Scientific Sampling

Remind your middle school scientists how fox ear size varies depending on the climate they live in; large ears allow heat loss while small ears keep heat in. Discuss how a cold-blooded animal might try to regulate body temperature. Then...

Dust is everywhere around us; it's unavoidable. But what exactly is dust and are certain locations dustier than others? These are the questions students try to answer in an interesting scientific investigation. Working independently or...

Have you ever tried to find hidden items in a picture when you don't know what you are looking for or how many things are hidden? A lesson plan applies that same concept to sampling the deep sea habitats. Participants must first...

What can one learn about a planet based on a small surface sample? Learners will explore artifacts from a mystery planet and see what they can determine about the planet based on the evidence in front of them. 

Students conduct an experiment to demonstrate the effects of different fishing methods.  In this commercial fishing lesson students create posters and public announcements to share their information.

Fifth graders conduct a mystery bag experiment and use the scientific method and inquiry skills to solve the mystery. They discuss how to make scientific "guesses," and in small groups use their five senses to try and figure out what...

Young scholars examine the Scientific Method. They will discover the value in being observant, organized, and thorough with regard to science. They will also explore how these traits can serve them well in other areas of life.

Learners discover the anatomy of a fish by identifying its body parts.  For this oceanography lesson, students view a live fish in their classroom and draw a poster of the fish one body part at a time while identifying it....

How much do you know about the black guillemot of the Arctic region? With great background information, images, and a quick discussion, the class will learn all about the plight of the foraging seabird as they play a fun game. First,...

Investigate bubbles through the use of scientific inquiry. Pupils blow bubbles using several methods and measure the resulting bubble print. Measurements are recorded on a data table and transferred to a bar graph. Results are discussed...