Students investigate the physics of flight through various experiments. In this physics lesson, students construct different flying objects. They explain the dynamics that make these object fly.

Fifth graders research and explore what life would be like for human colonists on Mars. They explore various websites, read and discuss newspaper articles, develop a chart of the hardships and conditions that would be faced by colonists...

Fifth graders discover the history of their hometown Des Moines River.  In this U.S. Geography lesson students speak with Iowans that tell stories of the settlers and early villages near the Des Moines River.  Students document...

Students examine interactions within the environment and environmental engineering careers. They discuss and view photos of natural and manmade environments, explore various websites, create a web to identify interactions between living...

Students discover locations of the world's rain forests. Once they identify the animals, plants, products, and resources located in them, they construct they own rain forest terrariums. By comparing and contrasting the two types of...

Students make a simple machine. In this physics instructional activity, students learn about six types of simple machines and the purpose of each and brainstorm examples of simple and complex machines in the classroom. Students...

Students explore monarch migration through the Journey North web site. In this butterfly lesson plan, students use the internet to identify a butterfly's migration pattern. Students write in electronic journals.

Students conduct an experiment. For this light lesson, students work in groups to see how light travels in a straight line and how light reflects.

Young scholars create an art piece using recycled objects. In this environmental lesson, students collect and sort recycled objects and create a three dimensional art piece.

Students research the tetrahedral kites invented by Alexander Graham Bell. In this components of flight lesson, students examine the kites made by Bell and his team. Students create their own kite and add them together as a class to...

Learners study what an electric generator does and its history.  In this energy lesson students complete several experiments including building their own electric generator.

Young scholars create a model of an object of their choice using sketches that they have drawn. They study what a scale model is and how to construct one. They examine the uses for scale models and why they are produced.

Students analyze prior labs by keeping a lab notebook. They share their lab notebook by electronically sending it to their classmates. Students demonstrate evaluation of other lab notebooks within the same classroom and those from other...

The students take a harbor cruise, photograph, and draw shore line features attending to evidence of human impact/consequences, and its cost on marine/land animal habitats vegetation, weather patterns, signs of erosion, and the water...

Students explore the needs of plants.  In this plants biology lesson, students work in groups to perform an experiment with tomato plants.  Each group records observations in a journal, takes pictures, and interprets the...

Students observe and care for eggs and chickens. In this life cycles instructional activity, students recall facts about chickens and how they hatch. Students read the article Hatching Eggs in the Classroom and observe the life cycle of...

Students research an endangered animal and share what they learned through the use of technology. In this interdisciplinary instructional activity on animals, students conduct research on an endangered animal. Then, students create a...

Students study the types and parts of seeds and how they have evolved.  In this germination instructional activity students complete experiments that show the effects of variables role in seed germination. 

Students study the history of the paper plane.  In this design activity students create several types of paper planes and determine if there is a difference in mean flight distances.

Young scholars relish in experiencing an outdoor classroom. Students sign a contract stating that they will follow the rules of the outdoor classroom. Young scholars help to keep the outdoor classroom clean and up to date with all the...

Learners exchange ecological information with students from different geographic biomes. They box up the "unique ecologically significant features" of their area, send the box to another class in another area and then receive a similar...

Students role-play how organisms adapt to their environment. They play 20 questions with plant and animal habitats. They create a web of life to demonstrate how each plant and animal relies on the other for survival.

Learners explore the process of inventing a new product. In this inventions lesson plan, students explore a timeline that gives a history on significant inventions from ancient times to the present. Learners look at pictures of the...

Students investigate plant growth. In this plant growth lesson, students investigate what would happen to plants if they did not have water and sunlight. Students conduct experiments to determine what plants need. Students create a...