Curated OER
Lost in Space
Here is a case study for high school or college-level learners about space exploration equipment that has failed. The class reads about the Mars Climate Orbiter that was destroyed in 1999 and discusses the costs and benefits of space...
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
A Rose By Any Other Name
In part one, your astronomers read an interview dialogue between a reporter and Dr. Maria Ocasio, the chair of the group that assigns names to celestial objects. The topic in question is Pluto's status. Learners research Plutinos and...
Curated OER
Dinosaurs
Learners are introduced to the various types of dinosaurs and write in their journals about their favorite one. After listening to a story and watching a filmstrip, they color a few pages in their Dinosaur Friends Book. They also examine...
Curated OER
Bacterial Transformation
High schoolers discuss a bacterial experiment they previously performed and complete a pre-assessment. They participate in a lecture discussion given by the teacher through PowerPoint and then complete a cartoon worksheet and...
Curated OER
The Water Cycle: States of Water
Elementary schoolers explore states of matter by concentrating on the ways in which water moves between its solid, liquid, and gaseous states in a variety of Earth environments. Learners interpret these movements through dance. The...
Curated OER
The Effects of Photosynthesis on Plant Growth
Young scholars examine the process of photosynthesis; its products and reactants, and the sequence of the process. They diagram the light reactions, record observations of plants, and discuss how difficult it is to measure plant growth...
Curated OER
The Scientific Method
Students study the steps involved in the scientific method. They apply the scientific method to their science fair projects.
Curated OER
Groundwater as Part of the Water Cycle
Make sure to read through the activity procedures thoroughly before teaching this lesson because the materials list is incomplete. Also, the mentioned worksheets and booklet are not available. However, there is no need to discard this...
Curated OER
Little Bees, Big Potential
After reading an article on the alfalfa leafcutting bee, learners chart its characteristics alongside those of the honeybee. Then they draw the leafcutter lifecycle. The article provides fascinating reading when studying the role of...
Curated OER
Breathing
When learning about the respiratory system, how do learners know what is important? One way is to use a self-assessment or study like the one found here. While the formatting could use some work, the concepts are solid. Depending on your...
Curated OER
Earth, Sun and Moon
Students explore, experiment and study how the Earth orbits the Sun once a year and how the moon takes approximately 29 days to orbit the Earth. They access an online activity to examine the process of how the Sun is at the center of the...
Serendip
How Mistakes in Cell Division Can Result in down Syndrome and Miscarriages
Some genetic conditions occur without being inherited. The distinction becomes the focus of the lesson. It details the process of cell division that results in trisomy on various chromosomes. A worksheet highlights the results including...
Curated OER
Down in the Dumps
After an introduction to municipal sludge, middle school ecologists consider the pros and cons of dumping in the Hudson River Canyon. The class is split into two groups: one to debate in favor or dumping and one to debate against the...
Curated OER
Chemosynthesis for the Classroom
Explorers set up Windogradsky columns with local mud so that they can culture microorganisms. After three and six weeks they make observations of the mud and the organisms growing in it. In this way they observe succession and relate...
Curated OER
Chemistry: Section Review
Review the 5 branches of chemistry and related terms with this worksheet. The focus of these activities is on terms and definitions. Learners answer questions about the study of chemistry, reasons to study chemistry, and pure and applied...
Curated OER
Your Body's Defenses When Microbes Attack
Pupils study how being exposed to a harmful microbe doesn't automatically make them ill. They discover the lines of defense against microbe invaders and explore the roles of skin and mucus membranes, white blood cells, and lymphocytes in...
Curated OER
When Microbes Attack
Students study how the body defends itself against the invasion of harmful microbes and how certain types of drugs can provide assistance. They design and execute their own experiments to test whether increasing the number of types of...
Curated OER
Antibiotic Resistance
Students using the scientific method, study bacteria as a covering surface of the earth in many forms. They discover that not all bacteria is bad and introduce the topic of antibiotic resistance. Science Fair expectations are addressed.
Curated OER
Enzyme and Southern Blotting
Students study southern blotting and its uses. They research on restriction enzymes and their uses, especially in relation to recombinant DNA. In addition, they write a summary and an interpretation of the gel.
Curated OER
Animal Characteristics
Students create a graphic organizer to study animal characteristics. In this animal characteristics lesson plan, students use a program in Microsoft Word to create a brainstorm about different animal characteristics.
Curated OER
Making Variables More Concrete
When teaching about the different types of variables, practice is the key.
Curated OER
Memorable Ways to Cover the Periodic Table
An exploration of the periodic table can lead to a discussion of the scientific process and the ways that our knowledge of this topic evolves and grows.
National Research Center for Career and Technical Education
STEM: Lou-Vee Air Car
A comprehensive lesson on acceleration awaits your physicists and engineers! Two YouTube videos pique their interest, then sample F=ma problems are worked and graphed. The highlight of the lesson is the building of a Lou-Vee air car!...
Curated OER
Outdoor Activities: Taking Science Outside
Students participate in various outdoor science activities to enhance their observation, classification, and analysis skills. In this outdoor lesson, students begin by observing a tree from a straightforward angle, then from the...