Fifth graders test plants in the dark and in the light to see which grows better and produces more carbon dioxide. In this plants lesson plan, 5th graders also create ways for plants to go through photosynthesis that they can observe.

Target, bystander, or bully? Class groups watch a short student-produced video about cyberbullying and then devise and script their own drama to encourage discussion about this hot button topic.

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.

Students build plankton models and compete to see which sinks most slowly. They write, or orally present ,the adaptations they incorporated to slow the sinking rate of their organisms. Race results can be grounds for some prizes!

Students plant seeds in order to investigate and explore the questions: "How do seed companies develop varieties of plants?" and "What is the ideal plant?" Students will study related vocabulary and sketch seeds as they emerge. Students...

Tenth graders review the Energy, Matter, and Organization unit. They have one week to complete an essay. Students must submit a concept map or drawing. The activity is introduces by reading a short story line which presents a simple...

Freddy's Friendly Fruit Market is under attack by fruit flies, and it is up to your aspiring biologists to solve the crime! By reading and analyzing the phenotypes, detectives determine which fly is responsible. This memorable assignment...

Students conduct experiments with plants.  In this photosynthesis lesson plan, students examine plants under different types of lights.  They calculate the amount of dissolved ocygen concentration and compare it to the formula...

Here is a cross-curricular ecology and technology lesson; your learners create spreadsheets depicting the location and number of groundhog dens in a local park. They research groundhogs and analyze data about where the groundhog...

How does one organism get its energy? What is the main source of energy in an ecosystem? How does the flow of energy affect different types of ecosystems? Answer these questions with a fill-in-the-blank activity. 

What goes into a museum display? A secondary-level STEM project prompts groups to design a museum display for the Tech Museum of Innovation. They create an analogous, interactive model illustrating a science concept to complete the...

How do green plastics reduce waste and environmental pollution? Budding scientists create and test a variety of compounds used in green plastics during an insightful experiment. Beginning with startling statistics and ending with...

Silver: more than jewelry, it's also a natural antimicrobial agent. An inquiry-based lesson asks collaborative groups to design and implement an experiment to test this property. Using samples of silver nanoparticles and a strain of...

Where does the mass for a growing tree come from? Scholars consider a few different hypotheses and guess which is correct. They then analyze data from different experiments to understand which concepts science supports.

Are the young leaders of tomorrow sitting in your classroom right now? Polish their skills to perfection using a series of teen leadership activities. Each lesson promotes both personal growth and team building, while helping scholars...

Find out the science behind ancestry testing! Investigators watch a video exploring how ancestry works before participating in a hands-on group activity. Scholars role play scientists while learning about testing protocols and test...

Students participate in an extended laboratory research to experience how scientific information is obtained, upon which we build scientific knowledge and understanding.

It's disturbing to think that one third of children born after the year 2000 will suffer from diabetes and perhaps be the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents! Too many youngsters are not eating properly and are not...

Garbage, recycle, compost: Does it really matter where we put our trash once we are done? By making detailed observations over seven weeks, kids will see which materials break down naturally to become a healthy part of the soil, and...

Third graders investigate environmental stability through consumption and recycling. They look into how much of a recyclable good it takes to create one new product. Pupils compile a list of these quantities, then create posters that are...

Class members use an applet on the Internet to simulate the spread of a disease. The simulation allows individuals to determine two nodes to vaccinate to limit the number of nodes infected. By running several simulations, scholars...

Prompt scholars to complete a magic square using only variables. Then they can attempt to solve a numerical magic square using algebra. 

Silver pennies and copper nickels are made possible by applying some chemistry. Learners use electrolysis to coat a penny with zinc sulfate and a nickel with copper sulfate. Their investigation builds an understanding of electroplating...