Resources for Educators
Fractions of Fun
Reinforce concepts and encourage learner engagement with a collection of math games, science experiments, and cross curricular activities. In one fun resource, learners sort objects, keep a diary of everyday fractions, play a game using...
Exploratorium
Stripped Down Motor
Mostly for teacher's use, here are instructions for making a traditional electromagnetic motor and a detailed explanation of how it works.
Curated OER
Mobius Strips
High schoolers discuss the scientific method and construct their own Mobius Strips. They examine their Mobius Strip, and write observations and a hypothesis on how many strips of paper they have when they cut the strip in half length-wise.
Curated OER
Absolute Ages of Rocks
In this age of rocks worksheet, students answer five matching questions about terms related to the decay of atoms. They use a strip of paper to simulate half life of atoms and determine the total amount of time it took to deplete the paper.
Curated OER
Inheritance Patterns in Zorks
For this inheritance patterns worksheet, students create a visual of a Zork using chromosome strips to represent alleles from the father and the mother to determine the traits in the offspring. Students translate the genotype to the...
Curated OER
Who Ate The Cheese?!
In this crime scene investigation activity, students simulate DNA sequencing and DNA restriction analysis using paper strips of DNA. Students compare the crime scene DNA to the suspects and determine who is guilty.
Exploratorium
Give and Take
Heat-sensitive liquid crystal sheets are available in a variety of sizes and temperature ranges. Purchase a class set of hand-held sheets and color half of each with a silver permanent marking pen. Learners of light can hold them under a...
Curated OER
Koi Pond
Create this beautiful koi pond scene using watercolor paper, crayons, and paints. This would be a fantastic project to link to a scientific study of pond life or a historical study of Japanese culture.
Curated OER
What is pH and Why is It Important?
Students investigate about acids, bases, and pH and relate this information to the problem of acid deposition. They use pH paper, students test common household substances to determine whether they are acidic, basic, or neutral. Pupils...
Curated OER
Pocket Solar System
Motivate your class with this lesson plan. Learners explore the solar system and practice working with fractions using this resource. They construct scale models of our solar system, and use fractions to correctly configure the solar...
DiscoverE
Electrical Liquids
Liquid or not, here comes the electricity. Scholars test the conductivity of various substances using a circuit that includes a light bulb. If the light bulb lights up, then the liquid is a conductor. What a bright idea!
Curated OER
Tomato Exploration
Create tomatoes in 15-20 minutes using this fun and interactive lesson plan! Learners listen to a book about tomatoes (recommendations listed), and focus on the vocabulary word tomato. They count the syllables...
Science Friday
Make a Speaker
Make science come in loud and clear. Pupils learn about how a speaker works by building one. The scholars first learn about electromagnetic fields by building an electromagnet. Using that knowledge, they build a crude speaker using a...
Curated OER
Bouncing Bubbles
Students complete a variety of activities exploring the joys and science of bubbles. They listen to the book "Bubbles Bubbles" by Mercer Mayer, create a bubble picture using Kid Pix, and explore blowing bubbles. Students experiment...
Curated OER
Energy
Wow! Colorful and simple, these 160 slides introduce the various forms of energy, along with a relevant image. Some of the images are animations, which help beginning physical scientists to visualize the flow of electrons or energy! This...
Curated OER
Wild Moving Lizard Sculpture
Lizards are amazing! After a lesson on reptiles, take a look at this set of instructions. You'll be able to guide your class in making a paper lizard sculpture that moves. This idea also includes variations on the paper technique used...
Curated OER
Bioluminescence
Middle schoolers discover the concept of bioluminescence. They identify marine animals who have use this and why. They work together to test the function of bioluminescence as camouflage.
Curated OER
Building New Landforms
In this landform worksheet, students read 6 paragraphs about the process the Dutch used to build new landforms and threats they face today. After reading the background information, students complete 3 short answer questions regarding...
Curated OER
Digestive System, a Kinesthetic Lesson
Young scholars actively act out an aspect of the digestive tract on two parallel strips of tape on the floor 3-4 feet apart and width of classroom which represent the digestive tract.
Curated OER
Why is Summer Hot?
Students examine how variations in temperature are due to the Sun and length of day. In this solar lesson students complete a lab activity using thermometers and artificial sunlight to see how the earth is heated.
Curated OER
Floating Fishes: Boat Sinking Lab
Cut milk cartons in half to make boats and let investigators attempt to sink them. They add dividing walls and observe what happens if marbles are put into only one of the newly formed compartments. Vocabulary is provided: buoyant force,...
PBS
Four Corners
It's imperative to be as precise as possible. Future engineers learn about precision by building a cardboard machine. The base, corners, handles, and paddles must all be assembled with precision or the machine won't work.
Curated OER
Citrus Batteries
High schoolers create models of voltaic cells using lemons. They place both a copper strip and a zinc strip into a lemon about a half inch apart and touch both leads at the same time to their tongue. After recording their observations,...
Curated OER
Determining The pH Of Common Substances
High schoolers use a pH indicator to measure the pH of some fruits, common beverages, and borax. Students discover how to differentiate between an object that is an acid or a base.