Messenger Education
Mission: Possible—How Can We Plan an Exploration of Another World?
An astronaut's spacesuit weighs 280 pounds and takes 45 minutes to put on — that's a serious suit! The second activity of a three-part series allows pupils to see all that goes into space exploration. Through simulations, groups analyze...
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
A Case Study of Memory Loss in Mice
Using a short news article, high school or college biologists examine the scientific method in practice. The article, which focuses on an Alzheimer's experiment performed on rats, has very limited information, so learners must be able to...
Curated OER
Something Fishy?
Learners try to draw and identify a jellyfish from a physical description. After reading an article, they discover new information about cnidarians. In groups, they research and develop dioramas about a specific cnidarian species. They...
Curated OER
Are We Falling Apart? Exploding Volcanoes
Students research and demonstrate volcanic activity. In this volcanism lesson, students research the types of volcanoes and define related terms using the Internet. They demonstrate volcanic activity with water, corn syrup, and flour.
Curated OER
The Dichotomy of Viruses
Students benefit from an education about these nonliving pathogens.
Curated OER
Get Ready to Hibernate! Migrate! or Get Fat!
Young scholars explore the different ways which animals survive the winter months, and sort animals into correct categories using a Venn diagram.
Curated OER
Feeding Frenzy
Learners examine, through experimentation and simulation, how insect mouthparts are adapted for particular food sources, discuss how various animals have adapted to survive, play Feeding Frenzy game, and complete activity sheets.
Curated OER
Bivalve Biology
Students place clams into a beaker containing saltwater. They place a small drop of food coloring just above the shell. Students observe the movement of the food coloring. Clams are then placed into clean beakers of saltwater with 24...
Curated OER
What are the Different Kinds of Fossils?
Students examine different types of fossils. In this fossil lesson plan, students investigate the attributes of mold fossils, trace fossils, cast fossils, and true form fossils. Students create their own fossil samples.
Curated OER
Elephants
Young scholars research an elephant habit and present their findings to the class. In this elephant lesson plan, students also answer short answer questions about elephant characteristics and features.
Curated OER
Woolly Mammoth
Students learn about the woolly mammoth by reading facts and watching videos. In this woolly mammoth lesson plan, students also color pictures of woolly mammoths.
Curated OER
Fiber of Life
Young scholars examine the importance of plants to individuals and society through a multi-discipline set of activities. They observe and draw different leaf structures and then create a book about trees and photosynthesis. They explore...
Curated OER
Science: Birds in Flight
Students identify and examine adaptations in birds that enable them to fly. They conduct Internet research to relate these adaptations to the physics of flight. Students observe birds in flight and describe their behavior and flight...
Curated OER
Oil + Water + Wildlife = A Real Mess
Students conduct an experiment. In this environmental protection lesson, students explore how oil spills affect living organisms in an ecosystem. Students work in groups to complete a lab activity and then discuss their findings.
Curated OER
Inside the Egg, Hatching Chickens
Pupils conduct an egg candling activity to show the life inside a fertile egg. Students discuss the needs the egg has of the hen, as well as similarities and differences between plants and animals. Pupils complete a life cycle wheel...
Curated OER
Skates
Students gain understanding of structure, characteristics, and basic needs of living things and their role in world, identify parts of skate, observe details of skate's body and skate egg case, and identify unique characteristics of skates.
Curated OER
Making Good Impressions
Fourth graders participate in an experiment where they experiment with impression fossils. They identify and describe the measurable attributes of the impression fossils. There are many parts and materials for this experiment.
Curated OER
Make a Bison
Students discover how bison were hunted by the Native Americans and compare it to the buffalo. Using construction paper, they trace a bison outline given to them and use coffee grounds to fill in the space where the fur would be. They...
Curated OER
Build an Exhibit
Eighth graders discover the importance of keeping the water in the water supply clean. Using the internet, they complete an activity in which they record their answers on a worksheet. In groups, they create their own exhibit on...
Curated OER
From Polliwog to Frog
Students examine how frogs change. In this life cycle lesson, students create a model to show how a frog changes throughout its life. Students will show the process of frog metamorphosis, from polliwog to adult frog.
Curated OER
What Are You Doing Here?
Students draw scenes of different environments and create unexpected visitors in those environments. They reinforce their understanding of the characteristics of different environments and the animals that do or do not live in these...
Curated OER
Show Some Backbone and Teach Invertebrates
Fifth graders identify two similarities and two differences between two phyla, assign fictitious invertebrate to its phylum and explain why it belongs in that grouping, and construct member of given phylum and explain why it should be...
Curated OER
Paper Sculpture Habitats
Students develop skills in sculpture. They acknowledge that sculpture can be made in a variety of ways. Students encounter different ways paper can be manipulated. They gain experience in collaboration.