Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Life In A Nest: Exploring Life Cycles With Bird Cams
Why read about it when you can watch it happen? Bird cams make it possible for learners to experience the life cycle of a bird in real time! An engaging set of lessons provides activities to connect their learning to bird cam...
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Investigating Evidence
Explore the scientific process through nature. Scholars become scientists as they develop a question, design an experiment, collect data, and analyze their results. A two-week lesson guides your classes through the process and provides...
University of Tennessee
Potential Energy
Did you know a tennis ball has potential? Collaborative groups analyze the potential energy of a tennis ball based on its height. They measure its starting height and the height after its first bounce. Using a graphical analysis, they...
University of California
Marble Rollercoasters
Don't let your classes coast through school! Engage them in their learning as they build their own roller coasters to study potential and kinetic energy. Young scholars complete several challenges that require them to consider the...
Scholastic
Acceleration Nation Guide
Discover the science of NASCAR! Young scholars rev up their learning as they explore aerodynamic principles. Hands-on activities help learners understand concepts of friction, kinetic energy, and potential energy.
University of Minnesota
Phantom Limb
A phantom of neuroscience may leave pupils perplexed as they engage in an experimental lesson that recreates a phantom limb scenario. After experiencing the phenomenon, they choose a scientific question to explore further.
University of Minnesota
Connect the Neurons!
Create a neuron frenzy as your pupils play the part of the neurons. An engaging lesson creates a human chain of neurons that pass cotton balls posing as neurotransmitters. Scholars learn about pre- and post-synapses as they complete the...
Scholastic
STEM Challenges and Activity Sheets for Grades 6–8
From 3-D cities to building bridges, young engineers engage in innovative STEM challenges that promote brainstorming and collaboration. Learners take on the roles of different types of engineers as well as become familiar...
American Physiological Society
Why is Kettle Corn Cooked in Copper Pots?
The kitchen — it's not just for eating anymore! Specific heat is often a difficult concept to grasp, so give it context by relating it to cooking. Learners gain experience in the principles of thermal energy transfer by designing an...
American Physiological Society
How Does the Density of a Liquid Affect the Buoyancy of an Object?
Here's a lesson plan that will really float your boat! Introduce physical science scholars to the relationship between buoyancy and density through an assortment of individual and collaborative exercises. Lab groups work together to...
American Physiological Society
What Environmental Conditions Lead to the Hatching of Brine Shrimp?
Will changing the environment in which brine shrimp live impact their reproductive success? Young scientists get hands-on experience studying the habitat of brine shrimp in a two-week immersion lesson. The teacher's guide provides all of...
NOAA
Journey to the Unknown
What's it like to be a deep-sea explorer? Tap into the imaginations of your fifth and sixth graders with a vivid lesson, the second part of a six-part adventure. Learners close their eyes and submerge themselves in an expedition aboard...
Columbus City Schools
Planet X
How did the earth become the mass that it is now? Your young scientists explore this question through the concept of density. Their inquiries consider the impact of gravity on the formation of planets. The culminating activity of the...
CK-12 Foundation
Zero Product Principle: Mysterious Parabolas
Be a hero, not a zero! Help your classes understand how to solve quadratic equations with the zero product property using an animated simulation. Using the controls, scholars manipulate the zeros and watch as the function and its factors...
CK-12 Foundation
Zero, Negative, and Fractional Exponents: Patterns with Powers
Build a foundational understanding of exponent patterns. Young scholars manipulate the bases of exponent expressions. They discover the meaning of negative exponents through their exploration.
CK-12 Foundation
Factoring by Grouping: Polynomials
Investigate the process of factoring polynomials by grouping. A detailed lesson initially has learners follow a set-by-step example. They then drag terms to complete the three steps of a new problem.
CK-12 Foundation
Using Quadratic Equations to Solve Problems: Construct a Soccer Field
Build a soccer field through a little mathematical analysis. Individuals manipulate the dimensions of a soccer field as they drag points to new positions. The simulation shows the corresponding intercepts and area. As pupils explore the...
CK-12 Foundation
Solving Problems by Factoring: Building a Doghouse
Building a doghouse is easier with a little mathematical help! Young scholars use sliders to adjust the length of the doghouse and watch as it affects the width and area. They then answer questions that help them discover the question...
CK-12 Foundation
Negative Exponents
Watch the exponent expression do the negative exponent dance! An interactive lesson uses an animation to show how negative exponents become positive. Learners manipulate the expression and then respond to conceptual questions.
Space Awareness
Oceans on the Rise
Temperature rises and land disappears! Through a lab exploration, learners understand the effect of temperature increase on water similar to the effect of global warming on our oceans. As they heat the water in a flask, they measure the...
Space Awareness
Valleys Deep and Mountains High
Sometimes the best view is from the farthest distance. Satellite imaging makes it possible to create altitude maps from far above the earth. A three-part activity has your young scientists play the role of the satellite and then use...
CK-12 Foundation
Model Rocket
Acceleration, velocity, mass, and gravity all play a role in the motion of a rocket. Young scientists explore the connection among these components using an interactive tutorial. They adjust the mass and thrust force to experiment with...
CK-12 Foundation
Irwin and Ruthie
Learners compare acceleration to displacement through an interactive tutorial that permits them to adjust the running strategy of two robots and watch them race. A graph displays the robot's velocity over time and another shows their...
CK-12 Foundation
Butterfly Stroke
Swimmers improve their times by understanding the physics of their sport. As a swimmer moves through the water, the efficiency of motion affects the resulting velocity. Through an interactive simulation, pupils change the level of motion...