Space Awareness
Investigating the Atmosphere - Air Takes Up Space
How do you know there is air? Can you see it, smell it, feel it? To begin the investigation, learners watch a video and discuss what they know about air and the atmosphere. Then, they participate in five different hands-on, inquiry-based...
Curated OER
A Frog's Life Story
Students investigate the lives of frogs by completing several worksheets. In this biology lesson, students discover the life cycle of a frog from tadpole to death. Students complete frog life cycle puzzle as well as create a life cycle...
Core Knowledge Foundation
A Time for All Seasons - Spring
Celebrate the arrival of spring with this fun primary grade science unit. Engaging young scientists with a variety of hands-on activities and inquiry-based investigations, these lessons are a great way to teach children about seasonal...
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Amazing Birds
What's so amazing about birds? Find out just how amazing birds are with a physics of animal behavior unit created by Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Have learners explore and tap into their observational skills and notice how birds fly, what...
Curated OER
Growing
Growing is part of being a living thing. Kindergartners decide which illustrations represent the life cycle of a living thing, then put a check mark next to the correct pictures. They then examine their own growth on a height chart.
Curated OER
Colds and Germs
Students determine how diseases are spread from one person to another. They investigate the importance of hand washing to reduce the spread of common colds and other diseases. They listen to teacher read alouds and complete an inquiry...
Curated OER
Animal Coverings
Students compare and contrast the types of coverings found on animals. They identify a wide variety of animals in a museum room. They classify animals based on their coverings as well.
Lerner Publishing
Meet the Dinosaurs
Take your class of youngsters on a prehistoric adventure with this four-lesson series on dinosaurs. Accompanying the Meet the Dinosaurs books by Don Lessem, these lessons engage children in writing their own dinosaur books, making...
Curated OER
We All Live Together
First graders examine the lifestyle of classroom and family pets in their natural habitat. They determine the needs of plants and animals, and how those needs are met. They listen to read alouds, sing songs, and draw using computer based...
American Chemical Society
Liquids - Clearly Unique
Bring chemistry to life for scholars as they perform two tests to examine the unique properties of three liquids. Classroom investigators make observations, develop basic lab skills, and follow step-by-step instructions to compare water,...
Curated OER
Boston Harbor Cruise: A Shoreline Survey
The students take a harbor cruise, photograph, and draw shore line features attending to evidence of human impact/consequences, and its cost on marine/land animal habitats vegetation, weather patterns, signs of erosion, and the water...
Curated OER
Hero Or Zero?
Students investigate science and technology by reading a children's book. In this reading comprehension lesson, students read the story Archibald Frisby and discuss the ways we use science and technology in everyday life. Students...
Curated OER
Plant Power
Here is an opportunity for your first graders to take a close look at plants: what they need to survive, how they grow, and the names of each plant part. The book, Corduroy's Garden is used to open the lesson. Then, youngsters utilize...
Curated OER
Classifying Shells
Learners observe and classify different types of shells. They compare and contrast an exhibit they created with one that already exists in a musuem. They discover the different characteristics of shells.
Curated OER
Calling All Owls
Students research various types of owls. In this owls lesson, students observe owls and discuss their characteristics. Students go to an owl habitat and listen for the call of an owl. Students read The Owl in the Shower and debate the...
Curated OER
Non-living Things
Very young scientists circle the things on the worksheet that they think are living things. Most of the pictures are of non-living things. A handy worksheet to use during any initial discussion about living vs. non-living things.
Curated OER
Where are all the Animals?
Students view animals that camouflage at the Shedd aquarium website. In this camouflage lesson plan, students recognize that there are different types of camouflage, cryptic coloring, counter-shading, warning coloration and mimicry....
Curated OER
The Colors of Seasons
Students observe each season and and mark the colors they see. In this colors of the seasons lessons, students read The Mystery of the Missing Hummingbirds and compare their results and note variations of colors in the different...
Curated OER
All Sorts of Seeds!
First graders compare seeds and explore how they are carried through the environment.
Curated OER
Nature's Recyclers
Students create environments to demonstrate how earthworms interact with their surroundings.
Curated OER
Weather/Climate
Students examine traditional Native American weather/climate knowledge. They keep a weather journal and research cloud cover.
Curated OER
Valley of the Butterflies
First graders explore why butterfly populations in Idaho's Lapwai Valley have decreased.
Curated OER
Palace for Pill Bugs
Learners build a palace fit for pill bugs. In this experimental design lesson, students design an experiment to determine which shelter is preferred by the pills bugs. Learners are creating a testable hypothesis, collecting data,...
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Guess What Benjamin Franklin Did!
Students research Ben Franklin's inventions. In this invention lesson, students see the relationship between a need and an invention. Students will engage in a class discussion, read a handout, and play a match the invention to its...