Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Elements Commercials

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Student teams use a digital camcorder and iMovie to create a commercial about an element. They also use the Internet and their textbook to gather the following information about their element: the name, the symbol, the atomic number, the...
Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Beam Focusing Using Lenses

For Students 11th - 12th
Explore optics using an inquiry-based experimental approach! Young scholars use a set of materials to design and build a unit capable of focusing a beam of light. They experiment with different lenses to determine the best approach to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Air: It's a Gas!

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students investigate the properties of air through hands-on activities in conjunction with the demonstrations in a 3-2-1 Contact Video.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ice Cream Chemical and Physical Changes

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders identify characteristics of a simple physical and chemical change. They describe objects by the properties of the materials from which they are made and that these properties can be used separate. Students describe the...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

I'm so Crushed

For Teachers 5th - 6th
As an experiment is demonstrated for them, students write down their observations and brainstorm questions that can help them understand what they saw. After watching the experiment again—which demonstrates a soda can collapsing due to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heat and Temperature

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders explore the relationship between heat and temperature. After performing experiments, 9th graders record their observations and discuss the results. They investigate the properties of heat and explore how energy possessed...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Liquids and Solids

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students describe the properties of solids and liquids, and explain how a semiconductor works.  In this atom lesson students demonstrate the bonding properties of carbon and silicon.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

EGG-cellent POLYMER PACKAGING DESIGN

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students investigate the concept of a polymer using an experimental design of protecting an egg in a bookbag. They test the properties of polymers and form an educated solution to the proposed problem. Then they describe the steps used...
Lesson Plan
Illustrative Mathematics

Rectangle Perimeter 3

For Teachers 5th - 7th Standards
This activity looks at writing expressions to represent perimeter of a rectangle and then considers the concept of equivalent expressions and the distributive property in more detail. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Opposites Attract

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners examine the properties of magnets and static electricity. They participate in experiments that demonstrate the behaviors of charged particles, and record their data on a worksheet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Melting Ice

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students observe the melting of ice and explore the basic physical changes that occur. They gain information of how different substances change the rate of melting. Students discuss the properties of water and ice, the definition of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Modern Physics, New Phenomena

For Teachers 9th - 12th
For this physics worksheet, students examine some of the historical theories of physics through the completion of 11 questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Discovering Dinosaurs

For Teachers K - 1st
Students investigate the physical characteristics of dinosaurs. They participate in a puppet show, take a field trip to a dinosaur museum, and compare/contrast dinosaur characteristics at the museum.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Friction: Friend or Foe?

For Teachers 4th
Using a hands-on approach, learners explore the effect of friction on objects. Learners use toy cars, shoes, wood, metal, and more to experiment with the causes and effects of friction. Afterwards, they conduct experiments in which they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Numbers, Numbers Everywhere!

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Explore properties of integers! For this algebra lesson, pupils add, subtract, divide and multiply using integers correctly. They differentiate between rational and irrational numbers.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

One Plus One Makes New

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners identify the different properties of matter. In this chemistry lesson, students design an experiment on a property of matter they would like to investigate. They report their findings in class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Are Alternative Fuels? Concept Mapping Alternative Fuels Investigation

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers compare and contrast the different types of alternative fuels. They create a concept map to understand their classification. They examine the properties of matter and energy as well.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's the Matter? (Experiments)

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students observe a scientific discrepant event, and are then challenged to create experiments to solve the dilemma.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Particulate Matter- How Dirty is the Air We Breathe?

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders investigate air pollution. In this air pollution lesson, 4th graders test the air quality by using a block of wood and petroleum jelly. Students investigate the pollutants on the wooden block.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dust in the Wind; Chemicals in the Water

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore mechanical and chemical weathering at stations. They articulate some mechanisms of chemical and mechanical weathering through exploration in a lab. Students stations describe how chemical weathering differs from...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Static electricity: Ah, There's the rub!

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students experiment to investigate static electricity.  In this static electricity lesson, students prepare a balloon head and draw a face on it.  Students rub the nose and the balloon moves toward the student rubbing.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's in the Soil?

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders examine soil to find its contents, and how much water and air they can measure.  In this soil composition lesson, 4th graders perform three experiments and record their results.  In one experiment they examine...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Do These Properties Matter?

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders rotate between three property stations, the solid station, the gas station, and the liquid station. They experiment with each activity until the teacher gives the signal to change.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Chinese Zodiac

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students create their own personalized Zodiac page on a word processing document after researching and discussing the origins of Zodiak signs. This lesson does include resource links and may be controversial.