Third graders discuss what they think the word "observation" means and discover different ways that we observe. They observe as the teacher demonstrates how to use a hand lens as a tool for observing tiny details. They then use hand...

High schoolers describe the relationship between temperature and volume. In this chemistry instructional activity, students perform an experiment and record their their results. They use Charles' law to explain their observations.

Students complete this introductory lesson plan in which they find out about the scenario for a simulated online space mission. They review vocabulary and complete a review sheet to reinforce the details of the mission and its goals.

Students select a wide variety of presentation methods to compare Planet X and Earth. Students share these with their classmates. Students select other methods to present their ideas about a livable planet for human life forms. ...

Third graders listen to a short story entitled, "Phil's Adventures" from a book called Animal Stories. They stop at each obstacle in the story and do a quick write about how they would overcome the obstacle and draw a picture to...

Pupils try to determine how the Earth is heated by the sun and other sources. In groups, they identify the other sources of energy and discover why different parts of the world are heated differently during the year. They complete an...

Students study space. In this solar system lesson plan, students discover the correct order of the planets and create a diagram showing this knowledge. They listen to the book A New View of the Solar System and then work in groups on...

First graders listen as the teacher reads a copy of the WEEKLY READER that talks about Mars and ask questions accordingly. They again listen as a section about Earth is read from the magazine. Now, the class orally compare and contrast...

Third graders research basic information about the moon and identify the phases and order of the phases of the moon. They conduct Internet research, complete a moon WebQuest, and write a magazine article about the moon using their...

Young scholars practice using an online encyclopedia to research native animals to Virginia. Using the information from the encyclopedia, they identify the main and supporting ideas. They share their information with the class using...

First graders listen to a read aloud of Linda Williams, The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything" before discussing Halloween. They measure pumpkins using chains of paper clips to find their length and width. Once they open the...

Middle schoolers explore sustainable forestry and its practices. They take a pretest and discuss concerns of sustainable forestry. Working in groups, they prepare questions to interview one anohter about their views of sustainable forestry.

Students take plants of their own choice and pollute the soil with a pollutant of their own choice or one assigned by the teacher. They regularly record observations such as plant growth, health, and soil pH.

Students receive instruction on dominant/recessive traits, access World-Wide Search for the Dominant Trait and download information on which traits to assess. They collect data on at least 20 people and prepare a data chart.

Students demonstrate an understanding that the same data can lead to different interpretations and conclusions and that different interpretations and conclusions are not necessarily wrong, but can be useful in developing other scientific...

Learners read an explanation from a NASA Web-based textbook, then demonstrate an understanding of the text by using it, along with FoilSim, to complete an activity that manipulates the lift coefficient equation.

Students define and discuss dichotomous keys. They create a dichotomous key to identify a bag of mixed beans, and assign their group of beans a genus and species name.

Learners construct and identify a skeleton from the bones dissected from an owl pellet. They glue the bones on construction paper, label the page, and identify the animal.

Middle schoolers examine human actions that have caused certain animals to become endangered. They discover what is being done to help endangered animals and discover what they can do to help.

Students participate in an experiment that shows them how wetlands filter dirty water. They work in groups to accomplish this experiement with the help of supervisors. A bulletin board can be created to show the plants and animals that...

Students work together to analyze the information from a light sensor. They develop their own hypothesis and analyze the data they have collected. They answer discussion questions to end the instructional activity.

Students practice digital camera skills by identifying effects of depth of field at different apertures, comparing effects of depth of field with different focal lengths, and creating images showing effect of depth of field at different...

Learners discuss the demands on the rainforest and devise a management plan that satisfies competing uses. They then construct a diorama to show the location of the various sites.

Fourth graders explore the weathering process of water on rocks. They observe how water and friction from other rocks cause them to weather. Students discuss examine and discuss various rocks found on the playground, beach, etc. They...