Curated OER
What Is A Plant?
Students explore plants. In this plant lesson, students examine organisms to determine which are plants. During this introductory lesson, students explore characteristics of living things.
Curated OER
Microscope Investigation
Students explore physical science by participating in a science examination. In this microscope tutorial instructional activity, students read the book The Naked Eye and discuss the purpose for using a microscope in the field of science....
Curated OER
Poetry and Observations
Students compare poetry and the night sky. In this poetry lesson plan, students read poetry and compare the imagery from the poem with the night sky. Students explore how science and poetry relate to one another.
Curated OER
The Tree Detective - Basic Dendrology
Students identify tree species by their leaf characteristics. In this dendrology lesson, students learn leaf vocabulary and collect leaves. They identify the leaves using the leaf characteristics and the vocabulary that they learned.
Curated OER
Aquatic Science
What a terrific way to explore the pond habitat! Learners discuss the animal and plant life found in the Long Island area. They also discuss vocabulary terms, identify pollution concerns, and resource conservation.
Curated OER
Daily Academic Language Development
Five minute mini-lessons designed to expose learners to high-frequency academic language.
Curated OER
Ants In Motion
Students brainstorm ants and their characteristics in a class discussion. They observe the ants and answer question pertaining to their behavior; then they apply the scientific method in creating and investigating a problem.
Curated OER
Crazy for Cubes: Art and Science
Learners discuss Sol LeWitt and conceptual art, then analyze the differences in expressing a concept through model-based inquiry and aesthetic art criticism. They develop a geometric, scientific, or mathematical concept, then create an...
Curated OER
The Working of Scientists
Students define and explain the basic concepts of experimental design. In this scientific method lesson students complete a hands on activity, develop and present proposals to test their explanations.
Cornell University
Scaling Down: Effects of Size on Behavior
Two activities explore the concept of size, especially small sizes down to the nano. Scholars practice determining volume, mass, and density and calculate exponential increases and decreases. They then predict and test the effect of size...
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Evolution Begins with the Inheritance of Gene Variations
Connect Mendelian genetics with Darwinian theories. An interactive lesson lets pupils explore how George Shull used research from other scientists to explore genetic variation. The resource outlines the statistical analysis of genetic...
Curated OER
An Introduction to Simple Machines
Students investigate simple machines and their uses in everyday life. In this scientific method instructional activity, students examine physical tools such as wedges, screws, and levers using a "how does it work" approach. Students...
Curated OER
The Nitrogen Cycle
Students design and create a compost pile in order to study the Nitrogen Cycle. They then use the scientific method to determine if plants grow better when they add organic matter from their compost pile to the plant's soil.
Curated OER
Chemistry E3 Lesson Plan
Ninth graders perform a series of experiment to investigate heat transfer and phase changes. In this physical science lesson, 9th graders identify and calculate the different subatomic particles. They explain the importance of scientific...
PBS
Plants Count
Changes to habitats mean changes to resources. Groups examine aerial maps to predict areas of low and high plant resources. After formulating a plan, they visit the areas to collect data about the plant resources and then share their...
Curated OER
La Vie en Cave!
Students investigate the cave paintings of France. They explore various websites, recite and discuss french vocabulary terms, create a painted cave wall, and view and discuss images of French cave paintings.
Curated OER
Simple Circuit: Electric Currents and Circuits
Through inquiry and exploration, 4th graders will learn and understand the functions of open and closed circuits. They will break into 2 groups, define vocabulary, hypothesize how to light a bulb, then test their hypothesis 4 different...
Teach Engineering
Complex Networks and Graphs
Show your class how engineers use graphs to understand large and complex systems. The resource provides the beginnings of graph theory by introducing the class to set theory, graphs, and degree distributions of a graph.
Curated OER
Classifying Living Things
Students identify how to classify living things. They classify various concepts including family members, kinds of clothing, numbers, shapes, and vocabulary words. They discuss how to classify various concepts and classify pictures of...
Curated OER
Wavelengths of Light
Explore physical science by participating in a visual spectrum experiments. Budding scientists identify the colors in the color spectrum and view the colors in class by utilizing cellophane, flash lights, and other arts and crafts...
Curated OER
Tree Cycles
Fourth graders investigate the life cycle of a tree by researching the Internet. In this plant life lesson, 4th graders observe The Life of a Tree website and discuss the life of a tree from sprout to death. Students create a cross...
Curated OER
Hatching Brine shrimp
Second graders investigate the life cycle using brine shrimp as an example. They conduct observations by watching the shrimp hatch out of cysts. Students design simple experiment to structure an observation. The experiment is approved...
Curated OER
Slingshot Characterization Experiment
Students set up and conduct a scientific experiment to demonstrate data collection. In this scientific process lesson plan, students complete an activity with the specific objective of using a slingshot to fire a t-shirt into the crowd...
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)...