Curated OER
Methods of Mystery
Students utilize the scientific method to discover the age of an item. In this historical dating lesson, students compare and contrast a 400 year old cabinet to one made within a few years by using carbon dating. Students complete a...
Illinois Valley Community College
STEM Activities for Middle School Students
Use STEM activities within the class to provide connections to concepts. The resource includes activities that range from working with buoyancy to building rockets and launching them. Other activities involve the engineering design...
Curated OER
Interdisciplinary Approach to Investigating Popcorn
Learners conduct a lab experiment using the scientific method. For this interdisciplinary lesson plan, students will test the difference in popping white and yellow corn. Learners will write their lab report in their science, math,...
Curated OER
The Tale of the Feral - Care and Multiplication of Feral Cats
Pupils differentiate between a feral cat and a domesticated cat. In this cat lesson plan, students use the scientific method, calculate averages, solve story problems, and learn how a caretaker can help a feral colony live safely.
Curated OER
Chew on This
Eighth graders explore and demonstrate the seven steps of the scientific method. They predict how much sugar is in chewing gum and test, analyze, and calculate the sugar content of gum.
Curated OER
How Tall is that Tree?
Students apply their math skills to develop an accurate estimate of the height of a tall tree. Three different methods are outlined. All grade levels should be able to perform the shadow method and the proportional method.
Curated OER
Teaching The Scientific Method Using Adhesives
Students use the six step scientific method to experiment with the differences in adhesives. Students test for tack, shear, and peel in these activities.
Curated OER
Curiosity Does Not Kill The Cat
Pupils list the different ways they could test a guinea pig, a dandelion, and their brother (or sister)? They create a data chart in their group that lists the organism, what they could measure, and how they could change that measurement.
Curated OER
Sharks in Decline
Students investigate common fishing methods used to capture sharks. They decide why these methods and the shark's reproductive biology are contributing to the quick reduction in the shark population.
Curated OER
Ohm's Law: Getting There Hands On
Young scientists inductively derive Ohm's Law of voltage, resistance, and current by creating series and parallel circuits with 9-volt batteries and light bulbs. A week's worth of experiments, observation, and hands-on activities are...
Intel
Energy Innovations
Collaborative groups examine the importance of energy resources on quality of life by researching different energy sources and alternative energy sources through data analysis. They make a comparison of different countries and cultures,...
Curated OER
Classification of Cerealites
Students create a dichotomous key. In this categorizing lesson, students create a dichotomous key for different types of cereal. Students classify the cereal into groups such as flakes and cereal with holes. Students discuss their...
Michigan State University
Gases Matter
Young scientists learn that seeing isn't necessarily believing when it comes to the states of matter. After performing a fun class demonstration that models the difference between solids, liquids, and gases, children complete a series of...
Curated OER
Designing a Study
Students explore features to consider when designing a scientific study. In this science research lesson, students examine different methods of data collection and consider which method would be appropriate for determining how many types...
Curated OER
What's up with the weather?
Students use the weather as a context for collecting data and making interpretations based upon the observations. The scientific method is also taught to give them a way to conduct the data collection.
Curated OER
Natural Inquirer Ecosystem Article Lesson
Students discover new ways to preserve the ecosystem by completing graphic organizers. In this environmental lesson plan, students read an article from the Natural Inquirer in small groups and fill out a graphic organizer based on the...
Curated OER
Symmetry in Paper Airplanes
Young scholars explore symmetry. For this geometry and scientific inquiry lesson, students design paper airplanes with middle line symmetry, as well as right, obtuse, and acute angles. Young scholars measure the plane's angles using a...
Curated OER
Mass Measurement
Middle schoolers explore geometry by completing a physics activity on-line. In this mass measurement lesson, pupils define the terms mass, volume, and density and identify their relationship with each other. They complete an on-line...
Curated OER
One Square Meter
Pupils examine various ecosystems using scientific inquiry. Using the local area, they assess the characteristics and conditions in one square meter. They report their findings in the form of a survey map and data sheet. They compare...
Teach Engineering
Equal and Opposite Thrust in Aircraft: You're a Pushover!
It's the law—every action requires a reaction, no matter how small. Pupils experience two demonstrations of Newton's third law of motion as it relates to thrust in the 10th segment of a 22-part unit on flight. Using their mathematical...
Curated OER
The Golden Students
Scholars view the video, "Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land," and discuss examples in nature which have proportions of the golden ratio. They measure and record different body lengths from a worksheet and convert the ratios to equivalent...
Curated OER
Kites: Patang - The Indian Fighter Kite
Students investigate the history of fighter kites and build their own. In this aeronautics lesson, students discover how other countries utilize fighter kites and where they originated. Students create their own fighter kites in class...
Curated OER
Pumpkin Properties are a Smash!
Students receive a miniature pumpkin and proceed through several stations to measure a variety of physical properties. The data is entered into a data sheet and the mass and volume measurements are used to calculate density. They also...
NASA
Next Generation Spacecraft - Orion
Emergine space engineers discover the area of complex geometric shapes. They find that, just as a spacecraft is composed of many smaller parts, so can polygons be broken into smaller shapes.