Exploratorium
Antigravity Mirror
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? It's super student! Physical science stars can fly during a unit on light as they see the reflection of one leg in a mirror, behind which the other holds them up.
Teaching Ideas
Investigation Prompts
Get your class started with experimentation and investigation by providing sentence starters. This chart is made up of three columns. The first column lists steps of the scientific process and the second provides sentence starters for...
Mr. Jones's Science Class
Periodic Table Project
Don't be fooled by the title; this is not really a lesson on elements. It is a project on classification, using the periodic table as an example. For that reason, it could be used in any branch of science. As an example, a group may...
University of Waikato
Māui and the Sun
Using a Maori legend, How Maui Tamed the Sun, youngsters are introduced to the importance of sunlight to civilization. Teach them about nuclear fusion that occurs to produce the solar energy we later receive on Earth as electromagnetic...
US Energy Information Administration
Primary Activity: Energy and Machines
Conservation kids take this printable home, draw a picture of their bedrooms, then cut out and paste pictures into the drawing to show what energy-using appliances are present. This assignment is a very practical way to wrap up a unit on...
Curated OER
The Periodic Table Game
First, beginning chemists assemble a large periodic table of elements. Then, they play a game in which they roll dice, move a marker along the elements, and collect pennies according to the number of valence electrons of the element that...
Blogger
Apple Poster
Science is all about wonder... I wonder what causes the moon phases; I wonder why people get sick. The cross-stitch-style poster pays homage to Sir Issac Newton's curiosity when it came to asking questions about gravity.
Curated OER
Energy Awareness Activity Book
If you are looking for worksheets about alternative energy sources to use on Earth Day, you'll find several here. However, since Earth Day is all about conserving natural resources, please print these double-sided in order to reduce the...
US Department of Energy
Draft-O-Meter
Help your class improve the energy efficiency of their homes with the draft-o-meter. Simply tape a sheet of plastic wrap to a pencil and use it to observe any air leaking through windows, doorways, and other locations around the house....
Baylor College
About Air
Give your class a colorful and tasty representation of the components of the mixture that we call air. Pop a few batches of popcorn in four different colors, one to represent each gas: nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and carbon dioxide. The...
Perkins School for the Blind
Friction
Friction is a force that can be felt, which means that learners with visual impairments can experiment to feel and understand the concept of friction. They slide a rock along a smooth table, and then they slide a rock across sandpaper,...
PBS
NOVA Elements
It's like a periodic table variety show! When the plethora of periodic table apps becomes ho-hum, this one may revive interest.
Curated OER
Experiment Report (Normal Form)
Here is a handy handout to give any science class as a guide to writing lab reports. It is a blank outline that you can have aspiring scientists fill out when they experiment, or imitate as they record their experiments in a lab journal....
Curated OER
Applied Science - Science and Math Lab
Although it was written to use in a science class, this measurement lesson is adaptable to Common Core standards in math for measurement and data. Youngsters are introduced to two types of measurement systems. They use both the English...
TryEngineering
Getting Your Bearings
Students study friction and how the ball bearing was improved upon to increase efficiency. In this friction lesson students work in groups to complete an activity and worksheet.
K12 Reader
Forms of Matter
In this forms of matter worksheet, students read a 4 paragraph article about forms of matter, then complete a set of 5 short answer comprehension questions.
TryEngineering
Rescue Rover
Students explore how rescue devices are made and used. In this rescue lesson students design and build their own rescue device then test it.
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Science Pen Pals
Learners explore the scientific career of Benjamin Franklin. In this science lesson, students discuss Franklin's correspondence with other scientists and write letters describing Benjamin Franklin's experiments.
TryEngineering
Infrared Investigations
Students examine how infrared works with everyday items. In this investigative activity, students examine how we use infrared in household items. They will conduct an experiment to create an infrared remote that works around corners as...
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Series and Parallel Circuits
Young scholars demonstrate simple circuits and find the differences between parallel and serial circuits. In this electronic lesson plan students work in teams to test different designs using a low voltage light bulb.
Curated OER
Flight Dreams - The Pressure on Parachutes
Students investigate air pressure by researching parachutes. For this physics lesson plan, students participate in three separate experiments utilizing air pressure and paper products to test theories on parachutes. Students record the...
US Department of Energy
Solar Distiller
Explore the sun's ability to distill contaminated water with this simple set of classroom experiments. After filling two glass bowls, one with muddy water and the other with salt water, they are covered with plastic wrap and placed in...
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Shipping For Survival
Learners explore package engineering and investigate design. In this shipping lesson students are given a flower and are to come up with a packaging that will allow the flower to get to its destination as fresh as possible.
TryEngineering
Give Binary a Try!
Learners apply binary code in software applications for computer engineers. In this binary code lesson, students read about binary code and its applications to computer engineers. They download software and read an online binary clock....