Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Up and Down Fault Blocks

For Teachers 6th Standards
The Sierra Mountains in Nevada and the Tetons in Wyoming originally formed as fault block mountains. In order to visualize these fault blocks, pupils use construction paper to create layers of earth. They cut the paper models and form...
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Earth Shaking Events

For Teachers 6th Standards
The world's largest measured earthquake happened in 1960 in Chile, reaching a terrifying 9.5 magnitude on the Richter Scale. The second lesson in the 20-part series introduces earthquakes and fault lines. Scholars map where previous...
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Fault Formations

For Teachers 6th Standards
The San Andreas Fault moves about two inches a year, approximately the same rate fingernails grow—crazy! The third lesson in the series allows for hands-on exploration of various fault formations. Through the use of a Popsicle stick,...
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Spaghetti Fault Model

For Teachers 6th Standards
Does increasing the pressure between two moving plates provide a stabilizing force or create more destruction? The hands-on lesson plan encourages exploration of strike-split fault models. The sixth lesson plan in a 20-part series...
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Finding the Epicenter

For Teachers 6th Standards
The epicenter is the point on the ground above the initial point of rupture. The 10th lesson in a series of 20 encourages scholars to learn to triangulate the epicenter of an earthquake based on the arrival times of p waves and s...
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Eruptions and Volcano Types

For Teachers 6th Standards
The Mammoth Lakes area regularly releases warnings to hikers and skiers to be careful because melting snow releases trapped gases from volcanic vents. The 17th lesson plan in the 20-part series opens with a demonstration of carbon...
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Earthquake Building/Shaking Contest

For Teachers 6th Standards
Japan is one of only a handful of countries that constructs buildings that are almost earthquake proof. The 13th lesson in the 20-part series challenges scholars to build structures to test against earthquakes. With limited materials and...
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Earthquake Preparedness

For Teachers 6th
Forty-five states and territories in the USA are at moderate to very high risk of earthquakes. The discussion-based lesson covers what to do before, during, and after an earthquake. The 14th lesson in the series includes how to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

5E Magnets

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders, when working with magnets, make a prediction about what will happen if you put two ring magnets on an upright pencil, with 100% accuracy. They also experiment with magnets on poles to see which one pushes the other one away.
Lesson Plan
2
2
American Chemical Society

Moving Molecules in a Solid

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Who likes magic shows? In the fourth of five lessons, pupils view a scientific magic trick. The ball fits through the ring easily, but then moments later, it won't pass through anymore. What changed? Can we reverse the change? Scholars...
Lesson Plan
2
2
American Chemical Society

Does Temperature Affect Dissolving?

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
When making sweet tea, why do people dissolve the sugar in hot tea instead of cold tea? The class discusses the previous lab and builds upon it. Working in groups, they design an experiment to determine how temperature affects the...
Lesson Plan
2
2
American Chemical Society

Energy Changes in Chemical Reactions

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Some chemical reactions produce heat, but what is really going on? Lesson focuses on the concept of energy changes, both exothermic and endothermic. Scholars perform multiple experiments, hands-on activities, and view videos of the...
Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

Master P in the House: An All School Energy and Climate Change Plan

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
A person in the US uses 20 times more energy than a person in India—that's a drastic difference! The final lesson in the 12-part series goes back to the initial energy audits, analyzes which room showed the most conservation of energy,...
Lesson Plan
Science 4 Inquiry

The Yin and Yang of Photosynthesis: Day vs. Night

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Floating fragments of elodea can grow even without roots. Young scientists use eldoea plants to observe the oxygen production from photosynthesis. They study the difference between having access to high amounts of light and low amounts...
Lesson Plan
Science 4 Inquiry

The Real Story of Where Babies Come From

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Pupils learn about both male and female anatomy before understanding how they work together to make a baby. Scholars discover new vocabulary, create a presentation on fertilization, and discuss related topics.
Lesson Plan
PBS

NOVA Cloud Lab Lesson Plan

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
A sign that washed away from Hurricane Sandy in 2012 beached itself 3,595 miles away in France. This artifact and others from around the world help scientists understand water currents and the far-reaching impact of hurricanes. Scholars...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Exoplanets through Kepler’s Laws

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The majority of all confirmed exoplanets relied on Kepler's laws to discover their locations. Scholars learn how to apply Kepler's laws and then practice using data to discover exoplanets. They benefit from NASA video footage, NOVA...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sports Helmets and Impact Testing of Polymers

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students examine the importance of good quality safety gear. In this investigative lesson, students will tests various polymers, collect data, and analyze the data to determine which polymer is best for safety helmets. They will design a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather, Sea Level Rise and Climate Change Course

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Learners explain the impact of glacial melting to global climate change. In this environmental science lesson, students design an experiment to investigate the effect of salinity change to melting glaciers. They share their results to...
Lesson Plan
NASA

Producers Make Their Own Food

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
During an inquiry-based lesson plan, scholars decide which variable to test and then design an experiment to determine the needs of producers. After two weeks, they complete a full analysis and research paper.
Lesson Plan
NASA

Decomposers Get Energy From Dead Things

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
When life gives you mold, make penicillin. Scholars design an inquiry experiment to determine what causes rotting and mold growth. It also covers decomposers and the important role they play for other living things. 
Lesson Plan
NASA

The Cycle of Matter

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
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. 
Lesson Plan
NASA

The Importance of Food

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Pupils make observations while eating food. They act out the process of food breaking down in the body and the roles of various chemical components, such as sugar and protein. It concludes with an activity illustrating the process and a...
Lesson Plan
NASA

Consumers Get Energy From Other Living Things

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
How do plants and animals get their food? Learn about where energy comes from, how animals store energy, and aerobic respiration, in a lesson that allows scholars to diagram energy flows. 

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