Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Design a Bobsled

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Learners apply their knowledge of friction, drag, mass and gravity as they design, build, and test mini-bobsleds.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Does turnip curling always cause friction?

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders become familiar with the effects of force through curling.  In this turnip curling lesson, 3rd graders experiment with a turnip curling stone on various surfaces. Students are assess with a new variable and observation...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Buoyancy

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Learners use materials found at a resource table to design simple devices that will house instruments to take water samples from a tub of water. They design 3 instruments, each varying in density so that one will float, one will hover...
Lesson Plan
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Avalanche

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate natural disasters by participating in an experiment. In this water formation activity, students define the dangers associated with avalanches and landslides. Students utilize a bag of sand, meter-stick and a wood...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Forces in Action

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders experiment to understand how force is effected by friction.  In this forces in action lesson, 2nd graders view a website to simulate what happens when the height of a ramp is changed. Students participate in an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Interactive Notes-"Heat Transfer"

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students explore heat transfer.  In this temperature and molecule behavior lesson, students view a PowerPoint while simultaneously performing experiments in which heat transfer is demonstrated.  Students use cold beakers, ice...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy/Light/Heat/Sound

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study the properties of heat in this series of lessons. They discuss sources of heat and experiment to determine its properties. They identify insulators and conductors by measuring temperatures, and graphing their data....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ice Energy

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students explore how chemicals change water. In this chemical change lesson, students participate in an experiment to observe how salt effects ice and how ice cream freezes.
Lesson Plan
Reach Out!

Paper Clip Sailing

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students explore water, molecules, and surface tension. In this floatation instructional activity, students discover why some objects are able to float on water as they follow the procedures included in this activity.
Lesson Plan
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Mini-Landslide

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore how different materials (sand, gravel, lava rock) with different water contents on different slopes result in landslides of different severity. They measure the severity by how far the landslide debris extends into model...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Slime!

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students participate in a science experiment in which they try and move gelatin cubes with and without a lubricant. They examine the concept of friction and resistance to motion.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Estuarine Currents

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students experiment observing a demonstration on models of density-driven currents which are typically found in an estuarine system of water flow. They compare/contrast water temperature and salinity to the formations of estuarine currents.
Lesson Plan
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Stormy Weather

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students conduct various experiments to explore the concepts that static electricity is the cause of lightning.
Lesson Plan
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Stormy Weather

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers conduct experiments. In this weather activity, students review what they know about weather elements such as cloud formation and storms. Middle schoolers conduct demonstrations and learn how lightning strikes.
Lesson Plan
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What is Lightning?

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students experiment with electricity to understand lightning. In this lightning lesson, students show how static electricity causes lightning. Students discuss questions about their experiment and gather important facts. Students...
Unit Plan
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The Motions of the Oceans

For Teachers 6th
Students examine the topics of ocean waves, currents, and tides. They locate and label ocean currents on a world map, conduct experiments, analyze key vocabulary, view demonstrations and record the data, and complete handouts.
Lesson Plan
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Making Life Easier

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students use a chart of the six simple machines and become aware of how the machines improve our ability to meet the following needs: shelter, food, water, and transportation. Students use model cars to experiment with force. They divide...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reversible and irreversible changes

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students experiment with solids and liquids to find which solids will dissolve in water. This dissolution and mixtures lesson can be completed online or in class as all materials are connected to the lesson plan for both settings.
Lesson Plan
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Applied Science - Physics Post-Lab

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students investigate energy. In this Physics lesson plan, students explore different sources of energy: heat, nuclear, and chemical. Students sing an electricity song.
Lesson Plan
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Weightlessness

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Learners use a coffee cup to demonstrate weightlessness. After a lecture/demo, students read an article on free-fall. They perform a simple experiment which helps them explain the concept of weightlessness.
Lesson Plan
Reach Out!

Paper Clip Sailing

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explain that some things can float on top of water because of what we call "surface tension." They see that if something happens to disturb these water molecules from tugging on each other, the skin-like surface breaks up.
Lesson Plan
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HOW FAST DO SEDIMENT GRAINS OF DIFFERENT SIZES SETTLE?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students conduct an experiment using sand, a jar, and a paper clip to analyze the effects of different kinds of sand vis a vis its sediment. They graph their findings and analyze for factors of size, shape, and density.
Lesson Plan
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Smoothing Out the Rough Spots

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders experiment to observe the changes created on a surface by mechanical action of water with varying amounts of mineral content and abrasive qualities. They write the predictions of their outcomes and describe all of their...
Lesson Plan
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Changing State

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate the cooling and heating of water. In this online science experiment lesson, students work in groups to make predictions regarding freezing and boiling points and then test those predictions as they complete the...