What better way to learn how to use a microscope than building your own? A lab investigation has scholars use lenses from magnifying glasses and sheets of cork to design their own compound microscopes. They calculate focal length...

Middle schoolers build a friendly environment for future students by creating a PowerPoint presentation.  For this middle school introduction lesson, middle schoolers utilize a camera to record important moments throughout the...

Run a simulated airplane manufacturing plant with your pupils as the builders! Learners build Lego airplane models and collect data on the rate of production, comparing the number produced to the number defective. Using linear...

Get things cooking with the first lesson plan in this series on the science of food. Working in small groups, young scientists make and record observations about different mystery foods. These descriptions are then shared with the class...

What better way to learn about plant life than by creating a class garden? Young botanists start with a brief discussion about radishes before planting seeds and watching them grow. To determine the importance of water,...

Students observe the water cycle and experiment with cleaning water. In this hands-on hydrology lesson based on a Magic School Bus book, students conduct two experiments to see the how water moves through the water cycle and then they...

Are our oceans really suffering due to the choices humans make? The sixth and final installment in the volume of activities challenges research groups to tackle one of six major topics that impact ocean health. After getting to the...

Students learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students get a bugs-eye view of the flower world and find out how seeds are created, how they travel, and how they grow into plants.

Examine the science behind computer communication. After defining the properties of magnets, learners simulate how a computer hard drive works by sending each other binary codes using the magnets. They use these communications to...

Third graders investigate how temperature and motion (energy) create a chemical change that turns cream ( a liquid) into butter (a solid). They create a class pictograph of their favorite mils choices (white, chocolate, or strawberry)...

Ever wonder how a butcher creates the different types of ground beef? Young mathematicians explore the methods butchers use to create their desired ground beef quality. Given a combination of two types of meat with varying...

Blow the minds of young scientists with this collection of inquiry-based investigations. Based on a series of eight videos, these "hands-on, minds-on" science lessons engage young learners in exploring a wide range of topics...

Perform an activity on performance testing with a lesson focused on the purpose of wheel bearings on skateboards. Learners conduct performance testing on a skateboard to collect and interpret data.

Students research visual arts by creating a presentation in their classroom. In this art history instructional activity, students identify the work of Keith Haring by researching the web and library. Students analyze images of Haring and...

Am I making any money? Help learners determine if their fictitious soda stand is turning a profit. They graph linear equations using the slope and y-intercept and identify the best price to use to sell soda. They identify the domain and...

Students learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students explore the inside of the human body as they compare the bones and joints of a chicken wing with their own hands and arms.

Students learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students learn that baking is like a chemistry experiment as they make chemistry happen by following a recipe for pretzels.

Young scholars play the Pinky's Create a Card game for practice. Students create a class store where they experiment in the roles as vendor and consumer. Young scholars use play money to buy and sell various products, while keeping track...

Students explore storytelling by using video editing software. For this movie making lesson, students identify the uses of PowerPoint and create a story using a digital camera which takes stills or video. Students combine this footage...

Young scholars investigate energy balance equation for five fictitious middle school students by using an energy balance clinic scenario.

How many colors do you know? The lesson teaches scholars how digital devices use binary and hexadecimal representations to store colors. They learn how millions of colors are available on these devices.

Ride the wave to an understanding of refraction! The first in a series of two inquiry-based lessons challenges learners to create transverse waves with two different types of springs. As their wave hits an object, they observe the change...

Students examine where water is found in the world, how we use it, and the various forms it takes. They observe the refraction of light through a prism, record the day and night sky over a week's time, and create a topographic model of...

Students select an animal to research that lives in the camp environment. Students spend time using books and the Internet to research their animals, including size and appearance. Students create a mural to depict the environment and...