PBS
Pbs Teachers: Scientific American: Animal Einsteins: Who Needs Words, Anyway?
Explore the theory that animals can learn to comprehend abstract concepts by observing to see if specific animal calls are associated with specific actions. Use scientific observation and record-keeping to collect and analyze data.
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Scientific American: Games Machines Play: Streamlined Design
Explore the streamlined shapes of submarines and design an effective hull shape. Observe how streamlining affects a vehicle as it is pulled through a water-filled trough.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Students as Scientists
This curricular unit contains two lessons that let students actually do the work of scientists as they design their own experiments to answer questions they generate. In the first lesson and its associated activity, students conduct a...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Corn for Fuel?!
In this activity, students examine how to grow plants the most efficiently. They imagine that they are designing a biofuels production facility and need to know how to efficiently grow plants to use in this facility. As a means of...
![The Globe Program: The Mystery of the Missing Hummingbirds [Pdf] Unit Plan](https://d15y2dacu3jp90.cloudfront.net/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/FPO-knovation.png "The Globe Program: The Mystery of the Missing Hummingbirds [Pdf] Unit Plan")
Globe
The Globe Program: The Mystery of the Missing Hummingbirds [Pdf]
This story is an interesting way to help students understand the process of migration. It provides teachers with information on how to approach a particular lesson and its easy-to-read content is easily adaptable for grades K-12.
Other
Loughborough Univ.: Young Children's Problem Solving in Design and Technology
This 1997 article from the Journal of Design & Technology Education at Loughborough University in the UK looked at the problem-solving strategies young children use in design and technology tasks, both independently and when working...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: You Are a Scientist
Learners will practice the scientific method as they observe nature and ask questions about it.
University of California
University of California at Berkeley: Understanding Science: Poking Around
Learners work in groups to develop an understanding of the size and shape of an object hidden beneath a plywood board, asking questions, testing their reasoning, and drawing conclusions, as scientists do. Students are never permitted to...
University of California
University of California at Berkeley: Understanding Science: Mystery Boxes
An interesting instructional activity where students collaborate to create a visual image of what the inside of a sealed box looks like. The box has a marble or other type of sphere inside it, as well as partitions and/or ramps. Students...
Bryn Mawr College
Serendip: Moldy Jell O
Brief text summary of what students learn in the Moldy Jell-O Lab along with links to download Student Handouts and Teacher Preparation Notes in PDF or Word formats. Students design the experiment and observe the growth of mold. Focus is...
Other
American Coal Foundation: Lesson Plan: Coal Formation
In this four-part lesson, young scholars will conduct a simulation of the coal formation process and will show the ability to do scientific inquiry. For the final project, they will use their findings they have recorded on their "Coal...
University of California
Understanding Science: The Core of Science: Relating Evidence and Ideas
Learn that the real process of science proceeds at multiple levels and sorts through many ideas, retaining and building upon those that work, and relating the evidence discovered with scientific ideas.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Keep Your Own Field Journal
This site, which offers templates for field journals, is part of a larger, interdisciplinary site about New Zealand. Walks you through the process and purpose of a field journal for scientific observation.
EL Education
El Education: Original Physics Experiments
Students ask questions about why things move the way they do and then design and carry out science experiments on the physics behind the movement. Students create lab reports to explain the steps of their process and to record...
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
Magnet Academy: Julian Schwinger
Theoretical physicist Julian Schwinger used the mathematical process of renormalization to rid the quantum field theory developed by Paul Dirac of serious incongruities with experimental observations that had nearly prompted the...
McREL International
Mc Rel: Glue Polymer (Whelmer #15 Learning Activity)
An easy to do activity that investigates the basic principles behind chemical bonding. The activity is written in lesson plan format that meets NSES standards.