Space Awareness
Greenhouse Effect
A greenhouse provides additional warmth and protection to the plants inside, but what if the greenhouse gets too hot? Pupils discuss and experiment with the difference between natural and anthropogenic greenhouse effect. They measure the...
NOAA
A Day in the Life of an Ocean Explorer
What's life like aboard an ocean exploration vessel? Junior oceanographers examine the important role of communication in ocean research in lesson two of a five-part series from NOAA. The materials introduce the class to life on board...
Curated OER
Microfishing
Students use a simple method to collect living microorganisms from natural and/or artificial environments and develop skills in microscopy, observation, drawing, speculation, hypothesizing, oral presentation, and raising questions.
Curated OER
Exploring Seasonal Shadows and Sunlight
What can shadows tell us about the changing season? Over several months, astronomy learners record length and position of an outdoor object's shadow, such as a flagpole. They apply the data to a growing hypothesis and note the patterns...
Curated OER
Daily Weather Calendar
Young learners will love this fun weather activity that incorporates math, science and writing. Each member of your class gets a turn becoming a meteorologist! At the end of recess, the two chosen meteorologists met the teacher at a...
Curated OER
The Environment
Students explore the issues that influence our environment and research ways to decrease the negative impact that humans have on the environment. Misconceptions about environmental issues are addressed in this lesson.
Curated OER
Light
Light is such a fascinating subject. This lesson does a great job of illuminating the mysteries of light for your young scientists. A series of demonstrations which are explained in the plan should help your charges to understand how...
Curated OER
Make Your Own Paper
Students create their own paper from recycled products. Students describe the steps of the paper-making process, then practice making their own.
Curated OER
Life on Mars
Students research the feasibility of life on Mars and debate what it would need in order to sustain life. They work in teams to predict, research, infer, and explain their theory using models they build.
Curated OER
Ocean Life
Mini-marine biologists use Scholastic Explorers website to learn about declining numbers of leatherback sea turtles and dusky dolphins. They fill out a K-W-L chart and observation journal worksheet, which are both provided in the lesson...
Curated OER
Junior Solar Sprint Series: Electrical Power
Through scientific inquiry, middle schoolers discover how to arrange solar cells in order to produce electricity. This activity is intended to prepare learners to be able to design and construct solar cars. As with other resources...
Curated OER
Heating and Cooling a Really Large Lizard
Remind your middle school scientists how fox ear size varies depending on the climate they live in; large ears allow heat loss while small ears keep heat in. Discuss how a cold-blooded animal might try to regulate body temperature. Then...
Curated OER
Leaves: All-Natural Solar Collectors
Take a good look at tree leaves and notice the adaptations for collecting solar energy. Pupils trace the margins of five different leaves onto graph paper and count the number of squares covered. They then relate this infomation to the...
Curated OER
The Greenhouse Effect
Why does it get so hot inside of our cars in the summertime? The greenhouse effect! Lab groups experiment to see what happens to an ice cube enclosed in a jar and placed in sunlight as compared to an ice cube outside of the jar. They...
Curated OER
Tropical Rainforests
Students create their own rainforest environment. This tropical rainforest instructional activity, introduces where rainforests are located, their real world connections, and their structural make up. It includes further resources online.
Curated OER
Bubbles Galore
Students investigate bubbles. In this science lesson, students observe how long bubbles last and graph the results of the experiment.
Curated OER
Nuts for Peanuts: Peanut Plants, Peanut Timeline, and Peanut-s-timation!
Students complete a timeline. In this peanuts lesson, students read A Short Peanut History and use this resource to make a timeline of the history of the peanut. Students can grow peanuts in the classroom or make various peanut recipes.
Curated OER
Bringing Water to a Village in Lesotho
Students research water in Lesotho. In this water lesson plan, students watch videos showing how water comes to Lesotho Africa, they will compare this to how water is acquired in the US. Students will then create a mobile showing the...
Curated OER
Bursting Blooms- Create an Early Spring
Students prune a tree. For this gardening lesson, students select a shrub or tree that has a lot of flower buds and use sharp pruners to cut sections of branches. Students place the cuttings into cool water and move into a bright...
Curated OER
Sensational Seaweed
Students compare kelp and land plants. In this sea plant lesson, students look at the role of algae in aquatic environments. They research the properties of kelp and explore seaweed.
Curated OER
Blog Your Truth
Students explore communication by participating in a digital journalism activity. In this aboriginal research lesson, students view a sample blog on the Internet and identify the techniques behind blogging and Internet journalism...
Baylor College
Gravity and Muscles
Humans are so used to gravity as a force that we don't tend to pay much attention to it on a daily basis. Through a couple simple activities, learners experience changes to their center of gravity and come to the understanding that...
Curated OER
Connect the Spheres: Earth Systems Interactions
Is everything really connected? Take your class on a walk outside, where they will make observations and write them down on a worksheet. Once they are back in the classroom, learners will work to determine if and how things like birds,...
Curated OER
Spider Safari
Today we are talking about one of the stealthiest, sneakiest, and most intriguing insects of all times, the spider. Learners will examine the predatory nature of these super bugs as they conduct a spider safari survey. Each child will...