You've got to pump it up! Using the equations for projectile motion and Bernoulli's Principle, class members calculate the water pressure in a water gun. The pupils collect data on the number of pumps and distance traveled in order...

Students perform experiments measuring water pressure. They record their observations after poking holes in plastic bottles filled with water with the lids on and then off. They discover the role gravity plays in the water flow.

Larvae transportation on the New England seamounts is based on the density of the water. Scholars calculate density and graph salinity versus temperature to better understand the distribution of organisms in a water column....

Present the class with a question on whether the water level of a pond will rise they take a large rock out of a boat and drop it into the pond. Groups come down on all sides of the question and try to justify their answers. The activity...

Fifth graders study air pressure and learn how it can change the weather. In this air pressure lesson, 5th graders study the given diagrams and complete the experiments to learn how air pressure can change the weather. Students read...

Students observe a demonstration of how pressure and temperature affects cloud formation.

Students explore the states of water. In this water states lesson plan, students observe ice over time and the changes that take place. Students read a related text and draw their observations in a journal entry. Students discuss the...

How does chemistry help deep-sea explorers? Part four of a five-part series of lessons from aboard the Okeanos Explorer introduces middle school scientists to technologies used in ocean exploration. Groups work together to analyze data...

Students are introduced to the processes of evaporation and condensation as they observe physical changes in water. They observe how matter changes from a solid to a liquid state. Students are explained that steam is water in its gaseous...

Learners explore the relationship between pressure and vessel diameter. They are given an open-ended design challenge in which they engineer their own remote repair device. Students see a model that represents how elevated blood...

Students perform experiments using flexible bottles of water and eyedroppers partially filled and placed in the bottle. They record what happens when they tighten the bottle lid and squeeze the bottle.

Fourth graders observe demonstrations how heated air rises and becomes a low pressure area. After watching several teacher-conducted experiments, 4th graders, in groups, discuss and answer questions in their journals. Finally, they...

Here's a lesson that is simply a-MAZE-ing! Introduce science scholars to pipeline systems through a hands-on project. Partnered pupils participate in the design, construct, and test a PVC pipeline maze. Reusable materials and clear...

Clay's as good a material as any to build a boat, right? An introductory lesson sets the stage for two activities associated with buoyancy. The first involves building boats out of clay, while the second uses these boats to measure the...

Scientists have been studying exothermic reactions before they were cool. The lesson plan begins with a discussion and a demonstration of heat curves. Scholars then determine the heat of fusion of ice and the heat needed...

Change the density of water by adding minerals. The presentation discusses density—from the definition to calculations—and applies it to the real world. It briefly mentions specific gravity, and finishes by showing Archimedes'...

Learners work in a mini lab where they measure the temperature every 30 seconds for several minutes as water is heated. They are asked what makes liquid different from a solid. Students view a PowerPoint on the model of liquids,...

Students experiment to investigate the role in fixed-wing flight. They watch as air and water flow around surfaces to examine the dynamics of airflow around an aircraft wing.

Pupils observe and determine what their lung capcity is. They fill a two-liter bottle completely with water and place the cap back on. Students fill a dishpan half full of water. They place the cap-end of the bottle into the water in the...

Who knew that a possible answer to Earth's energy resource problems was lurking deep beneath the ocean's surface? Part four of a six-part series introduces Earth Science pupils to methane hydrate, a waste product of methanogens. After...

Students examine groundwater and its relationship to springs, artesian wells, ordinary wells, and sinkholes. They describe the process by which sinkholes are formed. They investigate saltwater contamination and its causes.

Sometimes scientists learn more from unexpected findings than from routine analysis! Junior oceanographers dive deep to explore hydrothermal vent communities in the fourth activity in a series of five. Scholars examine data and look for...

Tenth graders discuss marine mammal diving reflex, and measure pulse rate while holding their breath under three conditions: control, warm water, and ice water to determine if humans exhibit marine mammal diving reflex.

Students investigate the growth of yeast in a sugar solution. They verify the pressure of carbon dioxide using bromothymol blue. Students are asked to describe the difference between the contents of the test tubes used and to explain...