Learners complete a unit of activities to learn about states of matter and how to measure matter. In this matter lesson, students complete 8 lessons to learn about matter, its states, and how to measure matter.

Students observe the 'pouring' of a gas. They compare the masses (weights) and densities of two gases. Pupils define the following terms: matter, mass, and density. Students answer questions after watching the demonstration.

Get your hands dirty with an interactive instructional activity that showcases the process of decomposing and returning nutrients back into the soil. After building a compost pile, pupils regularly observe the...

Zap! Ouch! That hurts! But why? And how come people don't experience or respond to pain in the same way? Take a journey on the sensing pathway, from your nociceptors, along your nerves, up your spinal cord, to neurons and glial, through...

Organic or mineral? How does the matter matter? Second graders use their knowledge of the rock cycle to label the different components in garden soil.

We all know limestone weathers, but what affects the rate of weathering? Young scientists investigate the physical and chemical weathering of limestone (chalk) through experimentation. First, they conduct trials with different-size...

Difficulties with brain injuries still continue today. After reading Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science, class members read a series of modern personal essays about brain injuries and choose an essay to compare...

How can you turn an ice cream activity into a scientific investigation? It's easy if you know ionic compounds, heat transfer, and the exothermic and endothermic process. Learners will explore the science behind freezing, insulation, and...

It all becomes a matter of timing. Groups use a variety of resources to research the history of vaccines by first creating a timeline of vaccine research using leading scientists' work. Learners read articles to develop a story of the...

No matter how you shuffle the elements, their electron configurations keep them in the same order. How can that be? Introduce the concept of periodicity through a lesson that combines inquiry, discussion, and comparison. Partners...

It's time to get to the heart of the matter! After introducing the heart anatomy in the previous lesson in a series on the systems of the body, the lesson looks at the specifics. Learners complete a series of six activities to study the...

Students experiment with balloons, soda water and raisins to find out about the states of matter.  In this solids, liquids and gases lesson, students complete a group activity with balloons to recognize the state of matter in it....

Students explore matter by conducting an in class demonstration. For this liquid mixture lesson, students identify the difference between a solution in which a solid dissolves into liquid, and a suspension where the solid doesn't...

Students investigate the Ideal Gas Law. In this three states of matter lesson, students create Alka-Seltzer rockets using film canisters. Students record observations and data according to the scientific method and explain the gas...

Students complete a variety of labs to help them explain how energy affects the changes in states of matter. They also be required to collect and record data, graph data, and apply interpretations of that data.

Students investigate the three states of water. In this physical science lesson plan, students watch the video "Earth's Ecology" and observe water in its' three states. Students record observations.

Students investigate the properties of air through inflated objects. In this physical science lesson, students examine gas as a state of matter. Student push on inflated objects and note the space the gas has taken up inside. Students...

Clean up the environment with a lesson that focuses on replacing hazardous cleaning supplies with green, environmentally-friendly products. Using a dirty patch of surface as a control area, kids clean other parts of various surfaces...

Assist your high school class with researching and applying the principles of gravity so they may further understand why Einstein is so widely recognized, even today. Individuals compare and contrast two different models that demonstrate...

Students explore musical instruments and the pitches and tones they make. In this acoustical science lesson, students create their own string instruments and explore how pitch is altered.

Once investigators have learned how their mystery liquids interact with water during the preceding activity, they now use their observations to identify them. This is an ideal conclusion to the mini unit on the properties of water. 

Children enjoy playing with silly putty, but it provides more than just fun. Young scientists make their own silly putty using different recipes. After a bit of fun, they test and graph the viscosity of each.

Do you ever give your class the "teacher look"? Without saying a word, they become silent and engaged (hopefully). How do they know what you're thinking? Explore the concept of nonverbal communication and how it relates to our...

Is it easy to make snow? Scholars use critical thinking skills as they investigate the concept of polymers by making snow. The class tests several different variables and takes measurements over the course of several days. They then...