Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Applied Science - Physics Post-Lab

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students investigate energy. In this Physics instructional activity, students explore different sources of energy: heat, nuclear, and chemical. Students sing an electricity song.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Matter and Energy

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore energy by completing a science worksheet in class. In this principles of matter lesson, students define the vocabulary terms force, gravity, nuclear, and electromagnetic before reading assigned text about energy....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lightning

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students investigate lightning. In this lightning lesson, students demonstrate how static electricity is in the air by observing how a balloon reacts to a charge.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Water Cycle and Global Warming

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Students study the flow of water in the environment.  In this water cycle lesson students evaluate the consequences of changes in the water cycle using data. 
Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Synthesis and Characterization of CdSe Quantum Dots

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Does the size of a sample change the physical properties of that substance? It turns out it can! Young scientists combine physics and chemistry to synthesize CdSe quantum dots and record their color properties. Learners should...
Lesson Plan
SRI International

Science of Water

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Water is crucial to survival. Scholars gain an appreciation for water by reading about it, learning about its atomic properties, and investigating its properties through six stations in a lab activity.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Physical Changes to Matter

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Pupils explore matter by conducting an in-class experiment. They experiment with water's various forms by melting and freezing water, identifying its new shape. These observations are recorded to supplement later discussion. They also...
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

A Crystal Lab

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Young chemists grow ionic crystals, metallic crystals, and supersaturated crystals in three different lab experiments. Observing these under a microscope allows pupils to compare the various structures. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chemical Formulas Unit-Day 4

For Teachers 10th - 11th
The purpose of this lesson involves reviewing nomenclature and molecular formulas as well as introducing naming molecular compounds and identifying acids. The students investigate and understand how conservation of energy and matter is...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Chemical Balancing Act

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners decompose glucose and write an equation for the reaction. In this decomposition reaction lesson plan, students burn a sample of glucose and test the products for water using cobalt chloride paper. They write a balanced equation...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is a greenhouse?

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students experiment to gain understanding of how a greenhouse retains heat.  In this greenhouse lesson, students work with soda bottles and simulate a greenhouse. Students compare data from a vented and intact bottle. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Density and Mass

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students experiment to find which liquids are more dense.  In this density and mass instructional activity, students predict and then test objects to observe and measure their density. students observe which items sink and float....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Winter

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the nature of water and water molecules. They examine the role of ice on organisms.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Matter Matters: Solids, Liquids and Gases

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Scientists participate in a variety of hands-on experiments in this ten-day unit on the three states of matter. Lessons incorporate literature, a-v materials, and poetry to help students differentiate between solids, liquids and gases.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Catering Middle-School Science: Monomers, Polymers, and Macromolecules

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students investigate foods. For this biology lesson plan, students will conduct testing on different types of foods as they learn about different molecules that make them up. Students will also learn about the shapes of the molecules.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reading Chemical Formulas

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students interpret basic chemical formulas. When class begins, students interpret a "chemical formula" for fruit salad. After they interpret the recipe, students use the same strategies to identify chemical formulas. They evaluate the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Surface Water and Groundwater

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students examine distribution of water and minerals. In this surface and groundwater activity, students conduct an experiment with fresh and salt water making hypothesis and drawing conclusions about minerals. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plastics by the Numbers

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate plastic resins and their uses. In this plastics lesson plan, students describe major plastic resins and what they are used for, they compare and contrast the properties of plastic resins and they list products that...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Carbon Cycle Game

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this carbon cycle lesson, middle schoolers review the carbon cycle and visit stations in the room where they experience every phase in the carbon cycle. Students journal about their journey through the cycle and brainstorm ways...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

States of Water

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students investigate the 3 states of matter. In this physical science "matter" lesson plan, students observe and participate in a number of demonstrations involving melting and freezing water. Students observe the effect heat has on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Boot Reer Root Beer

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders investigate chemical reactions. In this physical science instructional activity, 5th graders make dry ice root beer and identify the type of change that occurs to the root beer mixture.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Traveling Nitrogen

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students act out the cycling of nitrogen through the environment. In this nutrient cycle instructional activity, students role play as nitrogen atoms traveling through the nitrogen cycle. They travel to stations and roll dice...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mixtures of Matter

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Students experiment with mixtures of matter. In this matter lesson, students investigate which liquids form a solution when mixed together and which do not. Students also identify which solids can be separated from matter.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mixtures of Matter

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students experiment with solids and liquids. In this mixtures of matter instructional activity, students combine matter to form solutions. Students hypothesize, test, and analyze the data to draw conclusions. The instructional activity...