Young scientists roll up their sleeves and get a little dirty in this three-day earth science investigation. Following the scientific method, children monitor the growth of algae in pond water samples in order to determine...

Mixing metaphors into science. To begin, the instructor leads a discussion about estuaries to determine what the class already knows. Working in small groups, pupils determine how a selected object is similar to an estuary, how it...

Students research butterflies and their life cycle, record facts about butterflies such as what they eat, where they rest, and how long they live, gather information about how to attract butterflies to their yards and gardens, and create...

Students research leaves and their life cycle as well as their importance to the environment. After discussing photosynthesis, habitats, and nutrients for the soil, students collect and identify fallen leaves. Students use their...

Students discover how coffee is processed from a plant, to a drink. In this life cycle lesson plan, students study that cells and organisms go through a cycle of growth and change. Students organize picture cards, illustrate how...

Welcome to your new job as an astrophysicist, astrobiologist, engineer, or research scientist at NASA. Your job is to search for alien life in our solar system! Throughout a unit of activities, learners search the galaxy through...

Journaling is a great tool for processing information. Budding scientists build their own butterfly journals from their observations in a butterfly garden. The instructional activity challenges them to identify different stages of the...

Explore the amazing power of glaciers with a hands-on earth science experiment! After first learning basic background information, learners go on to create their very own chunks of frozen water and gravel in order to...

How are third graders like rabbits? They both live in habitats and require food, water, and shelter to survive! An educational science lesson encourages your learners to think about their own habitats and survival needs, before comparing...

Stop the raindrops from getting into the house! Eager engineers learn about roofing history and waterproofing by nanotechnology. They get into groups and work on designing a waterproof roof for a small model house. The accompanying...

Energize an environmental science unit on natural resources with this collection of instructional materials. From simple coloring sheets for primary grade children, to guiding questions for a high school research...

Out of sight out of mind can be a dangerous habit. Learners investigate the life of food waste after it leaves people's homes and its impact on the environment. They complete a series of three activities that involve building a mini...

The centerpiece of this lesson plan is a predator-prey simulation in which colored paperclips represent different species of animals camouflaged against a colored background. Relevant follow-up questions are provided. The activity is...

Play the game, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? to review plant parts, life cycle, and pollination. There are 10 questions that get kids thinking about seeds, seed dispersal, pollination, and plant parts. This game is has audio and looks...

Written for Washington state students in life science, this lesson provides an opportunity to examine the residents of local freshwater habitats. You or the class collects a water sample, and learners try to examine what organisms live...

Middle school life science or health classes listen to an audio, visit websites, read different articles, and participate in a class-wide simulation about the spread of viruses. The lesson doesn't get into the mechanics of how viruses...

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...

Here is a brief outline of facts on various Chesapeake Bay fish species. Use it as an example of what kind of information you want your life science learners to collect when you assign them a specific species to research. Another way to...

Students describe what it means for a marine animal or fish to be threatened or endangered after playing game simulating extinction.

Young scholars discuss SeaWorld, research marine animal biology, investigate one animal currently collected by SeaWorld, and decide whether they oppose or support SeaWorld's collection policy. Students then gather information relating...

In these life cycle worksheets, students write true or false for the statements about the life cycles of butterflies, cockroaches, and mosquitoes. Students name 3 examples of animals with life cycles similar to butterflies and...

In this life cycles worksheet, students compare the life cycles of 2 different species and answer short answer questions about them. Students can choose the species to compare and then answer 6 questions.

In this life cycle of a plant worksheet, students draw a diagram to show the life cycle of a plant from seed, as well as a diagram to show the life cycle of a plant from bulb.

Seamounts are large, extinct volcanoes that rise up from the bottom of the ocean floor. They are a relatively new landform in the scientific community, and this lesson invites students to learn about the amazing diversity of life found...