University of Waikato
Building a Water Cycle
Bring the water cycle to life with in the classroom. Young scientists use household materials to create and monitor a water cycle model. They record changes in the water levels and make observations of where and how fast precipitation...
University of Waikato
Looking at Water - Solid, Liquid, or Gas
Here's a tip: only one substance is commonly found as a solid, liquid, and gas. Learners use that knowledge as they investigate the properties of water in each state. They interact with water in each of its three phases and record what...
University of Waikato
Build a Marine Food Web
Dive into a lesson on marine ecosystem interactions. Individuals learn about and devise a marine food web. The resource provides organism cards and pupils use article resources to discover interactions before modeling them in a food web.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Meet the Naturalists
Studying plants is a full-time job—for some. After learning the ins and outs of phenology in the first three lessons in the unit, pupils explore the history of the science. The instructional activity highlights five historical...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Preparing for Project BudBurst
Adopt a plant and get to know its phenophases. The third instructional activity in a six-part series combines plant identification and phenology. Pupils begin by creating their own field guides to learn about the features and...
National Wildlife Federation
The Pollinator's Journey: Grades K-8
Bees get all the attention, but so many more creatures contribute to pollination. Scientists explore the role of pollinators as they learn about the parts of a flower and how it reproduces. They discover how plants rely on many different...
National Wildlife Federation
Controversy Over Wild Cats
Everyone should take an interest in the fate of wild cats. A thorough instructional activity explores the habitat changes of native North American wild cats and asks learners to make connections to human development. They consider the...
Sciencenter
Carrying Charges
What's all the buzz about electricity? Scholars take part in a scientific activity to test the conductivity of liquids and solutions. They first see if water, salad oil, alcohol, and vinegar cause a buzzer to buzz when electrodes are...
Aquarium of the Pacific
Ocean Drifters
Take a drift in the ocean. Class members watch a video on plankton, the drifters of the ocean. Scholars find out about the different types of plankton and sea jellies. To add a little variety, they use the aquarium webcams to study sea...
Aquarium of the Pacific
Amazing Adaptations
We can all adapt. Classmates watch a video about the adaptations of sea horses that allow them to eat and move. They then watch penguins on webcams to see what adaptations help the penguins find food, move, and avoid predators. Finally,...
Aquarium of the Pacific
Sensational Sharks
Pray that you are not the prey of sharks! The class watches a video and a webcam on sharks and make observations about the different types of sharks. Learners compare two sharks and list their similarities and differences. They then...
Aquarium of the Pacific
Fish for a Day
A short video shows how a scuba divers' equipment relates to major parts of a fish. Learners draw two fish and identify what aspects are the same and which are different. The scholars then draw a scuba diver, making sure they provide all...
Aquarium of the Pacific
Ocean Habitats
Watch what happens in an underwater wonderland! Pupils view a video about two specific ocean habitats and complete a worksheet by placing the fish species into the correct habitat. They then take a deeper look into the ocean habitats by...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Ecological Mismatches
Modeling is a powerful teaching tool. The final installment in a six-part series has pupils complete an activity to model a food web and discover the interconnected relationships in an ecosystem. They then read about changes in migratory...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Plant Phenology Data Analysis
Studying data over time can paint a pretty interesting picture. Learners use data they collected in the previous instructional activity to compare to historical data in a similar region. They graph the data of the first bloom of a...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Seasons of a Plant
Reading the cues from nature can be as much an art as a science. The second installment in a six-part unit on climate teaches learners that environmental and biological events have significance. They first learn the difference between...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Migration, Adaptation, and Changing Climates
People adjust to their environments without even thinking about it—even if it's simply throwing on a sweatshirt. Lead the class in a discussion about the adjustments people make in their daily lives as an introduction to adaptations,...
US Geological Survey
The Water Cycle for Schools: Intermediate Ages
Water can travel from the highest mountain tops to the largest oceans. Using an interactive, young scientists trace the movement using an interactive online resource. They follow the water cycle by reading pop-up explanations on a...
US Geological Survey
The Water Cycle for Schools: Beginner Ages
Explore a day in the life of a water droplet. An interactive infographic helps scholars learn how water cycles work from precipitation all the way around to condensation. Learners hover over each step of the cycle to read more as they...
GNS Science
Think like a Geologist: 2
All models are better in three dimensions. A hands-on lesson asks learners to create 3-D models of a rock layer using a template. They arrange the puzzle piece sides together to create models that are scientifically correct. Once the...
GNS Science
Think like a Geologist: 1
How well do pupils play the role of geologist? Test their abilities in the first installment of a two-part series. Presented with a series of rock formation diagrams, learners write stories to match what they see in the diagrams. The...
International Technology Education Association
Singin' the Black and Blues
How does the color of the sky change from blue to reds and oranges to black? An illuminating lesson explains how light travels through different mediums using the sun's light as an example. By examining diagrams and illustrations, pupils...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Big vs. Little - Macro to Micro Lesson 5
It is a long way from nano to macro. Learners examined the scale of measurement from macro to nano in the first four lessons of the five-part series. With the final installment, they review what they learned by classifying objects in one...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Big vs. Little - Macro to Micro Lesson 4
Make a big deal out of things the class can't see. Young scientists get an introduction to nanoscience in the fourth installment of a five-part series on scale. The instructional activity discusses current innovations in nanotechnology...