NASA
Soda Straw Rockets
Three, two, one, blast off to a better understanding of force and motion with this exciting science lesson! Beginning with a discussion about rockets and gravity, young scientists go on to complete a series of worksheets about net forces...
Curated OER
Introduction to the Scientific Method
Students participate in an experiment and learn to record it using the scientific method. For this biodegradable plastics lesson, students follow the scientific method to complete an inquiry. Students complete an experiment with a fish...
Curated OER
Junior Solar Sprint Series: Electrical Power
Through scientific inquiry, middle schoolers discover how to arrange solar cells in order to produce electricity. This activity is intended to prepare learners to be able to design and construct solar cars. As with other resources...
Curated OER
Daphina Science, The Method of Investigation
Students determine what causes a reaction in a species of Daphnia. In this ecology based lesson, students are in a hands on project to demonstrate a controlled experiment with data collections. Students use laboratory tools in this...
Curated OER
Catapults
Young scholars test catapults. In this physics lesson plan, student conduct scientific investigations that require them to test catapults. Students practice their problem solving skills as they employ the use of the scientific method.
Curated OER
Examining Samples and Asking Testable Research
Students formulate a testable research question containing a comparison and a
quantitative measure. They state the null and alternative hypothesis for a testable research question. In addition, they describe some of the abiotic
and...
Curated OER
Non-Compressibility of Water
Young scholars will observe a property of water. In this inquiry-based properties of air lesson, students observe how a change in water pressure impacts the positioning of an eye-dropper in the water container and they make hypotheses...
University of Connecticut
Weather Vs. Whether
Monarch butterfly populations have decreased by 90 percent over the past 20 years due to misuse and ineffectiveness of some pesticides. Given the challenge to increase pesticide safety and effectiveness, the class, through discussion,...
Curated OER
Study the Fizz
Students experiment to determine which bottle of soda has more dissolved carbon dioxide. In this solutions lesson plan, students use the scientific method to test the amount of carbon dioxide in bottles of soda. They identify and explain...
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
How Much Water Do You Use?
Incorporate reading strategies, math, research, and the scientific method into one lesson about water conservation. After reading a story about a landlady trying to determine how many people are living in an apartment, learners develop a...
Center Science Education
Model a Moving Glacier
Glaciologists in your class make models of glaciers to simulate how they move down a valley, and then they use it to test any aspect of glacier movement. Not only is this a vivid visual of how these monsters of ice flow, but it is also...
Curated OER
SAFETY KNOWLEDGE BASE CHANGES
Students research and formulate a hypothesis for research to correlate changing safety regulations in regards to personal and environmental safety polices for storage, handling and disposal of chemicals, risk involved in hazardous...
Curated OER
Why Cheerios Don't Sink
Students investigate Archimedes' Principle and show how it relates to density. In this Archimedes' Principle lesson plan, students experiment with a beaker of water, a Styrofoam "boat" and a weight. They predict what will happen when the...
Aquarium of the Pacific
Think Like a Scientist
Scholars watch a video and meet a scientist who is studying sharks as she explains her observations about the sharks and provides her hypothesis to explain their behavior. Learners then act like a scientist as they watch an aquarium...
Curated OER
The Great Jellybean Hunt
Students explore natural selection and its influence on the populations to fine tune traits and characteristics. The acquisition of traits developed out of need is examined through a game played in class.
Curated OER
Coal Science Fair Ideas
Learners select one of the ideas for a science project reflecting their knowledge about coal. They then choose a catchy title to spark interest that describes their project. They use the scientific method to explain the process.
Curated OER
Can't Wait - Gotta Migrate:The Monarch Butterfly
Students study the migratory behavior of the monarch butterfly and to carefully develop a scientific method for answering one question concerning their behavior. They perform many meaningful tasks which help them explain the Monarch...
Curated OER
How Toxic Is It?
Young scholars participate in an activity in which they investigate the scientific method and seed germination as well as practice graphing and metric measuring skills. Students examine toxicity by exposing Wisconsin Fast Plants seeds to...
Curated OER
It's a Matter of Space
Students explore matter. In this physical science lesson, students role play the 3 states of matter forming "liquid" molecules and "solid" molecules with teammates. Students perform an experiment in which the result illustrates that two...
Science Matters
Spaghetti Fault Model
Does increasing the pressure between two moving plates provide a stabilizing force or create more destruction? The hands-on lesson encourages exploration of strike-split fault models. The sixth lesson in a 20-part series asks scholars to...
Curated OER
Designing a Germination Experiment
Students explore botany by participating in a seed experiment. In this plant nutrition lesson, students define several science experiment vocabulary terms like observation, treatment, and replicate. Students utilize soaked seeds in a...
Curated OER
Investigating Seed Germination and Tropisms
Young scholars use the various steps of the scientific method to construct and carry out a detailed laboratory investigation (including a control). They demonstrate how various environmental factors may affect the process of seed...
Curated OER
Climate And the Greenhouse Effect
Students demonstrate the greenhouse effect. They recognize that relatively small changes to our environment can stimulate significant climate changes. They determine that the "scientific method" is a process of testing hypotheses and...
Curated OER
Erosion Lab
Eighth graders explore variables that influence the rate of erosion due to the 4 major agents. They work as a group and practice conducting experiments according to the scientific method. Students comprehend that communicating ideas...