Curated OER
Slam On the Brakes!
Fifth graders study the concept of momentum and its application by Newton in his studies. They view a demonstration and complete an experiment with toy cars on a racetrack that shows them the properties of momentum and how velocity and...
Curated OER
Sports Helmets and Impact Testing of Polymers
Students examine the importance of good quality safety gear. In this investigative instructional activity, students will tests various polymers, collect data, and analyze the data to determine which polymer is best for safety helmets....
Curated OER
Limiting Reagent
Students work in small groups with a small set of 8 nuts and 5 bolts to assemble into combinations of 1 nut: 1 bolt, and 2 nuts: 1 bolt. They explore the outcome and discuss. Then a student mixes two clear, colorless solutions together...
Curated OER
Falling Motion
Students design and conduct an experiment on Galileo's Rule of Falling Bodies. In this physics lesson, students collect and analyze data. They create a presentation and share it with the class.
Curated OER
Changes In Matter, Not In Weight
Fifth graders investigate different objects and the examine the correlation of mass and weight. They conduct the experiment with the help of background information provided by the teacher and record observations before making...
Curated OER
Enzymatic Action
Students observe how a cell uses an enzyme to rid itself of a poisonous substance by experimenting with hydrogen peroxide, potatoes, liver and carrots. They record the temperature and changes of the hydrogen peroxide as other elements...
NASA
Soda Straw Rockets
Three, two, one, blast off to a better understanding of force and motion with this exciting science lesson! Beginning with a discussion about rockets and gravity, young scientists go on to complete a series of worksheets about net forces...
Teach Engineering
Designing a Sustainable Guest Village in the Saguaro National Park
Brainstorm ideas to design a sustainable guest village in the Sonoran Desert. The first installment of a nine-part unit teaches young environmental scientists about the basics of the Saguaro National Park and about sustainable design....
Teach Engineering
Designing a Winning Guest Village in the Saguaro National Park
Don't desert a resource on the desert! Scholars work in groups to build on their ideas from the previous lesson to design a sustainable guest village in the Saguaro National Park. Each group produces a PowerPoint presentation to share...
Curated OER
Matter
Eighth graders explore chemical reactions and their products. They define a chemical reaction and describe the characteristics of a chemical reaction. Students classify chemical reactions.
Curated OER
Impulse/Momentum Lab
Students investigate the relationship between force and momentum using motion detectors and sensors. In this physics lesson plan, students graph experimental results. They calculate impulse using the area under the graph.
Curated OER
Combustion Reactions
High schoolers write a balanced chemical reaction. They articulate how burning fossil fuels increase the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Students incorporate all the environmental risks involved as well.
Curated OER
States of Matter Mini-Unit
Students identify he phases of matter (solid, liquid, gas), and why they take place. They comprehend what a physical change is and what a chemical change is. Students know the difference between a Mixture and a Solution.
Curated OER
Ballistic Pendulum Lab
Young scholars determine the muzzle velocity of projectile launcher. In this physics lesson, students compare the pendulum method and kinematic method in calculating the initial velocity. They analyze data and discuss results in class.
Curated OER
Photosynthesis and Respiration
Eighth graders differentiate photosynthesis and respiration. In this biology lesson, 8th graders draw a diagram explaining these two processes. They answer a quiz after the lesson.
Curated OER
Synthesizing Pigment and Dyeing Cloth
Students create a synthetic dye and oxidize the dye and record the effects.
Curated OER
Ice Ain't Easy
Learners are told that objects in contact with one another reach an equilibrium temperature. A hot object placed in a cool liquid always cool off. It never happens that the object gets hotter and cool liquid gets colder. Students predict...
Curated OER
Jell-O Optics
Students observe an activity with Jell-O to learn about optics. In this investigative lesson students fill out a handout on the activity that helps them to investigate the index of refraction and the speed of light.