Does it actually exist? Consider the sighting of a giant squid, much like the one that appears in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Middle and high schoolers read the article One Legend Found, Many Still to Go, and research other mysterious...

Junior geneticists tally eye color and height in their lab groups. They examine certain traits in soybean and corn seedlings. For each activity, they gather data and learn about continuous and discontinuous genetic variation. In another...

Physical science learners conduct a simple experiment using the heat of their hands to affect the fluid pressure. They place a balloon atop a freezing cold bottle and observe what occurs as it warms up. Both activities demonstrate how...

The highlight of this series is activitiy #4. Anatomy pupils examine slides of three unknown cells. With the function of the nervous system in mind, they consider the structure of each and try to guess which one is part of that system....

Can you train a worm? Biology buffs will have a blast trying! Using planaria or earthworms, they introduce a certain stimulus repeatedly until the desired response happens more quickly. They also explore the response of their own eyes to...

Push the envelope with this lesson on atmospheric pressure! Your physics or geology juniors will be amazed at your super-human ability as you demonstrate the breaking of a stick using a newspaper! They also work with peers to construct a...

A series of attention-grabbing demonstrations and lab activities is outlined in this document. Through them, chemistry kids appreciate the behavior of gases. Inflate balloons, marshmallows, and toothpaste tubes without adding air! Use...

Do you need some new ideas for teaching Newton's Laws of Motion? This series of activities will spring your curriculum to life! Choose from five activities to demonstrate or have your science stars perform. As a result, they...

A micro-unit on the phase changes of water includes three laboratory activities. Junior scientists compare the densities of ice and water, and then they do the same for cold and warm water. They examine freezing and boiling temperatures....

Playing with balloons, water, oil, and bottles help put this lesson over the top! Participants use air-filled balloons in water tanks to experience gas compression. They also use oil-filled bottles to experiment with buoyancy. Included...

Students conduct a scientific investigation about organic or inorganic waste.  For this organic or inorganic waste lesson, students create a compost heap to determine the difference between inorganic and organic waste. Students...

Students investigate healthy eating habits by researching livestock. For this food sustainability lesson, students research the negative impact factory farming has on our environment due to pollution. Students define agricultural...

Learners examine human health by identifying dangerous pesticides. In this agriculture instructional activity, students research the food production system in the United States and discuss dangers such as pesticides, chemicals and...

Young scientists investigate the scientific concepts and principles that help make common toys such as hula hoops, yo-yos, slinkies, and silly putty work. As a class, they read "Backyard Rocket Science, Served Wet" to get a look behind...

The fascinating topic of human skin color is examined in this article from Muse magazine. It highlights a study done by a pair of scientists on the relationships among strength of sunlight, vitamins, and melanin in the skin. The results...

Scientists need to have mastered algebraic slope-intercept concepts in order for this lesson to be effective. They will measure and graph solar panel output as a function of the amount of radiation striking it, discovering that there is...

For this first part of a two-part lesson, learners track and record the sun's azimuth using a solar panel. They graph and analyze the data to identify relationships among the time of day, the altitude and azimuth of the sun, and the...

Middle school science stars observe and record data on the solar radiation reflected off or transmitted through various materials. They predict properties for various materials, and test their predictions by touch. This lesson becomes...

Middle school science stars examine fuels and energy with a variety of activities. They begin with a KWL chart, read an informative passage, and then complete a puzzle. The puzzle itself is included. Cleverly, each piece corresponds to a...

Demonstrate to your middle school science learners how chalk breaks down in a weak acid. Discuss what affects acidic rain might have on ecosystems. Lab groups then choose one of two questions: "How does acid precipitation affect an...

Super science learners examine the sun's production of energy by the process of nuclear fusion. Hands-on activities make this instructional activity engaging for middle schoolers. The instructional activity is made up of four parts. Part...

Who is not drawn to trading cards? In this lesson plan, junior ecologists create a trading card of an animal or plant from one of Arizona's biotic communities. Gorgeous sample cards are provided in the lesson plan as well as a plethora...

Learners define the terms "mass," "volume," and "density." The relationship between these three terms is established. They observe the differences between Regular and Diet Coke. They develop an hypotheses about why a can of Regular Coke...

Kids consider how the body functions and moves, how each structure has a specific movement and purpose. They apply that idea as they construct a sculptural piece that moves. For inspiration they look to the work of Alexander Calder,...