New York City Department of Education
Grade 9-10 Literacy in Science: Using DNA to Solve a Crime
Scholars become detectives and use science to solve a crime! A complete unit introduces DNA and includes hands-on activities that have learners model DNA and extract it from different food types. A culminating activity challenges...
Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning
Forensic Sciences: A Crime Scene Investigation Unit
Mr. Bergman has been murdered and we need you to solve the crime! The cross-curricular unit covers 11 different types of forensic science and includes 17 activities. Scholars perform blood type analysis, blood spatter analysis,...
Science Matters
Formative Assessment #2: Circulatory System Performance Assessment
Watch as your pupils' hearts get pumping! An interactive activity has individuals record their heart rates after completing different activities. Each task has a different degree of physical activity. They then graph their results and...
Smarter Balanced
Thunderstorms
Ensure that all class members understand the basic concepts and vocabulary they need to complete a performance task on thunderstorms with an activity that asks them to use a Venn diagram to compare thunderstorms with rainy days.
Smarter Balanced
How the Brain Works
Cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, pituitary gland, and spinal cord. Prepare your class for a performance task assessment on the brain and how it works with a scripted plan that defines these terms and identifies the functions the...
Curated OER
Science Lesson for Grade 12
Twelfth graders perform dihybrid crosses and calculate phenotype and genotype ratios. In this series of science lessons, 12th graders explain the process of anodizing aluminum. They research on the benefits and harm caused by resonance...
British Heart Foundation
Women in Science: A Timeline
Scroll down an engaging webpage to discover a plethora of women whose contributions shaped the science world from 1865 to today. Science enthusiasts follow a red guideline to read brief blurbs, watch videos, and examine photographs.
Smarter Balanced
Renewable Energy
Renewable and non-renewable energy sources are the focus of a series of activities that prepare learners for a performance task assessment on energy. Groups identify the various sources of energy and classify these sources as either...
College Board
2010 AP® Environmental Science Free-Response Questions
Scientists rely heavily on data to make predictions and find solutions. Young scholars become scientists as they analyze information presented to them to construct responses. They consider scenarios related to air pollution, invasive...
College Board
2007 AP® Environmental Science Free-Response Questions
Mother Nature may have less control of temperature than you think! Young scholars consider the effect urban environments have on local and surrounding temperatures as they respond to one of four free-response assessment questions from...
Smarter Balanced
Zoos
How do the experiences of animals living in zoos differ from animals living in the wild? To prepare for a performance assessment on this question, class members are introduced to key concepts and vocabulary, and then groups use a Venn...
Smarter Balanced
Classifying Vertebrates
What features do scientists use to classify animals into groups? Class groups examine a series of paired images of vertebrates (a bass and a trout, a toad and a newt, a crocodile and a tortoise, an owl and a robin, a tiger and a bear)...
Smarter Balanced
Communicable Diseases
Pathogens, what they are, how they spread, and how to prevent them from spreading are the focus of this resource that can be used to prepare learners for a performance task assessment or to begin the study of communicable diseases.
National Wildlife Federation
Massive Migrations
Turn your students into flocks of migratory birds for this fun lesson on animal migration. Prior to the activity, the teacher creates four different migration routes in the classroom or any available open space, labeling nesting...
Pingry School
Lewis Structures, VSEPR and Molecular Modeling
A model is worth a thousand words. Young scholars use what they know about the structure of hydrocarbons to build Lewis dot structures and molecular models. Their tasks include multiple bonds, geometric hybrids, and various isomers.
Science Matters
Energy Flow
Budding scientists work collaboratively to reenact energy flow in a food chain. Scholars take on roles such as producer and consumer and perform tasks that symbolize energy flow in order to provide evidence of how much energy passes...
Purdue University
Rolling with Roller Coasters
Sometimes science is all fun and games! A hands-on STEM lesson asks learners to design and create models of roller coasters. They analyze the motion using a marble and describe the areas of maximum kinetic and potential energy.
Baylor College
Body Strength
Your young learners will discover how muscular strength and endurance can increase with this truly hands-on activity! Beginning by writing an acrostic for the word strength, class members then engage in tracking their ability to squeeze...
Science Matters
Electricity and Magnetism Formative Assessment #2
Leave it to science to get scholars out of a jam. Young scientists use what they've learned about electricity and magnetism in the previous eight lessons in the series to build tools that will allow them to find their way out of the...
BioEd Online
Spiders in Space
Does a spider spin its web differently in space? What other ways might microgravity affect an arachnid? Pick a topic to research, plan an investigation, and follow astronauts on the International Space Station as they perform some of the...
BioEd Online
Butterflies in Space
How does gravity affect the life cycle of a butterfly? Learn first-hand what types of investigations astronauts perform in space by following along with one of NASA's experiments. Create butterfly habitats in the classroom with specific...
Smarter Balanced
Uncommon Animals
Need to prepare for a performance task assessment on the topic of uncommon animals? Here's an activity that ensures all learners have the knowledge of key terms and concepts to approach the assessment.
Smarter Balanced
Environmental Interdependence (Environmental Awareness)
Whether introducing a study of environment awareness or preparing your classes for a performance task related to environmental interdependence, you will find this resource useful. Key terms and concepts are introduced so that all...
Smarter Balanced
View Through a Telescope
Preparing for an assessment? Here's an activity that will ensure that all class members have the background knowledge they need to demonstrate their skills on a performance task related to the solar system and the tools astronomers use...