Curated OER
Scale Model of the Solar System
Young scientists gain a better understanding of space, the solar system and its vastness by creating a scale model. Students first need to calculate the distance between each of the nine planets according to the size of their scale. This...
DiscoverE
Waterproofing the Roof
Can your pupils build a roof that stands the test of time? Use an insightful engineering design project to highlight both materials science and architecture. Scholars either team up or work as individuals to design, create, and test a...
August House
The Clever Monkey Rides Again
Use a West African folktale to practice several different skills in your first grade classroom. Learners read The Clever Monkey Rides Again and focus on rhyming words, reading comprehension, measurement, art, movement, and word order.
PBS
Heart to Heart
Study heart health and math in one activity. After measuring their resting heart rates by finding the pulse in their wrists, learners build a stethoscope to listen to their heart rate, and note the differences between the two methods.
National Wildlife Federation
What is DBH?
When measuring the circumference of a tree, does it matter how high you place the measuring tape? Most scholars have never considered this question, but scientists know that measurement techniques must be standardized. The 13th lesson in...
DiscoverE
LIDAR: Mapping with Lasers
We would be lost without maps! How are they made? Introduce junior topographers to LIDAR technology with a fascinating activity. Set up a mock city, then have learners operate a laser measure to determine the shape of the landscape using...
Thomson Delmar Learning
Cooking Lesson Plans
Get cooking with some preschool and kindergarten-based cooking lesson plans. As young cooks follow the directions on the recipes, they practice hand-eye coordination, measurement, counting, and nutritional eating.
National Museum of Mathematics
Hands-On Data Analysis
Jump at the chance to use this resource. A kinesthetic activity has classmates jumping in several different ways (standing, single-step, and multiple-step jumps) to create handprints on poster paper taped to the wall. They measure the...
North Carolina State University
Construction
Engineering design projects serve as great opportunities for collaborative problem solving. In this case, learners work in small groups designing, building, and eventually testing a structure that meets a teacher-specified objective. It...
Micron Technology Foundation
Forces of Motion: Rockets
Young scientists design a rocket to launch using Newton's Laws of Motion in order to discover for themselves the forces of motion.
It's About Time
Making Waves
Young scientists use Slinkys to better understand waves. After creating and measuring many aspects of waves, they complete a handout and homework questions. The resource also introduces the final project for the chapter, though it does...
DiscoverE
Build a Bridge
Cost overruns are unacceptable—in the real world and in an engaging activity. Groups of pupils get together to build a bridge out of straws, paper cups, and tape. They keep track of costs ($1,000 for each material) and must stay within a...
Curated OER
Virtual Art Student: Sculpture
This is a big project, but lucky for you, the materials, steps, and additional notes are at-the-ready to make it a classroom possibility. Your class will sculpt a life-sized artist using steel brackets, plywood, chicken wire, and...
Teach Engineering
Maker Challenge: Adding Helpful Carrier Devices to Crutches
Make breaking a leg a less troublesome experience. Groups brainstorm designs for crutches that have devices that help carry items. They build prototypes of their devices to test out their designs.
NOAA
Watch the Screen!
Can a sponge cure cancer? Life science pupils visit the drugstore under the sea in the fifth lesson of six. Working groups research the topic then get hands-on experience by testing the inhibiting effects of several plant extracts on E....
DiscoverE
Textbook Support Challenge
Textbooks are heavier than a sheet of paper, so how can paper hold up a textbook? Young engineers create a structure out of paper that can support a textbook. To add another wrinkle, they must stay within budget and time constraints.
Science Matters
Earthquake Building/Shaking Contest
Japan is one of only a handful of countries that constructs buildings that are almost earthquake proof. The 13th lesson in the 20-part series challenges scholars to build structures to test against earthquakes. With limited materials and...