Students investigate the food chain by researching the Internet.  In this ecosystem lesson plan, students view the video "Competitor and Predator" and read a book from the series "The Magic School Bus."  Students utilize a...

Third graders practice using classification techniques to identify local trees.  In this plant life instructional activity, 3rd graders discuss how trees differ from other plants and what characteristics are unique to trees alone....

Seventh graders summarize a newspaper article. For this writing lesson students choose a newspaper article about an environmental issue. The students summarize the article and devise a solution to the environmental issue.

Fourth graders explore evaporation by conducting an experiment.  In this water properties lesson, 4th graders examine the differences between two socks that get wet, one which is placed in front of a fan.  Students discuss why...

In the sixth lesson in a series of 21, scholars use NASA data to graph and interpret albedo seasonally and over the course of multiple years. This allows learners to compare albedo trends to changes in sea ice with connections to the...

Take a look at acceleration within the context of automotive technology. They vary the mass on a toy car and run it down a ramp, exploring Newton's second law of motion. Though this is a classic lab activity, you will appreciate the...

A well-written lesson plan, second in a series of four, gets high schoolers exploring how the Antarctic food web is impacted by climate change and the associated melting of polar ice sheets. It begins with a PowerPoint presentation about...

In an effort to practice engineering design, STEM classes break out into teams and endeavor to make a working ink pen. To prepare, they read about writing implements through history, patents, and viscosity of liquids. Armed with this...

This lesson will make an impact, especially on scientist-athletes who may have an interest in waterproof clothing! Acting as materials engineers, they work collaboratively on waterproofing pieces of cotton fabric. This challenge is...

Blow your learners' minds with a sweet activity on nanotechnology that uses sugar to demonstrate the difference nanoscale surface area makes in dissolving and crystal formation. Plenty of supportive background information is read to...

Get kids' heads spinning by challenging them to design a top that will rotate for a minimum of 10 seconds without leaving a 30-cm circle. Groups of learners collaborate through a planning stage, testing stage, and evaluation stage. Some...

Energy conservers investigate gravel size to discover if it impacts the amount of oil recovered in the extraction process. 

After reading about the amount of energy that is used to power a personal computer, learners take a look at their own computer use and therefore, their energy consumption. They do this through a series of questions and computations on...

By rolling marbles down a six-foot length of track, physical scientists determine how much energy is lost to heat. It is recommended that you opt for the foam pipe insulation track because more friction slows the marble, allowing...

Using helium as an example of propane, physical science middle schoolers experiment with and graph the relationship between temperature and volume in gases. In a whole-class demonstration, they show how molecules behave under different...

Students are introduced to the concepts involved in technological designs. In groups, they design and build a technology related item using research to backup why they have chosen that specific design. They experiment by varying...

Students construct their own pendulum. In this physics lesson, students design an experiment to find the factors affecting its period. They formulate a conclusion based on experimental data.

Seventh graders examine how the environment can affect biological processes. They identify the best conditions for the germination of bean seeds. They record and analyze their data. They write about their observations in an essay.

Pupils examine fossils and analyzing their significance in relation to theories of evolution. Hand-outs are provided. This lesson could be supplementary to a broader unit on evolution or geology.

Learners review the components of the scientific habits of mind. In groups, they use this information and relate it to scientific investigations. They develop strategies to evaluate information and evidence and how to question sources...

Students explain the historical significance of use of the scientific method in developing the first airplane and appreciate the process involved in developing a new technology.

Learners investigate the structure of atoms. Students read information about the Rutherford model, the Bohr model, and the Quantum Mechanical model examining each for its scientific validity. They watch a PowerPoint presentation of alpha...

Students analyze how the Law of Conservation of Energy applies to the design and use of scissors. Working in groups, they determine the output work for a standard pair of scissors.

Young scholars determine whether the index of refraction of sample of Corn Syrup meets Federal standards. This task assess students' abilities to explain the procedures for investigation, plan for recording and organizing observations...