Once investigators have learned how their mystery liquids interact with water during the preceding activity, they now use their observations to identify them. This is an ideal conclusion to the mini unit on the properties of water. 

Introduce high schoolers to chemical reactions with this series of activities. In a little over an hour, scientists observe four gas-producing reactions: the combination of hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide, placing pasta in...

Liquids are what's the matter with the lesson! Learners investigate properties of different liquids as they interact with various types of paper. They then use their observations to identify a mystery liquid to finish the sixth lesson in...

It's time to test observation and dissolving skills! After investigating the process of dissolving in previous lessons, pupils see if they can use their dissolving skills to identify substances. They dissolve known and unknown substances...

Time is growing short. Teams work together to identify physical properties of rocks in order to determine the properties that would best suit their cavern shelter design.

Young scientists investigate types of rocks in this instructional activity. They collaborate to examine groups of rocks, make written descriptions of them, and use websites to help them identify the types of rocks they are.

Identify triangles by their angle measures and side lengths by looking at and measuring angle measures and side lengths. Use Cabri Jr. to construct various triangles, then manipulate the construction to create the 6 types of triangles,...

Yellow and blue make green in a colorful lesson on liquid solutions. The seventh installment of a 16-part Inquiry to Action series asks pupils to mix different-colored solutions and record their observations. They then use their...

Students identify names of angles. They use a large clock to demonstrate angles using certain times of day. Given a geoboard, students create figures with acute, right, and obtuse angles.

Students describe the functions and characteristics of their local community. In groups, they develop a definition of a city and identify the characteristics that make up a city. Using the internet, they rank cities based on their...

Explore writing techniques by analyzing newspapers and magazines with middle schoolers. They will collaborate in small groups to read local news stories and identify the main ideas and author's intent. They also utilize an information...

Students identify, dissect, display and label parts of a flower. They dissect lilies and label each part as they tape it to a white sheet of paper.

How does media convey different messages? Use this instructional activity to explore media by identifying and analyzing selected images. Middle schoolers analyze a poster and discuss the intended meaning of the imagery and how it makes...

Learners explore the concept of evaporation rates in this evaporation rates lesson. They will try to identify the chemical that began a fire, perform an experiment where they use the evaporation rates to determine the unknown liquid, and...

Learners apply word analysis skills to recognize new words, identify genres of fiction and nonfiction, and identify important themes and topics. They explore differences in plants, flowers, and vegetables. A book bag full of activities...

Make sure to consult the teacher's handbook, Inquiry in Action - Investigating Matter Through Inquiry, for two demonstrations that can be done to introduce solubility and measuring crystal mass before having the class conduct this...

Shapes are really neat, and here's a lesson that will help learners identify shapes through song, touch, and sight. They sing a shape song as they bounce different shapes around in a parachute. They then read a story and feel each shape...

Students will work in groups to design and conduct an experiment to identify amino acids found in an unknown solution. This lesson is taught in three sections: (1) Introduction to chromatography (2) Experimental design session (3)...

Students identify erosion in various forms and explain its causes. They look for evidence of erosion on school grounds, describe it in their journals, and draw labeled rough sketches of the erosion.

Students explore consumer math by participating in estimate exercises. In this currency lesson, students identify and define each piece of U.S. currency and their value to the monetary system. Students complete several money worksheets...

Students are introduced to the structure of folk tales. After working through an example, they identify as many folk tales as possible that follow the same pattern. In groups, they compare a folk tale and a fairy tale to identify the...

If you have taught the first lesson in this mini unit, learners already know that cabbage juice and vinegar cause chemical changes in some materials. Now, they get a chance to use them to compare the liquids' reactions to five known and...

Visual models are excellent teaching tools when explaining equivalent fractions. Looking at a rectangle cut into twelfths, students first identify the shaded fraction, and then explain whether the fraction is equal to one-fourth....

Eighth graders classify geometric figures.  For this polygon lesson, 8th graders identify given geometric figures.  They compare and contrast different polygons.  Students name line segments, identify parallel lines, and...