Discover Earth
Weather Stations
Transform your classroom into a fully functioning weather station with this series of hands-on investigations. Covering the topics of temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, and cloud formation, these activities engage young...
Royal Society of Chemistry
Acids and Alkalis—Gifted and Talented Chemistry
Looking for a comprehensive plan for teaching acid-base chemistry? Science scholars discover acid-base interactions through a thoughtfully written unit. The resource is divided into paced activities and individual work designed to...
Royal Society of Chemistry
Computational Chemistry—Chemistry Now
Can some plants make their own animal repellents? Science sleuths examine the properties of cinnamamide in pear trees using an case study about computational chemistry. The resource discusses how vital computers are to research, how...
Colorado State University
Can You Drink Through a 30 Foot Straw?
Drinking straws are a pretty simple device ... or, are they? Explore the possibility of sipping a beverage 30 feet away with an engaging activity that's sure to keep pupils guessing. Just place a long piece of plastic tubing in a glass,...
Curated OER
HIV/AIDS in Our Spanish-Speaking Community and the World
Students study the HIV virus and how it has impacted the hispanic community. In this infectious disease lesson students discover how HIV/Aids is found all over the world, what misconceptions are out there and what kinds of...
NASA
The Cycle of Matter
An educational lesson focuses on the idea of conservation of matter through a demonstration of the water cycle, a discussion of digesting food, and the path of carbon and oxygen atoms as they change form.
Curated OER
The New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811-1812: Shaking Our Misconceptions about Earthquakes in United States History
Students Examine how earthquakes work and what plate tectonics and fault lines are. In this earthquake lesson plan students complete an earthquake scavenger hunt.
Curated OER
OF SUNSETS, SOULS AND SENSES: Science, Scientific Methods, Natural and Supernatural
Students explore the realm and limits of science. Engages students to give examples of topics that can be studied by science, and those that cannot. This also takes a examine descriptive terms, which reflect the true nature of modern...
Curated OER
Selection and Variation in the Egyptian Origami Bird
High schoolers investigate genetics and evolution of species. They simulate the breeding of birds using origami birds. In addition, using dice they introduce genetic variation into the species.
Curated OER
Chemical Change in the Kitchen
Young scholars examine chemical changes to food. In this chemical changes lesson plan, students make foods and observe the changes. The changes are recorded in an observation journal. Young scholars photograph food they make at different...
Curated OER
Light and Starch Production in Photosynthesis
Students are given the unique opportunity to see the contrast between parts of a leaf that have photosynthesized and parts of the leaf that have not. This visual image helps students see the results of this biological process. At the...
Curated OER
Cell Communication
Students clarify common misconceptions about cells. They assess initial knowledge of cells and cell behavior, read and discuss an article and consider the role of cell communication in the diseases of diabetes, multiple sclerosis and...
Curated OER
Tilted Earth
What causes Earth's seasons? Find out through a series of anticipatory questions, an easy yet powerful activity representing the sun-Earth system, a diagram to label, and follow-up questions. Dispel the misconceptions about Earth being...
Education Development Center
Distance, Rate, and Time—Walking Home
Dig into a classic math problem with your classes. Through an engaging task, learners work with rate and distance information to make conclusions. In the task, two people walk at different rates; one leaves first, and scholars...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Shrink Me!
The incredibly shrinking meter—decimeters to centimeters, to millimeters, and now to nanometers! Learners may have a difficult time visualizing particles on a nanoscale. Help them see a little clearer using a well-designed lesson...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
The Micro and Macro World Around Us
Don't let your eyes play tricks on you ... use scale to keep your eyes in check! Young scholars observe images without scale and try to identify the structure. Then, they look at the same image with a scale bar and assess whether their...
Curated OER
Three D Constellations
High schoolers address a major misconception in astronomy, the understanding of scale. The lesson is designed to introduce students to both celestial coordinates and to the first rung on the distance determination ladder, parallax.
Curated OER
Mystery Boxes: Uncertainty and Collaboration
Students manipulate boxes with unknown internal structure and contents to become familiar with the concept of uncertainty in science.
Curated OER
Objects in the Sky
Young scholars explore what the sky looks like at different times. They identify objects in the sky and recognize changes over time. Students observe the sky and look for objects that are common in both the daytime and the nighttime sky.
Curated OER
Human Origins: The Prehistoric Human Race
When it comes to the origin of the human species young scholars are full of misconceptions. Clear up the hominid confusion with this evolutionary activity focused on assisting students in understanding prehistoric man and his family...
Curated OER
Just Turn it Off
Young scholars explore energy. In this energy lesson, students discover why it is important to conserve energy. Young scholars discover how energy is used in items we use everyday. Students discover how batteries work. Young scholars do...
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...
Curated OER
The Reason for the Seasons
Students compare graphs of their data that was generated on a NASA website. In this seasons lesson plan students complete a lab activity.
Curated OER
A Day in a Life of an Arctic/Antarctic Animal
Students, through video segments, explore what types of animals live in the Arctic and Antarctica. They also clear up any misconceptions they have about penguins or polar bears.