University of Georgia
Splat!
What does viscosity have to do with splatter? An activity shows that the viscosity of a substance is inversely proportional to the distance of its splatter. Learners conduct the experiment by collecting data, graphing, and analyzing...
Teach Engineering
Earthquakes Living Lab: Locating Earthquakes
There are patterns in nearly everything — even earthquakes. Pairs research current earthquakes to see if there are any patterns. They determine the mean, median, and mode of the earthquake data, along with the maximum and...
Curated OER
I've Got That Sinking Feeling
Young scholars design a simple boat and predict how much weight it can carry. They should also discover why objects float or sink and how this can be determined experimentally. A great lesson on buoyancy!
Curated OER
Surveying and Assessing the Environmental Compatibility of a Building Construction Site
Students examine an area of land and assess its suitability for construction purposes. This project requires a vast amount of hands-on experimentation, data analysis, community involvement, and job shadowing/career awareness.
Curated OER
The Behavior of Ants
Students use the steps of the Scientific Method to develop and test their own ideas through experimentation with ants.
Curated OER
Skateboard Disaster
Learners conduct a hands-on experiment with collisions between two skateboards of different masses. They are introduced to the concept of conservation of momentum in collisions and consider how their observations might help engineers...
Curated OER
Conceptualizing an Experiment
Students work together to design an experiment. They discover the origin of a family artifact. They analyze the data and discuss the results. They determine if the experiment is the best way to find out this type of information.
Curated OER
Gingerbread Architecture: An Exploration and Engineering
Eighth graders design and build a gingerbread house. In this technology lesson, 8th graders research the important components of a house. They evaluate the strength of their design and suggest modifications when necessary.
Curated OER
Brine Shrimp Hatching Experiment
Students hatch brine shrimp in a classroom experiment. In this hatching brine shrimp instructional activity, students participate in two-week lab in which they study how brine shrimp hatch under different conditions. They record data...
Curated OER
Floating and Falling Flows
Students discover fluid dynamics related to buoyancy through experimentation and optional photography. Using one set of fluids, they make light fluids rise through denser fluids. Using another set, they make dense fluids sink through a...
Curated OER
Transfer of Thermal Energy
Students define temperature and heat, distinguish between temperature and heat flow, calculate amount of heat energy released or absorbed in chemical process, and design procedure, through experimentation, to gather and evaluate data to...
Curated OER
What is That White Stuff?
Fifth graders identify, through experimentation, what properties of substance are, determine what variables tested will be, identify constants and variables of experiment, conduct experiment to conclusion with measurable, recorded...
Curated OER
Magnets
Students explore how the earth is a magnet and that magnets have two "poles". In this magnetic instructional activity students complete an activity by designing their own compass.
Curated OER
Where Do Plants Get Their Food?
Students think about the historical development of the scientific method. They design an experiment that replicates van Helmont's, using only specified materials. Pupils then improved upon van Helmont's procedure and also consider the...
Curated OER
Floodplain Modeling
Young scholars simulate the impact of fluctuating river volumes on structures and landforms. They experiment with table top-sized riverbed models and water. Students consider how human design can help mitigate the effects of a flood.
Curated OER
Roller Coaster Physics
Students design a roller coaster that allows a marble to run the course as fast as possible. Students create an experimental roller coaster taking into account the steepness of the hills and the sharpness of the turns. Students use a...
Curated OER
Simple Machines
Students explain how simple machines work and design their own machine. They use the Internet for research.
Curated OER
Chain Reaction
Students study animal behavior and how it changes to its environment. In this animal lesson students design and conduct experiments.
Curated OER
Light and Optics
Third graders utilize the scientific method to explain light and optics in this five lessons unit. Through experimentation and discussion, 3rd graders canvass the concepts of light traveling, reflection and refraction.
Curated OER
Fostering Geospatial Thinking: Space to Earth: Earth to Space (SEES)
Students locate and access data to help them with their science inquiry. In this geographical positioning lesson plan students evaluate and compare data sets.
Curated OER
Practice Writing Titles and Hypotheses
In this hypothesis and title writing instructional activity, students are given five experimental questions and they are to write an appropriate title and hypothesis for each question.
Curated OER
How Things Fly
Students will examine the physics of flight through using experimental inquiry. In this lesson, you'll introduce your students to the four forces of flight--drag, lift, thrust, and weight--through a variety of fun-filled flight...
Curated OER
Creating an Enzyme-Substrate Model
Students explore the reaction rates of an enzyme-mediated reaction through experimentation. In small groups, they use everyday objects to demonstrate the effects of environmental variables on enzyme function.
Students graph and...
Curated OER
Barnegat Bay Watershed
Students design a model watershed. In this watershed lesson plan, students learn the needed parts of a watershed and how they work. Students evaluate how watersheds effect communities.