Collaboratively, students partake in a hands-on activity in which they build models of a watershed. Each group member draws an elevation map—a bird's eye view—of their model and predicts how water will flow from the high to low points....

Do not let friction drag you down! The 11th segment in a series of 22 focuses on the fourth force acting upon an airplane—drag. Pupils learn about the effects and causes of drag.

Students investigate different methods (aeration and filtering) for removing pollutants from water. They design and build their own water filters. Students identify the pollutants in a water sample using sight and smell, explore what...

Young scholars, operating under simulated budget constraints, build pop-rockets and launch them. Working in pairs, they complete budget worksheets and use their "Blast Off Bucks" to pay for the construction. They then redesign their...

Students examine Newton's three laws of motion to discover what causes it and how it changes. They conduct motion experiments by building catapults and constructing balloon rockets. Finally, they conduct peer studies correlating...

Students build and observe a simple aneroid barometer to discover changes in barometric pressure and weather forecasting. They graph changes in barometric pressure for two weeks and make weather predictions.

Students explore audio engineering. In this career education and "sound" science lesson, students define related vocabulary and make connections between the music they listen to and the job an audio engineer does after listening to...

Students investigate plants and compare them to the purple loose strife. As they observe the plants they predict possible impacts on plant populations based on their observations. They work in groups and present their findings to the class.

Students dissect and owl pellet and then reconstruct small rodents on a presentation board using a textbook picture as a guide.

Students investigate the movements of the planet Pluto. Students participate in a hands-on activity to record data similar to the movements of the planet Pluto. Students compare their data to that found on a website.

Young scholars use hands on scientific observation to determine characteristics of wood. They work directly with the materials and record their observations. Students test if wood absorbs water, if wood floats or sinks, and if all wood...

Fifth graders participate in a series of hands-on, Web-based activities and video-based activities to extend their learning of Forces and Motion.

Pupils create low-fire ceramic relief sculptures of dinosaur bones. They incorporate art history, aesthetics, and criticism with hands on activity. Students work together to draw an enlarged skeleton on butcher paper. The Stegosaurus is...

Students are presented with a selection of hands on objects for investigation as metaphors for natural functions of wetlands. A 'Mystery Metaphor Container' is presented to the class with everything having to do with a wetland in some...

Travel through space as you learn about the galaxy, solar system, planets, and much more. An extensive resource for studying astronomy in upper-elementary and middle school classrooms.

Future engineers create robotic arms like those on rovers built by NASA in the second lesson plan of the series. They test their devices by attempting to pick up and move cups to a specified location.

What's the difference between qualitative and quantitative observations? Learners make observations, inferences, and predictions about their environment with a set of questions and activities that are applicable to either language...

Make a study of perspective in the real world. Learners examine and discuss works of art that show examples of perspective before trying their own hands at it. Using a grid drawn on transparent paper, class members transfer a view from a...

Students work together to complete a simulation on drought days. As a class, they discuss their results and compare water usage of the past to current numbers. After reading short excerpts, they answer discussion questions and review as...

Students explore the life cycle of aluminum cans. In this recycling instructional activity, students review the manufacturing process and how to make a closed loop cycle. Students also have the opportunity to present what they've...

Fifth graders explore American colonial life. In this interdisciplinary history and science lesson plan, 5th graders participate in several hands-on activities that require them to make colonial products that involve physical or chemical...

Drinking clean water can be taken for granted. Explore the process and high cost of filtering water with a water pollution and filtration activity. Young scientist build a filtration system to filter polluted water, examine the economics...

Young scholars explore the sun, its structure, how big it is and how far away it is.  In this solar system lesson students complete a lab activity on dew point and weather.

Students research the possibility and feasibility of installing a wind-turbine distributed energy system for their school. They conduct research, watch an online video, analyze the cost of the project and examine the benefits, and write...