US Department of Energy
Electric Avenue: Parallel and Series Circuits
Can you infer the wiring diagram of a series of lights based on their behavior alone? Scholars work with multiple boxes of four lights. They must flip the switch and decide how the lights are wired. By applying their knowledge of...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Weighing the Evidence for a Mass Extinction: Part 1 – In the Ocean
Extinction events have happen throughout geologic history, but only five mass extinctions occurred over the last 4.5 billion years. Scholars view fossils from a layer of sediment during an extinction event and observe patterns to draw...
College Board
2009 AP® Environmental Science Free-Response Questions
How do genetically modified crops affect agricultural practices? This is one of four environmental questions scholars respond to in an AP® test prep resource. Other topics include methane digesters, water runoff, and nitrogen-based...
College Board
2001 AP® Environmental Science Free-Response Questions
Water quality testing often reveals interesting facts about the local environment. Scholars respond to several AP® questions highlighting topics such as air pollution, water pollution, and the spread of disease. Each question requires a...
Integrated Physics and Chemistry
Law of Conservation of Matter
Does mass change during a chemical reaction? Demonstrate the Law of Conservation of Matter while encouraging class members to be creative with a two-part lesson. First, learners use Alka-Seltzer® tablets and water to demonstrate the...
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Poisoned Picnic
A group of teachers attended a picnic; ten became sick and another four died. Young scholars must solve the mystery of what happened. They research the river, waste water treatment plant, each food that was served, and environmental...
Intel
Starquest
Almost every ancient culture observed the stars and saw pictures in the patterns. Studying stars allowed them to guide travelers, determine when to plant crops, when to harvest food, and the stories surrounding the images include some of...
Intel
Plugging into the Sun
What's cooking? A sizzling STEM unit challenges scholars to build a solar cooker that can successfully cook an egg. The unit opens with a study of Earth's rotation, the sun's energy, and shadows. Pupils use a compass and thermometer to...
California Academy of Science
The Heat is On: Cause and Effect and Climate
The higher the number of letters in the final word for the National Spelling Bee, the higher the number of people killed by venomous spiders. Obviously, those two facts correlate, but no causation exists. Scholars view data based on...
Curated OER
Making Sense of Journey North Maps
Students use maps and answer core curriculum questions in order to increase comprehension and practice higher order thinking skills. This helps them develop writing skills through the practice of keeping Science Journals.
Intel
Cell-to-Cell
The third in a series of 10 STEM project-based lessons focuses on cells types, functions, and physiology. Through research, discussions, writings, and presentations, groups learn about the difference between plant and animal cells, the...
Intel
Using Electricity on the Job
Learners explore electricity, discussing its importance and researching different ways in which electricity can be generated. Groups present their findings to the class and then create publicity materials which promote and educate about...
Curated OER
What Is Natural?
Your junior highers will learn about which objects are natural and classify objects as abiotic or biotic. Your class will trace human products to their natural resources using matter cycles and then create their own definition of nature.
Curated OER
What and Why (Cause and Effect)
Students examine cause and effect. For this cause and effect lesson, students discuss examples of cause and effect that their instructor shares with them. Students identify examples of cause and effect in their own lives and then...
Curated OER
It Counts
Students classify and compare plants using specific information, observations, and numbers. In this mathematical inquiry lesson, students use plant characteristics to describe, compare, and classify them. They attempt to develop a system...
Curated OER
Thinking Like An Engineer
Students explore physics. They investigate the strategies used by an engineer to solve a problem. Students construct various models to solve the problem. They display their solutions and explain how they solved the problem.
Edmond Public Schools
8th Grade Science Resource Book: Unit 2 - Physics
Get things moving with this extensive collection of physical science resources. Covering the fundamentals of measurement, graphing, lab safety, and experimental design as well as the specific scientific concepts of velocity,...
Curated OER
Apple Observation
In this apple observation instructional activity, learners identify with the importance of observations and respond to the questions that follow the activity. They describe the image they see when they think of a red apple, including its...
Curated OER
Strange Winter Weather Affects Nature, People
Young scholars react to a series of statements about the weather, then read a news article about the affect of unusual winter weather on people and animals. In this meteorology and current events instructional activity, the teacher...
Curated OER
Sense Of Place
Students study ecology, listen to speakers and research conservation topics. In this investigative lesson students discuss wilderness resources, learn about Native Americans and participate in activities that help them to better...
Curated OER
Insect Travel Brochure
Seventh graders study producers and consumers in habitats. They examine the trophic levels and how different organisms interact with a focus on insects. They create a travel brochure for an insect to visit a habitat which they create.
Curated OER
Forests, Deserts, & Grasslands
Third graders complete activities to become familiar with the content and vocabulary related to biomes and ecosystems in order to mainstream into the classroom.
Curated OER
Rainforest Realities
Learners gather information about the rainforest and the environment from the Internet. They analyze the impact that humans have on the environment. They also collect and organize data they find on the rainforest.
Curated OER
Insect Unit
Second graders use technology to investigate the concept of an insect. They use Kidspiration in order to create an insect. Then research is conducted to match the picture with the correct insect. Then students write a report about the...