here is a fabulous, cross-curicular lesson on seeds. Elements of science, writing, math, agricultural practices, and art are all brought into this incredibly thorough plan. Additionally, a fun whole-class game is presented, and there is...
Curated OER
Flight Home
Students experiment to investigate the role in fixed-wing flight. They watch as air and water flow around surfaces to examine the dynamics of airflow around an aircraft wing.
Curated OER
Activity #5 'Empty' Bag?
Students review that air is a form of matter. They investigate how air takes up space. Pupils comprehend that they cannot see air, it takes up space and has mass, therefore it is a form of matter. Students investigate how to show that...
Curated OER
The Pressure's Off
Students investigate air pressure with four hands-on activities. They observe experiments by viewing Take a Look 2 #21.
Curated OER
What We As Students Can Do To Save Our World
Learners investigate air and water pollution, and the conservation of natural resources.
Curated OER
Particulate Matter: The Lorax
Students investigate how dirty air is outside. They read and discuss the book, The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss. They investigate using jars and lids to compare the dirt left each day as they remove the lids. They observe the lids and discuss if...
Curated OER
Create Your Own Investigation
Students design and implement an experiment intended to measure and analyze the air quality of a particular location. They focus on looking for ozone and particulate pollutants.
Curated OER
Understanding Bernoulli's Principle
Fifth graders explain why we fly. In this space science activity, 5th graders discuss Bernoulli's prinicple and its relation to flight.
Curated OER
Water Rocket
Students study the basic operation of a water rocket. For this propulsionlesson students complete several experiments on constructing a bottle rocket launcher.
Curated OER
Airplane Wings
Students examine the aerodynamics of a wing and how it generates lift. In this flight lesson students complete several experiments including how to build a paper plane and how airfoils affect performance.
Curated OER
The Respiratory System
The student will calculate the vital capacity of the air in the lungs and trace the pathway of air into and out of the lungs. They describe the pressure changes that occur within the chest cavity when you breathe. They compare air that...
Curated OER
How Water Heats Up
Fourth graders conduct experiments heating water. In this inquiry-based early chemistry lesson, 4th graders use the materials given to experiment with the process of heating water. Students draw conclusions based upon their findings...
Curated OER
Biosphere
Students examine the basic biosphere and its components. In this ecology instructional activity students complete several experiments including designing a system that is balanced to sustain life.
Curated OER
Corrosion & Rust
Students examine how and when rust and corrosion occur. In this corrosion lesson students complete an experiment to see why metals rust.
Curated OER
Convection in a Pan
Students watch a demonstration using a plastic bag and a hair dryer to create a hot air balloon. After the demonstration, they discuss the results and whether or not hot water behaves the in the same manner as hot air. They conduct...