Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Metrics in the Home and in the Store

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students investigate metric measurement. In this geometry lesson plan, students discover metric measurements of everyday objects as they compare them to US measurements.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Classification And Identification

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students explore diagrammatic and taxonomic keys and their application in the marine sciences. They sort and classify objects and organisms based on visual attributes.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Mean, Mode and Bar Graphs

For Students 5th
In this mean, mode and bar graphs instructional activity, 5th graders analyze the data given, then answer three questions about a bar graph and the data shown.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Price of Beauty: What you don't know might hurt you

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study cosmetic safety issues and concerns raised by advocacy groups. They create a cosmetic safety brochure designed for the average consumer, to create awareness about cosmetic safety concerns.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Waddle You Know About Penguins

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders study the similarities and differences of the seventeen species of penguins. They investigate habitats and how these habitats are suited to each species characteristics. They see how animals adapt to their environments.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's in My Kitchen?

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students examine a variety of kitchen utensils.  For this wood and alternative materials instructional activity, students view examples of kitchen utensils, sort kitchen utensils, discuss the benefits of using one utensil over the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Air, Air Everywhere! Lesson 2: Acid Rain

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Middle school environmentalists record the pH of four different liquids, including two aerosol cleaning products. They liken the products to acid rain and speculate in writing which might affect the human respiratory system. Although...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

There Are Algae in Your House!

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Learners complete a worksheet at home stating what types of food they have at home with algae in it. They, in groups, compare with each other what they have on their worksheet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Safe Subs

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students investigate ways to reduce use of hazardous materials. For this safe substitutes lesson, students review hazardous wastes used in many homes and possible safe substitutes for these harmful chemicals. Students write and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Warning signs

For Teachers K
Students sort and classify different attributes of warning signs, labels, and sounds. In this warning signs lesson plan, the teacher shows students different warning signs, labels, and sounds and tells students what each one means. ...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Everyday Objects As Artwork

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine everyday Chinese objects and analyze why they are considered artwork today in this multi-subject activity for Middle School. Small group colaboration is emphasized.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Materials Engineering: Designing Walls

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students discover how the matierals in the earth can be used to make walls and buildings. They examine the Great Wall of China and its engineering. They complete the unit by creating their own wall from a design they drew.
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Where There Is Charge, There Can Be Sparks!

For Students 9th - 10th
In this short science project you will learn how to build a capacitor using common household items. By testing different charge cycles, you will work to discover how much charge is stored in a Leyden jar capacitor.
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenge: Build a Blooming Flower

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Can you create a blooming flower that would attract pollinators? This Curiosity Machine project challenges students to make this flower using common household items. Site includes a place for students to document their process as well as...
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Design a Wind Up Mars Rover

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Using common household items, students are challenged to build a Mars rover that can travel using elastic energy. Site includes a lesson plan, tips, and a place for students to document their design process.
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Engineer a Space Tool

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Using common household items, make a tool that an astronaut could use to pick up an object in space. This site also includes tips, lesson plans, and a place for students to document their engineering design process.
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Build a 3 D Object Out of Tetrahedra

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Can you build a 3-D object out of tetrahedra that is as big as you are? With this challenge, students will be using common household items to build their tetrahedra structure. Site contains the challenge, tips, a lesson plan, and a place...
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Balance a Dinosaur

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Using common household items, students are challenged to build a dinosaur at least 6" tall that can balance on two legs using counterbalances. This website contains the challenge, tips, a lesson plan, and a place for students to document...
Activity
Physics Central

Physics Central: Physics in Your Glass: Racing Molecules

For Students 6th - 8th
An easy experiment for demonstrating and exploring molecule movement requiring common household items: two glasses, two dark colors of food coloring, and warm and cold water. A few variations to the experiment will have students using...
Handout
University of Washington

Neuroscience for Kids: Dangers of Inhalants

For Students 9th - 10th
This website provides a very simple explanation of what inhalants are and how they harm the body. Included is a chart showing the names of abused inhalants that are common household items.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Birds' Bills

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students will compare and contrast different kinds of birds' bills and categorize pictures. After drawing the bills in each category, they will then compare the bill types with common household items.
Activity
Center of Science and Industry

Cosi Columbus: Cabbage Patch Chemistry [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Make your own indicator by using red cabbage leaves and common household items. Includes full list of materials, procedures, and scientific explanation of how to determine if a substance is acidic, basic, or neutral based on the colors...
Interactive
Other

Mineralogical Society of America: Minerals in Your House

For Students 9th - 10th
Discover what minerals can be found at your home with this interactive resource. Explore this virtual house and you'll find minerals in common household objects.
Activity
Teachers TryScience

Teachers Try Science: Let It Roll

For Students 3rd - 8th
Here's an easy experiment, using common household items, that will show you all ball bearings work.