University of Minnesota
Dendritic Spines Lab
This is your brain on drugs ... literally! Your neuroscientists-in-training examine the evidence of drug use on the human brain and how neurons change their connectivity when altered by drugs. They then work together to create testing...
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Heat it Up!
This demonstration of solar ponds can be used in an earth, environmental, or physical science setting. Lab groups set up a solar pond and model how it is able, due to a salt concentration gradient, to maintain heat for future use.
College Board
AP Physics 1 and 2 Inquiry-Based Lab Investigations
Have you ever wondered what type of AP Physics investigations The College Board wants? This is the guide for you! Sixteen labs covering both Physics I and II will get you started and inspire you to meet the requirement of 25 percent of...
National Science Teachers Association
Safety in the Science Classroom, Laboratory, and Field Sites
The best learning environment is a safe learning environment. Remind young scientists about safety rules and regulations in the science lab, the classroom, and the field.
Serendip
Photosynthesis Investigation
Can scientists increase the rate of photosynthesis to help clean the air? Scholars complete an experiment determining net photosynthesis. Then, they apply knowledge from the activity to design their own investigations of the factors that...
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Acceleration
Take a look at acceleration within the context of automotive technology. They vary the mass on a toy car and run it down a ramp, exploring Newton's second law of motion. Though this is a classic lab activity, you will appreciate the...
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Filtration Investigation
Scholars build a simple filtration system to remove impurities from muddy water and rate the filtered water to a grade of clarity scale. The focus is on teamwork and problem solving. This instructional activity would be effective in your...
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Oil Recovery
Energy conservers investigate gravel size to discover if it impacts the amount of oil recovered in the extraction process.
Towson University
Chestnut Tree Lab
What will your class learn in a curious tale of a fungus, a virus, and a chestnut tree? Biology scholars discover the world of viral biocontrols through a DNA restriction lab. Groups research the decline of the American chestnut tree at...
Chemistry Collective
Virtual Lab: Measuring the Heat Capacity of an Engine Coolant
Combine automotive science with chemistry! Young scholars investigate an alternative to the traditional engine coolant. They mix the chemicals virtually and collect data to determine the specific heat capacity.
LABScI
Enzymes: The Spit Lab
Enzymes in our bodies each have a job to do. Learn the factors that affect the activity of some enzymes using the third activity of an informative 12-part biology series. A three-part laboratory activity asks teams to investigate how...
SRI International
Science of Water
Water is crucial to survival. Scholars gain an appreciation for water by reading about it, learning about its atomic properties, and investigating its properties through six stations in a lab activity.
Chemistry Collective
Virtual Lab: Identifying the Unknown Metal (Metals Density Problem)
A metal's density could be considered its fingerprint! A virtual lab activity has learners calculate the density of a sample of metal to make its identification. The simulation allows individuals to perform the measurements as if they...
Chemistry Collective
Virtual Lab: Acid Dilution Problem
There's no risk of injury when working with virtual HCl! Challenge your young chemists with making calculations to create a 3M solution of HCl from the concentrated acid. They first calculate the correct ratios of HCl and water and then...
Chemistry Collective
Virtual Lab: Identifying an Unknown Liquid from its Density
Mislabeled bottles can cause a dangerous situation! Young chemists design a method for determining the true contents of a solution in a virtual lab activity. Their study of density helps them identify the makeup of the solution.
Chemistry Collective
Virtual Lab: Textbook Style Limiting Reagents Problem II
Textbook problems with a twist! Young chemists analyze an ionic reaction to identify the limiting reagent. They then make calculations to determine the concentration of unknown solutions. Finally, they put their work to the test and...
Chemistry Collective
Virtual Lab: Camping Problem I
Hiking chemists have an advantage! Young scholars use a virtual lab to conduct an experiment to create an exothermic reaction. The goal is to create enough heat to warm a meal during a hike in the rain.
Chemistry Collective
Virtual Lab: Determining the Heat of Reaction in Aqueous Solution
It's gettin' hot in here! An investigative activity has learners measure the heat of reaction in a virtual setting. After exploring the reaction, they attempt to create a solution at an exact temperature.
Virginia Department of Education
Laboratory Safety and Skills
Avoiding lab safety rules will not give you super powers. The lesson opens with a demonstration of not following safety rules. Then, young chemists practice their lab safety while finding the mass of each item in a mixture and trying to...
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Gas Laws in Action - Propane
Using helium as an example of propane, physical science middle schoolers experiment with and graph the relationship between temperature and volume in gases. In a whole-class demonstration, they show how molecules behave under different...
Virginia Department of Education
Moles Lab Activities
Want my name and number? It's 6.0221415 times 10 to the 23rd, and my name is Avogadro. Providing nine different activities, experiments, and labs, this lesson keeps Avogadro relevant to your class all year long.
Cornell University
The Science of Snowflakes
Who can grow the best crystals? Challenge class members to develop strategies for enhancing growth in the crystals. Through a lab investigation, learners study the properties of crystals and test the effectiveness of different growth...
Virginia Department of Education
A Crystal Lab
Young chemists grow ionic crystals, metallic crystals, and supersaturated crystals in three different lab experiments. Observing these under a microscope allows pupils to compare the various structures.
Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning
Forensic Sciences: A Crime Scene Investigation Unit
Mr. Bergman has been murdered and we need you to solve the crime! The cross-curricular unit covers 11 different types of forensic science and includes 17 activities. Scholars perform blood type analysis, blood spatter analysis, height...