Scholastic
STEM Challenges and Activity Sheets for Grades 6–8
From 3-D cities to building bridges, young engineers engage in innovative STEM challenges that promote brainstorming and collaboration. Learners take on the roles of different types of engineers as well as become familiar...
Curated OER
A Sea Turtle Experience
Students observe live green sea turtles and use their imagination to form questions about the animals. They present these questions to their teacher. Students then complete the activity sheets highlighting sea turtle biology and...
Curated OER
Beneficial Bug Scavenger Hunt
Going on a scavenger hunt sounds like a great way to spice up any lesson plan. To better understand how beneficial insects are, the class goes outdoors to search for and observe a bug that has big benefits. Included in the lesson are...
Curated OER
Field Guide to Schoolyard Insects and Their Relatives
Sometimes all you need to complete your perfect lesson plan is an awesome hands-on learning experience. Here is an extension activity that is sure to excite your learners. They'll head outside to observe the local insect community. When...
Curated OER
Tracking an Active Sunspot Region
Eighth graders plot the location of a single active region for 12 days. In this sunspot lesson students track an active region across the face of the sun.
Curated OER
Individual Horizontal Sundial 2: Cloud/Rain Activity
Young scholars create a sundial to measure local apparent time as it relates to the position of the sun in the sky. In this sundial lesson, students cut and glue gnomon to a sheet of thin cardboard. Young scholars then set the...
Curated OER
Exploring Seasonal Shadows and Sunlight
What can shadows tell us about the changing season? Over several months, astronomy learners record length and position of an outdoor object's shadow, such as a flagpole. They apply the data to a growing hypothesis and note the...
Cornell University
Renewable Resins and Composites
Merge chemistry with environmental science to study biodegradable materials. An engaging activity allows learners to experiment with different resin concentrations and composites. Through experimental tests, scholars test their creations...
ARKive
Butterflies and Blooms
The Northwoods of Wisconsin are lovely in the summer,and they are also home to many flower and butterfly species. Investigate the ways in which seasonal flowers and butterflies are interdependent on each other for survival with a fun...
Curated OER
Investigating Properties of Water: Temperature
Investigate how temperature affects the density of water and stratification that occurs in bodies of water when temperatures vary. Water of differing temperatures is given different colors to see the layers that form. The activity is...
Curated OER
Plotting Sunspot Activity
Students explore how to graph sunspots using a solar graph. In this sunspots lesson plan students investigate sunspots and complete and evaluation worksheet.
Curated OER
FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA
Identify agricultural products grown in each region of the country.
Discuss how geography affects what is grown or raised in a particular area.1. Hand out a copy of the two activity sheets "Food From Sea to Shining Sea" to each student....
Curated OER
Energy Efficient Homes
Students observe and gather data from a model simulated home. In this efficiency lesson students examine the factors that influence energy efficiency, complete a lab activity then draw conclusions from their data.
Curated OER
Summer Water & Sand Activity: Go with the Flow
Students discover different materials that help to transport water in order to develop their observation and problem solving science skills. In this water instructional activity, students first brainstorm about different ways that water...
Curated OER
Sun's Path
Learners explore the movement of the sun across the sky. In this science instructional activity, students use clear plastic hemispheres and markers to record how the sun moves across the sky. Learners write directions so the activity...
Curated OER
World Cities and the Olympics
Students examine the various cities in which Olympics have been held. Using a map, they describe the reasons why those cities were chosen and choose their own city for the Olympics and state the reasons why. They examine information...
Curated OER
Why Here? Why Not There?
Students analyze a map and graph information on eleven countries. Using the characteristics of the countries, they determine if they should host the summer or winter Olympic games. After viewing a video, they locate the latitudes of...
Curated OER
Introduction to Watsonville Wetlands
Identify the different plants and animals found in wetlands, your class will explain the importance of wetland ecosystem and locate the different wetlands in their area.
Curated OER
Bird Airport Control
Students visit a local wetland and record observations of waterfowl on downloadable worksheets. They compile class data and list similarities and differences among species of birds observed.
Curated OER
Copycats
Students practice making prints of their own unique designs. In this printmaking lesson, students create a design with paint on Styrofoam plates. They press their painted picture on paper to create a duplicate print. They then practice...
Curated OER
Project 1
Students are given a coin to observe and make inferences about. Using a worksheet, they make two columns to list their observations and inferences in an organized manner. They develop a hypothesis based on one of the inferences and...
Curated OER
Bird airport control
Students identify the various species of birds found in the wetlands. Students observe and record the key skills involved in scientific inquiry. Students handle and interpret data gathered on a field trip which reveals patterns and...
Curated OER
Stacking Water
Learners experiment with different salinities of water using straws and different colors of water. They collect and interpret data from the experiment.
Curated OER
Why Is It Hotter At the Equator?
Middle schoolers investigate the different heating effects of sunlight. They conduct an experiment that demonstrates the way sunlight strikes the equator, the poles and other parts of the globe.