Florida International University
Design Your Own
Apply scientific principles to designing an experiment to study organisms living on the coral reef in our oceans. Through reading, individuals learn about the coral reef ecosystem and important factors that affect its function....
Chemical Education Foundation
Teacher's Guide to Science Projects
Do you find the idea of having a science fair with all of your students intimidating? Use a guide that provides everything you need to know to make project-based learning manageable. The resource includes options for four...
Curated OER
Research Question, Hypothesis and Experimental Design
Students discuss steps of the scientific process, as well as, observe a picture of the beach that they will visit. Students create a testable hypothesis about marine debris at the beach. In this science lesson, students create a...
American Physiological Society
Sticky Adaptations A Lesson on Natural Selection
Now you see it, now you don't! The stick bug exhibits the ability to disappear into a wooded environment. Why does this adaptation manifest in some species, but not in others? Life science students explore animal adaptations in nature...
American Physiological Society
Feeling the Heat
How do the changing seasons affect the homes where we live? This question is at the forefront of engineering and design projects. Challenge your physical science class to step into the role of an architect to build a model home...
Kenan Fellows
Terrarium in a Bottle: Modeling the Atmosphere, Greenhouse Effect, and Water Cycle
You've heard of farm to table ... but what about farm in classroom? Junior agriculturalists embark upon a two-week journey into the science of growing things. Based upon the classic terrarium in a two-liter experiment, the lesson goes...
Curated OER
Tie Dye
Students practice writing research proposals to test the color fastness of a dye once it has been exposed to a t-shirt. Each proposal needs details of experimental design, length of treatment, and means of cleaning the shirt. All...
Curated OER
Beach Cleanup at a Local Beach
Students participate in an environmental clean-up activity. In this environmental instructional activity, students travel to a local beach. Working in small teams, students collect trash from the local beach. Returning to school,...
Curated OER
Designing the Experiment and Answering the Question
Learners investigate scientific methods by analyzing an article from the Natural Inquirer. In this data analysis lesson, students read an article from the magazine and discuss at least 2 scientific methods that could be used to...
Curated OER
Inquiry in Science Using an Animal Behavior Model
Students observe a planaria without a microscope and with a stereoscopic microscope. They draw the planaria and describe its motion and eating habits. Students research planarias various body systems and behavior. They design an...
Curated OER
Testing a New Drug 1
High schoolers act as chief research scientists with the responsibility of testing a new drug. Students design a controlled experiment to test a hypothetical experimental drug. High schoolers write a clear, concise, and detailed plan to...
Curated OER
Investigate Science Using Crayfish
Young scientists discover the importance of scientific investigation by observing live crayfish. They carefully observe the patterns of crayfish in different environments. Then they discuss their conclusions and define what all living...
Curated OER
The Scientific Search for the Loch Ness Monster
Learners gain an understanding of the real world applications of the scientific method. They design their own experiments to prove or disprove the existence of other modern legends, and they design and carry out an experiment to test a...
Curated OER
The Legendary Raptors
How are raptors and airplanes alike? Combine science and language arts in this fun and interactive project. Young scientists research the animal in order to design their own aircraft, and compete in a contest for farthest, fastest, and...
Curated OER
The Five Senses - Observation, Experimentation, Prediction, and Categorization.
First graders engage in this creative and well-designed lesson. They rotate through five learning stations, each devoted to one of the senses. They practice observation, experimentation, prediction, and categorization.
Curated OER
The Life Cycle of the Mealworm
Fourth graders provide a habitat for live mealworms and observe their life cycle. In this animal life cycle and scientific inquiry instructional activity, 4th graders create a habitat for a live mealworm and observe and record related...
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
Bad Fish, Bad Bird
In an advanced biology instructional activity, learners see a PowerPoint about biologist Dr. Westwood, a two-time victim of poisoning. Designed to be used with clickers in the classroom, you could modify the instructional activity by...
Curated OER
2105
Young scholars read excerpts from Jon Scieszka's novel, 2095, prior to presenting their vision of the future in a creative project accompanied by written explanation. They design a museum exhibit which shows a scene from a science...
Curated OER
Gravity Gets You Down
Students design an experiment to investigate how objects with different masses fall. In this physics lesson, students predict how these objects will fall in a vacuum tube. They write a report explaining experimental results and conclusion.
Curated OER
Farming in Space
Students research, design, and run plant growth experiments online. They explore websites, design an experiment using an animation-based building block program, construct a soda bottle hydroponic production unit and a cardboard plant...
Curated OER
Careers in Science
Students learn the trends in the current job market for scientists,
find where the jobs are, the range of salaries, and the job requirements.
They discover that scientists do some very interesting things, then
write a letter of...
Curated OER
Where Do Plants Get Their Food?
Young scholars think about the historical development of the scientific method. They design an experiment that replicates van Helmont's, using only specified materials. Pupils then improved upon van Helmont's procedure and also...
Curated OER
Simple Machines
Students explain how simple machines work and design their own machine. They use the Internet for research.
Curated OER
Light and Optics
Third graders utilize the scientific method to explain light and optics in this five lessons unit. Through experimentation and discussion, 3rd graders canvass the concepts of light traveling, reflection and refraction.