Science Matters
Celery Lab
See firsthand the work plants do to move nutrients through their systems with a lesson that demonstrates the role of the xylem and phloem in plants. Young scientists observe celery move colored water through its stem to the leaves and...
Science Matters
Digestive System Simulation
What do a sandwich bag and a mouth have in common? Your classes are about to find out in a hands-on lesson that has groups build models of the digestive system. Using a little imagination, learners use everyday materials to create a...
Science Matters
Excretory System
Not a waste of time or energy! Introduce young scholars to one of the waste eliminating systems of the body in a hands-on lesson exploration. The 14th lesson in a 21-part series asks groups to build models of the excretory system...
Science Matters
Formative Assessment #3: Digest This
Finally, an assessment that shouldn't be too hard to swallow! Scholars study the digestive system in the previous lessons in the series and show what they know in an open-ended assessment. They pretend they are their favorite food and...
Science Matters
Formative Assessment #2: Circulatory System Performance Assessment
Watch as your pupils' hearts get pumping! An interactive activity has individuals record their heart rates after completing different activities. Each task has a different degree of physical activity. They then graph their results and...
Science Matters
Heart to Heart
It's time to get to the heart of the matter! After introducing the heart anatomy in the previous instructional activity in a series on the systems of the body, the instructional activity looks at the specifics. Learners complete a series...
Science Matters
You Gotta Have Heart
Here's a lesson that's not for the faint of heart! The seventh activity in a larger series introduces learners to the circulatory system with a study of the heart anatomy. Using a pig heart, individuals identify the different components...
Science Matters
Formative Assessment #1: Structure/Function
Just because you taught it doesn't mean they learned it! Use a quick formative assessment to check for understanding and ensure all individuals understand the role of structure and function. The lesson is the fourth in a larger series on...
Science Matters
Pre-Assessment: Transport Systems in Animals and Plants
How much do classes know about the transport systems in animals and plants? Find out with a ready-made pre-assessment! The assessment begins by asking individuals to recall related vocabulary and then progresses to questions about...
Purdue University
Bio Inspired Design Paper Flowers
Can paper flowers have some of the same properties as real flowers? First, learners investigate how water is absorbed into a flower through capillary action by using real flowers, yarn, and paper. Then, they have an opportunity to create...
Space Awareness
Day and Night in the World
How do different parts of the world experience day and night? Introduce scholars to the concept of global citizenship while teaching about animal behavior with discussion of nocturnal and diurnal animals. Then, learners complete...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Color Variation Over Time in Rock Pocket Mouse Populations
Simple characteristic changes can have a significant impact on species survival. A hands-on activity has learners investigate the color variation in pocket mouse populations in different environments. They connect the timing and number...
ReadWriteThink
Webcams in the Classroom: Animal Inquiry and Observation
Boost observational skills with an inquiry-based lesson that takes scholars on a virtual field trip. With help from webcams, learners observe animals in a zoo or aquarium. Observations go into a journal and a discussion is held to review...
Roald Dahl
James and the Giant Peach Lesson Plans
Immerse yourself in the world of giant bugs, rolling peaches, and brave little boys with an interdisciplinary unit on James and the Giant Peach. Young readers focus on the scientific themes of Roald Dahl's classic novel with bug hunts,...
Chesterfield Township Elementary School
Gifted and Talented Enrichment Curriculum
Looking to start or support a Gifted and Talented program? An 80-page packet outlines grade-leveled lessons in all subject areas as school district's Gifted and Talented enrichment curriculum.
Discovery Education
The Time of Our Life
Mammals are some of the newest organisms to appear on Earth. Young scholars complete an activity that results in a timeline showing the appearance of different types of living organisms. Provided with a list that spans from prokaryotes...
Discovery Education
The Key to It All
Which characteristics make organisms unique? Dichotomous keys simplify the process of classifying organisms by focusing on these unique characteristics. Young scholars learn how to use the dichotomous key flow chart by creating their own...
Core Knowledge Foundation
Chaos within the Living World? NOT!
What are the five kingdoms? Fifth graders engage in a series of investigations and research activities focused on the methods of classification used by scientists, as well as the language they use to describe the similarities and...
Arbor Day Foundation
Trees are Terrific...Inside and Out!
Trees are the star of a three-step unit celebrating Arbor Day. Step one takes an in-depth look into the structure of a tree, the process of photosynthesis, and the benefits of the leafy giants. Step two challenges scholars to create a...
Discovery Education
Perfectly Decomposed!
We all know someone who won't eat the banana with a brown spot, the grape with a dimple, and the apple with a bruise. Scholars use different fruits to explore what happens when fruits really start to decompose. They set up an experiment...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Color Variation Over Time in Rock Pocket Mouse Populations
While many mutations are neutral, those that appear advantageous increase in frequency in a population. Scholars use illustrations to make predictions about populations of mice. They follow it up with a video to confirm or refute their...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Molecular Genetics of Color Mutations in Rock Pocket Mice
Can you identify mutations just by viewing DNA sequences? Scholars apply prior knowledge of DNA sequences to do just that in an engaging activity. They transcribe and translate genes, thus identifying the locations of mutations. Then,...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Biochemistry and Cell Signaling Pathway of the Mc1r Gene
How do mice have so much fur color variation over generations? Scholars illustrate protein structures based on amino acid sequences. Then, they analyze the signaling pathway in different-colored mice populations. This allows them to...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Natural Selection and Evolution of Rock Pocket Mouse Populations
Can evolution repeat itself? Scholars analyze amino acid data in two separate populations of mice. They learn that evolution repeats itself, but natural selection prefers some mutations over others in different environments. Analysis...