Curated OER
Polymerization Experiments
Students study the concepts of polymerization and the function of crosslinkage. For this polymer lesson students complete a lab activity and write down their observations.
Curated OER
Zapped!
Fifth graders describe the behavior of static electricity as observed in nature and everyday occurrences.
Curated OER
Estimating School Store Purchases
Learners examine uses for estimating, and round purchase prices to estimate total purchases in a simulated school store setting. They discuss what it means for an item to be on sale, and observe the teacher work through the process of...
Curated OER
Models as Tools for Ecosystem Management
Fifth graders explore the concept of environmental management. In this ecosystem lesson, 5th graders discover how models help scientists learn more about managing ecosystems. Students create their own model, make observations and...
Curated OER
Breezy Energy
Third graders view photos of machines that measure wind energy and chart what they observe in the pictures and the questions they have about the pictures. In this wind energy lesson, 3rd graders make a pinwheel. Students show the...
Curated OER
The Sun in Our Lives
Third graders identify the different parts of the sun. In this astronomy lesson plan, 3rd graders examine how the sun's energy drive life processes on Earth. They construct a model of a solar system using large rolls of toilet paper.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Radio Reception and Transmission
After reading about radio transmission, application, and the difference between AM and FM, small teams of engineers use a kit to construct an FM radio and then send and receive broadcasts. This is an ideal activity for middle school STEM...
Cheetah Outreach
Habitats
Explore six different habitats—wetlands, rainforest, savannah, desert, city, and cultivated land—to determine which habitat factors (food, water, shelter, and space) are high, medium, or low in each. Learners also use maps of Africa to...
Curated OER
Create a Cloud In a Jar
Students investigate cloud formation. In this weather lesson, students examine how clouds are formed. Students participate in experiments that model how water vapor in the air works.
Curated OER
Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf?
Students compare wolves' behaviors to those of the human race. In this wolf lesson students write a story that will show that wolves are either good or evil.
Curated OER
What are Metamorphic Rocks and How are They Formed?
Even though the student handouts are not included in the write-up, this activity contains the instructions for terrific activities to use when teaching middle schoolers about metamorphic rocks. First, they compare granite to gneiss and...
Cornell University
Catapults
Ready, aim, fire! Launch to a new level of understanding as scholars build and test their own catapults. Learners explore lever design and how adjusting the fulcrum changes the outcome.
Cornell University
Catapult
Studying levers couldn't be more exciting! Learners build their own catapults and test the results as they make adjustments to the fulcrum. They compete against other groups to create the most accurate apparatus.
Curated OER
Slow Rot or Not?
Fifth graders examine how environmental factors affect decomposition. In this decomposition lesson, 5th graders experiment with the decomposition of grapes in five different environmental settings. They look at images of items that have...
Curated OER
Aquifer Model
Students, after researching and brainstorming about aquifers and locating aquifer maps of Texas, participate in the building of a model of an aquifer complete with a pumping station. They also answer a variety of questions at the...
Curated OER
Keep it Active
Students explore the active layer above permafrost and investigate various factors on the insulation value of the active layer. In this energy transfer lesson, students conduct and experiment to determine the effects of snow cover,...
Curated OER
How Big is a Breath?
Students demonstrate how to use math skills to measure their lung capacity. In this human biology lesson, students use a clear plastic container, measuring cup and rubber balloons to demonstrate how the lungs work. Students estimate the...
Curated OER
Osmosis
Fifth graders explore osmosis as they watch organisms divide. In this organism lesson, 5th graders use potatoes to experiment with the effects of salty water in the body. Students discuss what osmosis is and record what happens in...
Curated OER
How Far Did They Go?
Students create a map. In this direction and distance lesson, students come up with familiar places in the community and calculate the distances from these places to the school. Students create a map that displays these places and their...
Curated OER
Sounds Like Great Science!
A phenomenal lesson on sound is here for your third graders! In it, learners engage in hands-on activities, watch video, take part in Internet activities, and complete tasks in cooperative groups in order to explore the world of sound...
Curated OER
The Chesapeake Bay in Captain John Smith's Time
When Captain John Smith visited the Chesapeake Bay in the summer of 1608, what types of animals and habitats did he encounter? Your young historians will analyze primary source documents to answer this question, as well as compare the...
Foundation for Water & Energy Education
How is Flowing Water an Energy Source? Activity B
Explore the world's water without leaving the classroom! In this second of three uncomplicated but wonderful activities, physical science learners feel the pressure of water. They discover that the deeper the water, the stronger the...
Curated OER
You Ain't Nothin' But a Rock Hound
Here is an excellent activity on rocks! In it, learners explore the world of rocks through the use of video, hands-on activities, and cooperative projects. This outstanding plan is chock full of terrific activities, websites, streamed...
Curated OER
Rudyard Kipling's Rikki-Tikki-Tavi: Mixing Words and Pictures
Create meaningful illustrations to accompany stories in a web-based art and literacy lesson plan focused on "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling. The class takes a virtual art safari with the Museum of Modern Art and then discusses how...