Learners get some training as a whale biologist, and study about the kinds of things these researchers do and see over the next four months in their study of humpback whales. Some excellent websites are imbedded in this plan.

The quality of a watershed has a direct impact on the community it services. Learners study their own watershed using a topographical map. They recreate the watershed components using colored pencils to track the upstream and downstream...

A seven-step lesson introduces the emergence of computer sciences and the contributions women made to the profession after World War II. Several science experiments offer pupils a hands-on learning experience that showcases parabolas,...

Learners will love a weeks worth of bone study. They use bones and characteristics of bones to explore the evolution of hominoids. Bones are compared, categorized, and considered. A great way to bring physical anthropology and material...

Here is an ambitious instructional activity which has learners take a look at which nations came up with the most important scientific inventions/advancements during the 20th century. Focusing on group work, cloning is explored. All of...

Expectant earth scientists examine the bottom side of a leaf and learn the role of the stomata. They consider the gas exchange that occurs through these structures and relate how the climate is changing to its impact on food crops. This...

The Cold War—with its roots in World War II—impacts the world today. Using an extensive curriculum, scholars consider its impact through primary sources, including speeches and propaganda, as well as other skills-enhancing activities. An...

First graders identify the different stages in the hydrologic cycle. To study earth science, they investigate how sunlight affects the earth's temperature. They also discuss how the sun's energy is transformed.

The Bill of Rights is a foundational document of American democracy, much like the Nuremberg Laws were a foundational document of the Reichstag of Nazi Germany. But that's where their similarities end. Engage high schoolers in a...

After a discussion on how to make a light bulb light up in an electrical circuit, young scientists take a look at four circuits, and they choose the one they think will make the lightbulb light up. Use in conjunction with any initial...

Tree rings from North America give a continuous history of El Nino intensity over the last 1,100 years. Scholars learn how scientists use tree rings to create timelines demonstrating variations in weather patterns. The cumulative...

Young biologists identify the basic structures of a saguaro cactus. They study the functions of each of the structures, and label them on a picture of a saguaro cactus embedded in the plan. This simple, and easy-to-implement...

Class members are transformed into explorers as they work in groups to locate hidden items and map their journey along the way. They then leave clues for other groups of students to follow, and ultimately discover how past explorations...

How is a movie theater like a desert biome? Compare systems to ecosystems with a set of activities that focuses on accessing multiple intelligences and building upon knowledge. As learners discuss the ways elements of an ecosystem depend...

Bring a historic chemistry experiment to life in your classroom! Introduce pupils to Thompson's ground-breaking discovery of the electron through a cathode ray simulation. The resource allows users to study the behavior of both electrons...

Some living things go to extreme measures to avoid the cold. A three-part activity guides learners through the migration of the monarch butterfly. After studying the life cycle of the monarch butterfly, pupils learn the process of...

Students engage in the study of flight with the help of a computer flight simulation. They take part in a variety of activities that imitate the Space Shuttle Endeavor. Students work as teams like the astronauts would to complete mission...

One of the creepiest and coolest natural occurrences is a great forum for data analysis and discussion! Explore the phenomenon of zombie ants, or ants infected with the Cordyceps fungus, with a series of activities and experiments....

Plankton are so abundant in the ocean they outweigh all of the animals in the sea. In this three day activity, groups discuss and become familiar with plankton, capture females, and look for egg production on day three. 

So much science in one tiny fish! Introduce young biologists to the zebrafish, a common aquarium inhabitant. The small, unassuming organism presents an opportunity for learners to study habituation using an easy-to-care-for species. Lab...

How loud is the class's hearing threshold? Using a sound level meter, the class members observe how the loudness of sound is affected by distance. Learners continue to study decibels by seeing how different sounds compare to each other...

Reading comprehension and note-taking skills are practiced as young ecologists embark on this journey. Explorers visit a website where they will read about three ecosystems that are in danger. They use interactive programs to build a...

Certain behaviors make species vulnerable to extinction and others protect them. By studying species that are currently endangered, learners draw conclusions about these behaviors. They then apply their conclusions to healthy species and...

Support the acquisition of content area vocabulary with this foldable resource. With space for studying three new terms, pupils determine the definition, write a sentence, and provide examples for each word.