Unit Plan
Government of South Australia

Don't Waste Your Energy

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Don't lift another finger, this physical and environmental science unit has everything you need to begin teaching your class about energy. Starting with a look at the greenhouse effect, these lessons and activities take young scientists...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

What's the Big Deal?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Who knew that a possible answer to Earth's energy resource problems was lurking deep beneath the ocean's surface? Part four of a six-part series introduces Earth Science pupils to methane hydrate, a waste product of methanogens. After...
Lesson Plan
AAAS

Identification and Classification of Grassland Plants

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Take learning outside and start classifying grasslands. Young ecologists observe grassland plants in order to classify them into the appropriate species by family. They note their characteristics and where they grow. A true...
Lesson Plan
NASA

Exploration of a Problem: Making Sense of the Elements

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
When given too much data to simply memorize, it helps to sort it into manageable groups. The second lesson in the six-part series of Cosmic Chemistry challenges groups of pupils to take a large amount of data and figure out how to best...
Activity
Education Development Center

Consecutive Sums

For Students 6th - 7th Standards
Evaluate patterns of numbers through an engaging task. Scholars work collaboratively to determine a general rule reflecting the sum of consecutive positive integers. Multiple patterns emerge as learners explore different arrangements.
Lesson Plan
Nuffield Foundation

How Good is Your Toilet Paper?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
You'll never forget the importance of toilet paper and hand washing ever again. Scholars perform an experiment to model the transfer of microbes in the bathroom. They perform three trials to test the transmission of yeast using their...
Lesson Plan
Mascil Project

The Pipe Clamp

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Clamp onto the resource and don't let go. Future mechanical engineers produce a pipe clamp from a sheet of metal. This idea is to use the pipe clamp to affix a pull-up bar in a doorway.
Activity
DiscoverE

Build a Big Wheel

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Pasta is great for cooking—and for making Ferris wheels. Aspiring engineers use an assortment of pasta types to create a functioning Ferris wheel. They keep track of the design process to refine their designs, if necessary. Let's hope no...
Lesson Plan
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Population Connection

The Peopling of Our Planet

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
How many people live on the planet, anyway? The first resource in a six-part series covers the topic of the world population. Scholars work in groups to conduct research and make population posters after learning about the global...
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Call to Arms: A Service Project

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Sick of selling candy and washing cars? How about hosting a Digital Day or a Learning Lunch? The suggestions here make fund raising fun and rewarding. Raise money to preserve important maps and other primary source documents.
Activity
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Teach Engineering

Design and Build a Rube Goldberg

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Let's see how complicated we can make this simple task. The last activity associated with a 10-part series has groups design and build a Rube Goldberg machine. Teams determine a simple task to accomplish and use the engineering design...
Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

A Good Foundation

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
It takes a strong foundation to build a house and a stronger one for a bridge. This resource presents the effects of geology and soil on bridge foundations. Working in groups, the class investigates the interaction of shallow and deep...