Don't leave your classes in the dark! An inquiry-based lesson has young researchers analyze the light intensity before, during, and after a solar eclipse. They use their data to make inferences about the solar energy available during...

Looking for an out-of-this-world volcanic activity? Geologists study Earth's volcanic history and the neighboring planet Mars by modeling volcanic eruptions, lava flows, and building a shield volcano. Participants use graph paper and...

Calculate the movement and properties of planets like professional astronomers! Scholars use Kepler's third law to find Mercury and Venus's distance from the sun. Using changes in brightness of distant stars and Kepler's third law,...

Changing one aspect of a mission impacts all the others. Learners consider a list of criteria as they develop their own science questions related to Mars and design a solution while considering all the important systems: computer,...

Light, distance, and mathematics come together to help scientists plan for space missions. Groups examine the relationship between distance from the sun and light availability in a hands-on exploration activity. They model the inverse...

Scholars show what they know about data collection and analysis with an activity that examines a smaller population of Houghton, Texas. Independently or in pairs, learners identify their research question, gather, graph, and analyze...

Challenge scholars to plan a vacation with a $5,000 budget. Learners review costs of transportation, meals, and entertainment while considering the number of people and destination. Worksheets provide information and...

Thirty seconds are all scholars have to develop an engaging commercial to showcase their talents and experience within a specific occupation. Pairs work collaboratively to keep each other on time to deliver information speedily and ask...

An activity challenges scholars to make smart money choices. While visiting the California CareerZone website, pupils choose between budgeting for one's lifestyle or salary and complete a two-page worksheet based on the information...

Who needs the daylight to simulate a lunar eclipse? Astronomers model the positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon to explain the necessary conditions for a lunar eclipse. Investigators cut and label a paper plate to represent the Earth and...

Space is about 60 miles from the surface of Earth. Pupils make calculations to model that distance by stacking coins the appropriate height using scale. They then explore the distance to objects in space such as satellites and the space...

Balloons aren't just for parties! An inquiry-based lesson explores the idea of using balloons for space exploration. Learners become engineers as they attempt to control the ascent and descent of a helium balloon using different masses.

Reduce energy consumption and save some money at the same time! The third of seven installments in the A Community Powered by Renewable Energy unit focuses on energy use in the home. Learners investigate the energy needs of small and...

One step at a time, pupils practice their measurement techniques as they analyze their stride length. They design their own procedures for measuring and relate their stride measurements to the distance traveled by making calculations.

Warm up to the idea of subtracting integers. After watching a video where the contents of a cup instantly freeze when tossed into the air, pupils estimate the air temperature of Duluth, Minnesota (where the video was made). They then use...

How fast are those thumbs? Pupils view a short video showing a person typing out a text message in a speed challenge. They use the information they can glean from the video to estimate the number of seconds it will take to completely...

Mathematics is stronger than a card house. Pupils watch a video of the beginning of the building of a triangular card house. Scholars come up with questions they wonder about from the video and ask for more information to arrive at an...

The cheetah is faster than Bolt. Class members watch a video of a cheetah and Usain Bolt run at record breaking speeds. The pupils come up with questions about the video. When asked, the teacher provides information relative to the...

Determine how far the ball rolled. The class watches a video of a person controlling a sphere rolling on the floor. Pupils develop some questions about the video and make estimates to the solutions of the questions. The teacher provides...

Cha-ching! Using the practical resource, scholars investigate the different types of bank accounts and banking services available. Pupils view a PowerPoint, practice writing checks, and complete a checking account research project.

How important is a credit score, anyway? Scholars view a PowerPoint and take notes about credit scores. Next, they write essays explaining their plans for achieving a good credit score.

Deter, detect, defect. Pupils watch a PowerPoint presentation and video about identity theft and credit card safety, taking notes to use later. Next, they develop a plan for maintaining credit safety and write an essay about the...

Correct a misleading conclusion. Individuals review a set of data and a conclusion to determine what is wrong with the conclusion. Pupils then represent the data with an appropriate display. Finally, learners develop a correct conclusion...

Determine the cheapest way to the airport. Pupils read a scenario about trying to get 75 people to the airport using two different sizes of taxis. Learners calculate the number of smaller taxis needed given a number of large taxis and...