University of Minnesota
Inquiry Cubes
How do you teach kids to "science" effectively? Inquiry cubes are a "sort of" puzzle with no answer—promoting even more questions! Group members work together to use the evidence on the visible sides of each cube to infer what lies on...
Curated OER
How Do Cells Reproduce?
Beginning biologists prepare a sugar solution for yeast cells to live in, and divide it into two different jars. Samples from each jar are viewed with a microscope, and then one jar is placed in a warm environment and the other a cold...
Curated OER
Investigation: Evaporation
An evaporation investigation! This collection of slides walks future scientists through the process of setting up an experiment on how to speed up evaporation. The experiment is simple enough to use at the beginning of the school...
Teach Engineering
See the Genes
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough" - Albert Einstein. The sixth installment of a seven-part series teaches young scientists about the importance of being able to communicate scientific research and...
Curated OER
Jumping Off the Bandwagon
Teach your class to be critical consumers by studying persuasion in advertising.
Curated OER
Yeast Cells and their Environment
Students study the scientific method and explore how to design an experiment. In this investigative activity students explore and hypothesis an experiment then carry it out to find the results.
Curated OER
Popcorn Science
Students identify and apply the scientific method through an experiment with popcorn. Then they identify what independent, dependent, and control variables are and create a list of different variables that affect popcorn popping....
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Thinking Like a Scientist
In this scientific method worksheet, students fill in 10 blanks with terms related to the scientific method. Then they determine if 3 sentences are true or false and they match 6 terms with their definitions.
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Science is a Wonderland
Students use the scientific method to study Animalia and Plantae Kingdoms. In this science inquiry lesson plan, students watch a PowerPoint about science process skills. Students complete the National Geographic bottled Eggs-periment or...
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Interdisciplinary Approach to Investigating Popcorn
Students conduct a lab experiment using the scientific method. In this interdisciplinary lesson plan, students will test the difference in popping white and yellow corn. Students will write their lab report in their science, math,...
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Skull Science
What can your class learn from a skull? With proper facilitation, they can learn about diet, physical adaptations, special differences, and even the environment. Pupils will examine a series of mammal skulls and pelts to help them...
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An Approach to Chemistry via the Analysis of Art Objects: The Scientific Method, Laboratory Safety, Light and Color Theory
Students create a painting that clearly exemplifies the use of primary pigments to make secondary pigments. They demonstrate the distinction between value and saturation. They explain the affect of adjacent colors on each other and...
Curated OER
The Importance of Detailed Procedures in Science
Students examine the importance of clear communication in scientific exploration. In pairs, they write clear directions for an everyday activity for their partner to read and follow.
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The Sun: Earth's Friend and Foe
Students study the structure and features of the sun. In this earth science lesson, students explain how the sun's energy drive the processes on Earth. They perform temperature conversions using appropriate equations.
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Eggs'ceptional Experiments
Students see evidence of chemical reaction and follow the scientific method to hypothesize, observe, and reach conclusions. They conduct a series of egg based experiments such as forming crystals and complete journal activities as a...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Historical Climate Cycles
What better way to make predictions about future weather and climate patterns than with actual climate data from the past? Young climatologists analyze data from 400,000 to 10,000 years ago to determine if climate has changed over...
Curated OER
The Five Life Zone Research Project
Students study five of the seven life zones in North America. In this journalism lesson students use the Scientific Method working in teams. They use lab equipment and technology to create a presentation on five of the seven life zones...
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Energy and Work: Transformation Through Engines
High schoolers conduct a webquest on an energy source they chose. In this physics lesson, students design an experiment to determine the factors affecting potential and kinetic energy. They calculate speed and create distance vs. time...
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Death On Board La Belle: Finding Clues from Old Bones
Students practice analyzing skeletal remains for clues by using the Internet. For this scientific investigation lesson, students research the La Belle shipwreck using the Internet and written materials, later completing a Skeletal...
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Methods of Mystery
Students utilize the scientific method to discover the age of an item. In this historical dating instructional activity, students compare and contrast a 400 year old cabinet to one made within a few years by using carbon dating....
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Can't Wait - Gotta Migrate:The Monarch Butterfly
Students study the migratory behavior of the monarch butterfly and to carefully develop a scientific method for answering one question concerning their behavior. They perform many meaningful tasks which help them explain the Monarch...
National Wildlife Federation
Meet the Extractors, Harvesters, and Harnessers: Methods, Technology, Benefits and Consequences in Acquiring Natural Resources
There are advantages and disadvantages to all sources of energy; the trick is determining which one has the least impact! Part six in the series of 12 has learners further explore energy resources. After reading information about one of...
NASA
Space-Based Astronomy on the Internet
Young scientists compile everything they have learned into a report in the fifth and final lesson in a unit on the visible light spectrum. Access to photos from observatories, telescopes, and satellites allows learners to compare...
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Student Designed Investigations Part 2 – Testable Questions, Predictions, Materials and Procedures
Students create their own investigations. In this science experiments lesson, students use the steps of the scientific method to design an investigation. Students share their findings on a poster.