The London Bridge should not have fallen down. And here's why. After a brief history of bridges and the three main types, class members are introduce to the concepts of tension and compression, the two main forces acting upon bridges. 

Students investigate the 4 types of bridges and their strengths and weaknesses at an Internet Website. They describe one type of bridge that they have seen. Students pair off and face each other with their palms touching and feet flat...

Eighth graders examine avalanches after reading excerpts from John Muir's book, "The Yosemite." In small groups, they conduct experiments with flour, sugar, and potato flakes representing different snow consistencies. Then, 8th graders...

Students examine the types of earthquakes that occur in Idaho. In groups, they compare and contrast the types of energy released and how they affect the movement of the Earth. To end the lesson, they analyze a map showing the magnitudes...

Students read about several different media file formats and determine which one is best used in specific situations. They go to different sites and read about the different media formats. Students then answer the questions that are...

To understand the impact coal mining has on the environment, pupils will extract chocolate chips from a cookie. Imagine the cookie is the environment and the chips are the coal. Instruct them to mine as many chips as they can, then have...

One step at a time! A seemingly linear relationship becomes an entirely new type of function. Young scholars build their understanding of step functions by completing a three-stage activity that incorporates multiple representations of...

Students use plastic bottles, water, and condiment packets to simulate how natural gas comes from decaying ocean plants and animals. In this natural gas lesson plan, students also fill out lab packets and answer exit questions.

Sixth graders understand properties and behavior of heat, light, and sound. They describe the production of sound in terms of vibration of objects that create vibrations in other materials. Students describe how sound is made from...

Third graders discover the properties of electromagnets through experiments. For this electromagnet properties lesson, 3rd graders complete six tasks with an elctromagnet.  Students recognize that the wires will heat up when...

Learners engage in scientifically oriented questions. They give priority to evidence, draw conclusions/formulate explanations and connect/evaluate explanations with scientific knowledge. Students communicate and justify proposed...

Seventh graders are introduced to Newton's Third Law of Motion.  In this physics lesson students examine the concept of thrust as one of the forces acting on aircraft.