Curated OER
Surface Area, Who Needs it?
In this geometry lesson on cylinders, geometers explore how to find the smallest surface area for a given volume. They use their knowledge to relate it to the real world by making a model of a livestock tank.
Trash For Teaching
The Light-House Project
Groups work together to design a lighthouse, from designing and drawing the wiring diagram, to creating prototypes of the switch and circuit, to envisioning and building a scale model along with a blueprint. By including different...
The Alamo
The Alamo
Remember the Alamo! Scholars investigate the Battle of San Jacinto during the Texas Revolution. Using models, maps, quotes, biographies, and the Oath of Allegiance, the Alamo comes to life as the stories of those who fought and died in...
NOAA
Water Cycle
Be water wise! Science scholars learn the water cycle on a global scale in part seven of a 13-installment series. The hands-on interactive allows them to explore Earth's water storage, types of precipitation, and the cycling of water...
Curated OER
The Living Environment
In this reading comprehension lesson, 2nd graders have the choice between musical, kinesthetic, logical mathematical and verbal linguistic options to display their knowledge. Students can write a song, perform a play, construct a model...
Curated OER
Scale Model of the Earth
Students work together to create a model of the Earth. They label and identify each layer and describing its properties. They discover how engineers use models to test different concepts.
Curated OER
THE TRAVELS OF BABAR: An Adventure in Scale :Building a Model Hot Air Balloon
Students encounter basic facts about helium and hot air. They compare the weight and size of different materials. Students work collaboratively in teams. They create their own model balloon.
Curated OER
Desalination: Creating a Solar Still
To better understand how solar power can aid in creating desalinated drinking water, the class creates a model still. They will build a model of a solar still, make observations, and discuss how the process works. While the idea behind...
Curated OER
Field Trip - San Francisco Bay Model
Students investigate scale models while attending a field trip within the San Francisco Bay Area. In this oceanography lesson, students identify the currents of the Bay Area and discuss how they are created by different tides....
Curated OER
Build Your Own Sea Turtle
Students design and create their own sea turtles. They investigate the marine turtle anatomy by constructing a model of a sea turtle. They incorporate the vocabulary that identifies each part of the sea turtle's anatomy.
Alabama Wildlife Federation
Butterfly Gardening
Build a place for butterflies to call home. After identifying the needs of butterflies in terms of water, food, shelter, and reproduction, learners create a scale model of their ideal butterfly garden. Once the model is complete, they...
Curated OER
Target Earth
Space scientists use water displacement to determine the mass of a cubic centimeter mini meteorite, and then use it as a small-scale representative of an asteroid. They figure out the orbital velocity of an asteroid. Then they use a...
Scholastic
Study Jams! The Universe
Take your kids on a trip through the universe as they explore galaxies, solar systems, stars, and more. Watch the short video, then have learners show their knowledge with the included quiz. Supplement the video by having teams build a...
American Chemical Society
The Water Cycle
Bring the water cycle into the classroom without the mess. Learners build a model of the water cycle using everyday materials. They observe the process of evaporation and condensation and relate their observations to the larger scale...
Curated OER
Access Ramp
Just about every public building that your students are familiar with has an access ramp which complies with ADA requirements. As it turns out, designing such a ramp is an excellent activity to incorporate slope, the Pythagorean Theorem,...
Curated OER
Playground Modeling K-2
Students use and develop their spatial-visualization skills to represent features and physical objects on their playground. Working in groups, they use everyday classroom materials (blocks, crayons, counters, etc.) to build a simple...
Curated OER
Build a Block Model
Students construct a block model of the Space Station. They develop a description of their procedures, complete flow diagrams of their processes, develop a budget, and present their block model to the class.
Curated OER
Building a Healthy City (Final Project)
Students construct a scaled model of a city that provides for the economic and cultural needs of a community while maintaining high quality air and water to protect the public health. They articulate, in a presentation, the locations of...
Curated OER
Scaling Down the Pyramids
Students construct three-dimensional models of the three pyramids at Giza. They research the building of the pyramids and record the height, base and angle measurements of each pyramid. They create a file of facts regarding the pyramids.
Curated OER
Earthquakes Rock!
Students study the main methods to measure earthquakes; the Richter Scale and Mercalli Scale. They make a model of a seismograph and investigate which structural designs are most likely to survive an earthquake.
Curated OER
Earthquakes: Fourth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Examine earthquake intensities and ways to measure an earthquake through the comparison of the Mercalli and Richter scales. After completing the pre-lab worksheet, fourth graders compare high and low intensity quakes by testing...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
An Easy (Bake) Approach to an Edible NanoLab
You can make it if you bake it! Young scientists model electronic chip fabrication with an easy bake oven. They create a design to embed in their brownie "chips" and compare their models to wafer production in basic nanotechnology.
Massachusetts Department of Education
Similarity through Transformations
Create the ultimate miniature golf course. The 93-page model curriculum unit from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education contains nine lessons on understanding similarity in terms of both Euclidean geometry...
Achieve
Dairy Barn
Agriculture is truly a math-based profession! Help the dairy farmer determine the supplies needed to complete his barn. Using given dimensions, learners build equations and use units to determine the correct amount of materials.