Discovery Education
Through the Looking Glass
Turning white light into colors only takes a little scientific know how! Young scholars create their own spectroscope in a hands-on activity exploring the properties of light. Using a diffraction grating, they discover how white light...
Serendip
Evolution of Fur Color in Mice – Mutation, Environment and Natural Selection
Most species of animals include a variety of fur or hair color, but why? Scholars watch a video about a changing environment for mice. As the rocks around them change hues, different colors of mice begin to thrive. Discussion questions...
Curated OER
Microscopic Water Life
Students use a light microscope to observe the organisms living in a sample of ocean or fresh water. Students create a drawing of the organisms that they observe. Students then discuss the different body plans of the organisms and the...
Curated OER
Changing Planet: Fading Corals
Show the six-minute video, "Changing Planet: Fading Corals," and then demonstrate how calcium carbonate forms a precipitate in the presence of carbon dioxide. Separate your scientists into small groups to gather information about coral...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Shrink Me!
The incredibly shrinking meter—decimeters to centimeters, to millimeters, and now to nanometers! Learners may have a difficult time visualizing particles on a nanoscale. Help them see a little clearer using a well-designed lesson...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
What’s In Your Neighborhood?
Chart your way to an understanding of nanoscale. Using a Google map, learners estimate a radius around their location of 1,000 and 1,000,000 meters. Predicting what 1,000,000,000 meters would look like takes them off the charts!...
Intel
Lights, Camera, Reaction!
Excite classes with a STEM project-based learning lesson covering chemical reactions. Groups study the different types through simulations and hands-on activities. They pick one type (synthesis, decomposition, single displacement, double...
Worksheet Web
Where do Bears go in Winter?
Do bears really sleep for an entire season? Six multiple choice questions and a drawing activity make up a learning exercise that tests scholars' comprehension skills after reading about bears during winter.
Cornell University
Splitting Water with Electricity
Explore how electricity splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. Learners begin by calculating the voltage necessary to separate the water. They then perform the experiment and measure the ratio of hydrogen and oxygen bubbles.
Curated OER
"Girls Only" Science Workshop
Young scholars design sleds. In this engineering lesson, students collaborate to engineer and build a real working sleds from the materials provided. This lesson was originally designed to be taught to a group of female young...
Curated OER
Bird Eggs
Students perform an experiment with different types of bird eggs to determine what factors make them strong and able to stay on a cliff without rolling off.
Curated OER
Color Dots 2
Students develop simple observations. They observe bleeding of colored inks with water, to understand mixtures, and to make generalized inferences from their observations.
Curated OER
Measuring the Flagpole
Studets practice problem solving and comparison of quantities, ratios and prproportions. They develop a plan for determining the height of a flagpole complete with drawings and calculations. In addition, they complete a written...
Curated OER
Collecting Rocks
Students examine how rocks are formed, used, and how to collect them. They listen to and discuss the book, Let's Go Rock Collecting, sort rock samples, and collect rocks from home.
Curated OER
Plant Growth and Carbon Dioxide
Young scientists show how carbon dioxide in the air affects plant growth. This math and science lesson provides a good platform for learners to combine scientific knowledge with mathematical representation of data. A simple, yet...
Curated OER
An Introduction to Simple Machines
Learners investigate simple machines and their uses in everyday life. In this scientific method lesson plan, students examine physical tools such as wedges, screws, and levers using a "how does it work" approach. Learners...
Curated OER
Measurements in Science
Eighth graders demonstrate knowledge of metric tools by measuring common objects in the classroom. They discuss the various units of metric measurement and the scientific tools used to take them. They copy a metric ladder from a Web site.
Curated OER
Magnify That
Students observe many different objects using a magnifying lens. In this magnification lesson plan, students learn that scientists use different tools, and they use the tool to magnify objects in the classroom to see objects in better...
Curated OER
Guess What?!
Students explore how scientists work. For this scientific method lesson, students use their senses to identify objects they cannot see. Students are asked to think like scientists and make observations, comparisons, and interferences, as...
Curated OER
By Golly, By Gum
Students investigate the ingredients and creation of chewing gum. In this scientific method lesson, students make predictions about what will happen to the mass of a piece of gum as it is chewed by a human. Students graph the...
Curated OER
Doing Science Safely
High schoolers are introduced to how to practice science experiments safely outside of school. In groups, they create a poster showing the safety guidelines and responses to specific situations should they occur. They also practice...
Curated OER
Farming Fantastic Friends
Seventh graders demonstrate scientific inquiry to design and perform an experiment involving Grow Creatures. They participate in a class discussion, and in small groups design an experiment that determines how to change the materials to...
Curated OER
Create a Community that Promotes Academic Language
Set your elementary, middle, and high schoolers up for success by implementing a variety of strategies to build academic language.
Curated OER
As a Matter of Fact
Elementary-aged scientists discover that all matter has mass. They are shown the difference between mass and weight, and learn how to calculate mass using the appropriate tools and methods. The scientific method is used while estimating...