Weathering is not necessarily a result of the weather. Scholars conduct an experiment to explore the effect of surface area and volume on the weathering process. They create their own sugar cube rocks using the same number of cubes—but...

How are chemical reactions affected by gravity? Learners explore the phenomenon of effervescence as part of the Christa's Lost Lessons series. They compare findings in an experiment on effervescence to a video of a similar experiment in...

How do Earth's changes affect humans? Pupils learn about physical and chemical changes on Earth and how they lead to erosion, earthquakes, and volcanoes. Using the text, they also explore the concepts of electricity and magnetism by...

Animal reproduction in sheep and cattle is explored with the help of Punnet squares. Scholars employ tools using probability to conclude the color of wool a sheep's offspring will have. Acting as animal geneticists, pupils then take...

Simple doesn't mean useless. Individuals learn how simple machines benefit the user by changing the amount of effort. A seven-lesson unit begins with an overview of simple machines and then incorporates activities that allow the user to...

Give the class a leg up in their understanding of engineering. A STEM activity has learners design a prosthetic leg that can kick a ball. They build a prototype of the prosthetic, keeping track of the design costs associated with their...

Light the way to a better understanding of UV radiation. After exploring how UV beads work, future engineers design investigations to answer questions about UV radiation. They then create and test prototypes of a device that detects UV...

Don't waste all that carbon dioxide. Scholars first produce carbon dioxide by mixing baking soda and vinegar. They measure the masses of the reactants and products to verify the law of conservation of mass. As a culminating activity,...

Young scholars study the process of water filtration in a three-part STEM lesson. After analyzing samples of dirty water, teams design and build their own filtration systems and measure their efficiency.

Not all will still be standing by the end! Challenge classes to use engineering principles to design display cases with specific constraints. A hands-on STEM instructional activity reviews the concepts of tension, compression, and torque...

Build an appreciation for the green movement by recycling your own paper! Learners participate in a STEM instructional activity by learning about the process of recycling paper and then designing their own models. Their ultimate task is...

Sometimes science requires getting a little dirty. A hands-on lesson explores the idea of decomposition by building a compost structure. Using red worms and dirt, individuals build and collect data on the rate of decomposition. The STEM...

People don't all get the same amount of sun at the same time of the year. Collaborative groups explore how the motion of Earth contributes to the idea in an inquiry-based STEM lesson. Learners first investigate how the rotation of Earth...

The body is one big life-sized puzzle! A hands-on lesson builds on the idea and has individuals create life-size models of the body including all important organs of the digestive, circulatory, and respiratory systems. After building...

How do you know there is air? Can you see it, smell it, feel it? To begin the investigation, learners watch a video and discuss what they know about air and the atmosphere. Then, they participate in five different hands-on, inquiry-based...

When your mom tells you to chew your food, you really should listen! A lesson on the digestive system examines the first step of digestion that happens in the mouth. Learners check crackers and use iodine to highlight changes in the...

Teamwork makes the dream work! A well-designed lesson plan helps learners discover how the circulatory and respiratory systems team up to keep their bodies alive. The lesson plan includes a diagram of the major connections between the...

Sometimes a little pressure isn't a bad thing! A collaborative lesson uses models to demonstrate how air pressure inflates and deflates the lungs. Participants use everyday materials to create models of the chest cavity to simulate how a...

Pupils know they need to breathe to live, but the details may not be too clear. A thorough instructional activity introduces them to the components of the respiratory system using a set of cards with pictures and descriptions.

Without structure, there wouldn't be function. Scholars examine the meaning of structure and function with a hands-on experience. Using balls from different sports, they compare and contrast their structures and then analyze how each...

A system is only as good as the sum of its parts! Young scholars explore the components of the different body systems using a hands-on lesson. The lesson helps learners build an understanding that there is a hierarchy of components in...

How many pennies can an aluminum foil boat hold? That is the challenge in a collaborative activity designed to explore the concept of buoyancy. Learners use aluminum foil to build makeshift boats and test the weight they hold before...

Even light cannot leave the force of a black hole! Learners use a model to explore the gravitational force of a black hole. An elastic bandage and heavy ball serve to create the hole, while marbles become the victims of its strong force.

Since a field trip to the moon isn't possible, bring the moon to young astronomers! Participants use everyday materials to create models of the moon and represent the features on its surface. The materials serve as a tactile as well as a...