History of Science Lesson Plans

Students explore nutritional information. For this nutrition lesson, students research the history of a favorite fast food restaurant. Students read and interpret nutritional guides and create related spreadsheets comparing nutritional values.

Students use the methodology described by Prown (1982) to interpret paintings. They determine artistic, historical, and scientific content and develop an understanding of aspects of nineteenth century American culture. They study the paintings for their internal content and evidence.

Students participate in a warm-up activity by attending a football match writing an account of who won the game. They discuss how their account could differ from someone else's account of the game. They discuss how different people's interpretations compares to historiography. They read three different accounts about Boyle and answer questions about their similarities and differences. They follow up with studying Newton and comparing him to Boyle.

Students perform experiments using flexible bottles of water and eyedroppers partially filled and placed in the bottle. They record what happens when they tighten the bottle lid and squeeze the bottle.

Students develop an oral history of a memorable event in their family. Working with a partner, they create interview questions based on a family story or event. After interviewing their family member, they edit their interview piece and present it to the class.

Learners investigate the cell theory. For this life science lesson, students view a Powerpoint presentation on cells and view slides of cells using a compound light microscope and the electron microscope. Learners note their observations.

Young scholars demonstrate Newton's Third Law of Motion. They discuss the history of rockets, observe how a rocket works, and draw a picture and write an explanation of the balloon experiment.

Learners explore ways to turn back the genetic clock. They explore cells and mitosis. Students participate in an activity to create a flip book that will animate the process of mitosis. They explain each stage of mitosis.

Ninth graders explore the history of the African Methodist Church in the United States. In this African American history lesson, 9th graders discover why the church was founded and research its history and noteworthy members. Students read some primary source archives and discuss historic preservation.

Students research and examine the lives of famous people who have changed the history of Alabama. They write a short biographical summary and create a 3-D scan picture.