University of Colorado
Are All Asteroids' Surfaces the Same Age?
Did you know scientists can tell the age of an asteroid by looking closely at its craters? This final instructional activity of a six-part series focuses on two asteroids, Gaspra and Ida, in order to demonstrate the concept of dating...
Acoustical Society of America
Generalizing How Musical Instruments Work
Sound, vibrations, resonance, and frequency are explored as learners use music to foster scientific inquiry. They engage in three different sound experiments and follow up discussions to foster a better understanding of how musical...
American Chemical Society
Diapers: The Inside Story
There shouldn't be any accidents with this activity! An inquiry-based lesson has learners explore the absorption properties of the gel compound in diapers. After testing its properties, they learn the science of the molecules that make...
Curated OER
Conducting a Scientific Investigation
Students investigate a possible health problem in the local school district through inquiry into attendance records, activities, maps, graphs, and data tables. The simulation continues as solutions for the problem are sought.
Bonneville
A Simple Circuit
Heat up a lesson on solar energy by building a circuit for a cooling fan. Given a solar module and a DC motor, scholars develop hypotheses for how to make the fan turn. They test out their hypotheses, and then draw a circuit diagram to...
Curated OER
Exploring Human History
High schoolers study the four main subdivisions of anthropology and how they overlap. They explore the careers of several contemporary anthropologists and their fieldwork, comparing the methods and applications of their work.
Curated OER
How Strong is the Solution
Students investigate the strength of solutions. For this scientific inquiry lesson plan, students examine various solutions of food color and water as they discover the concentration of the solutions by adding bleach to clear the color.
Curated OER
Out of this World: Inquiry-Based Teaching
Connect classroom learning with real-life experiences by using photographs and data taken by the Mars Pathfinder.
PHET
Planet Designer: What’s Trending Hot?
Excite scholars to design their own planet in this first of five lessons. The instructional activity starts with a pre-activity assessment, a complete lesson plan that is easy to implement, and a post-activity assessment that would look...
PHET
Planet Designer: Retro Planet Red
What does the atmosphere on Mars look like? This fourth lesson in the series of five is designed for high schoolers. Scholars apply previous knowledge to add atmosphere to Mars in an online simulation. This comprehensive lesson includes...
Curated OER
Apply Technological Design and Scientific Habits of Mind
Students are introduced to the principles involved with technological design. In groups, they use the Internet to research an important historical innovation and how it changed the world. They discover the barriers that were involved in...
Curated OER
Research Question, Hypothesis and Experimental Design
Learners discuss steps of the scientific process, as well as, observe a picture of the beach that they will visit. Students create a testable hypothesis about marine debris at the beach. In this science lesson plan, learners create a...
Curated OER
Creek Restoration Project
Students gather and analyze scientific data from a local creek. Over weeks or months, students observe their local environment, collect water samples, and evaluate test results. Extension activities are suggested for evaluating...
Curated OER
Paper Airplanes & Scientific Methods
Seventh graders examine how to define scientific inquiry and the scientific method. In this paper airplane lesson plan students research airplanes, take notes then create an airplane trial.
Curated OER
Parachutes: What Affects a Parachute
Students create a simple paper parachute. For this parachute design lesson, students examine the effects of the wind and make napkin parachutes.
Curated OER
I Wood if I Could
Tenth graders investigate the process of how specific products are made from trees. For this chemistry instructional activity, groups of students must choose among ice cream, bubble gum, paper, toothpaste and lipstick. They research,...
Curated OER
Gathering Data About Respiration
Students engage in an experiment that tests how much air we breathe in and out during the respiration process. For this respiration lesson, students blow a typical breath's amount of air into a balloon. They use a ruler to measure the...
Curated OER
Floating Soap
Students use the Scientific Method steps to complete an experiment on various brands of soap to determine their floating capabilities. In this scientific method lesson, students write a hypothesis about the ability of various soap bars...
Foundation for Water & Energy Education
How Can a Dam Affect a River? Activity A
Written for Washington state students in life science, this lesson provides an opportunity to examine the residents of local freshwater habitats. You or the class collects a water sample, and learners try to examine what organisms live...
Curated OER
Make a Windmill
Students explore Earth science by conducting an energy experiment in class. In this windmill lesson, students identify how wind has been used to pump water throughout history and the latest developments wind energy has produced. Students...
Curated OER
Method Madness!
Young scholars explain the steps in the scientific method. In this inquiry instructional activity, students construct a CEENBoT using website directions. They diagnose and fix the problem after the teacher cause it to malfunction.
Curated OER
Daphina Science, The Method of Investigation
Students determine what causes a reaction in a species of Daphnia. In this ecology based lesson plan, students are in a hands on project to demonstrate a controlled experiment with data collections. Students use laboratory tools in this...
Curated OER
Using Java Applets for Inquiry-Based Physics Lessons
Using Java Applets in the physics classroom can be a great way to reinforce scientific concepts.
Curated OER
Scientific Method and Crystal Growth
Students conduct a hands-on experiment growing crystals to demonstrate the nature of science as inquiry. They discuss and test variables that affect crystal growth. They research mineral crystallization and mineral formation on the...