Teach Engineering
Dirty Decomposers
Do not let the class just sit and rot. Pupils learn how decomposition and nutrient recycling is important to an ecosystem. Groups design an experiment to determine how environmental conditions affect decomposition. They develop a poster...
Exploratorium
Balancing Stick
Have some physical science fun when studying the center of gravity or center of mass. Simply have balancing artists stand a dowel on one finger and keep it from falling over! A lump of clay is added and moved up along the dowel over a...
Curated OER
What Wavelength Was That?
A combination of informative text, photos, and graphics comprise this sharp show on electromagnetic radiation. Some slides mention hands-on activities for demonstrating concepts, so if you want to include them you will need to figure out...
Curated OER
What is the Attraction?
Second graders investigate the law of polarity. In this magnets lesson, 2nd graders discover how magnets are used in everyday life and which objects in our environment are magnetic. Students experiment with bar magnets and record...
Curated OER
The Unmixables: Investigating Immiscible Liquids
Students build an understanding of the properties of liquids and research the immiscible properties of different milks through group experiments. In this immiscible liquids experiment, students investigate what happens when certain...
Curated OER
Light - Reflection - Illusion
Students experience the magic of mirrors. In this reflection and illusion lesson plan, students witness magic tricks that work because of mirrors, then rotate through five stations to complete hands-on experiments using mirrors, light,...
Curated OER
Coming To Our Senses
Students participate in a hands-on experiment that illustrates how taste and smell are related. They create their own experiments to help them explore all five senses and the relationships between them.
Curated OER
Center of Gravity
Fourth graders conduct experiments to identify the center of gravity. In this gravity instructional activity, 4th graders do two hands-on experiments to increase their understanding of this concept. This self-discovery instructional...
Curated OER
Meeting an Earthworm
Students inspect the anatomy of earthworms. In this earthworm instructional activity, students participate in a hands-on experiment as they analyze the structure of earthworms. Students demonstrate mastery through differentiated...
Curated OER
Water Resources Engineering
Students illustrate the chemical differences between surface and tap-water. They investigate the common chemical and physical parameters relevant for water quality and gain hands on experience with water quality testing.
They enhance...
Exploratorium
Cardboard Tube Syllabus
Construct paper tubes and then try out a few optical illusion tricks:
See a virtual hole in your own hand
Get a grasp of how the eyes combine images
Notice that one eye is dominant over the other
Reveal how your eyes adjust to...
Space Awareness
Fizzy Balloons - C02 in School
Carbon dioxide is a very important gas; it is present in the air, used in cooking, and supports plant and animal life. Scholars investigate the properties of carbon dioxide with three different activities. They experience a color change,...
Teach Engineering
Edible Algae Models
Sometimes it's okay to eat your science experiment. A hands-on activity has pupils create models for algae to learn about its cellular structure. The best part of the experiment? The resulting juice-filled gels are edible—yum!
Discovery Education
It's Melting!
It's a race to the finish! Which ice cube will melt the fastest? Scholars discover the effect thermal energy has on melting ice. They experiment with melting ice cubes on different materials and learn that even at a consistent...
Teach Engineering
Things That Matter to Flocculants
How does the dirt get out of your drinking water? A hands-on activity introduces the use of flocculants to help clear solid particles out of water. The plan walks learners through the process of setting up an experiment that...
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...
PBS
Reading Adventure Pack: Animals
Scholars explore the animal kingdom with help from two texts, Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey and A Bed for the Winter by Karen Wallace. The literature and informational text set the learning stage for thoughtful discussion and...
August House
A Tale of Two Frogs
Ribbit ribbit! Hop through a series of activities based on A Tale of Two Frogs. Kids read the Russian folktale and answer reading comprehension questions before working on phonics exercises, tracing dotting lines to make a path...
Art Institute of Chicago
Color Combinations
Explore color through an examination of pointillism and light. Class members view Georges Seraut's famous painting on a computer, zooming in and out to see the details and effects of the technique. They then cover how light and color are...
Smithsonian Institution
Trait Tracker
Help mice beat the odds with an exciting activity about traits. Biologists discover the role of diet and other factors on animal traits by participating in a simulation activity. Teams collect and evaluate data to understand how certain...
CK-12 Foundation
Metamorphic Rock Classification: Changing Under Pressure
Change is coming — but how much? Geology pupils discover the transformation of metamorphic rock using a well-rounded interactive. Topics include the effects of pressure and temperature on metamorphic rock, how time factors into the...
Curated OER
Temperature and the Density of Air
Here is a hands-on activity in which junior scientists put air into a balloon to create a closed system. They measure its circumference, warm it in hot water, and then remeasure its circumference to discover how temperature affects the...
Science Matters
Magnetic Fields: The Earth Acts as a Giant Magnet
Attract learners to an interesting activity! The third in a 14-part series of lessons on electricity and magnetism uses a hands-on approach to exploring magnetic fields. Scholars experiment with a compass to test Earth's magnetic field...