High schoolers are focused on the big question: What makes a population grow and how could that growth stop? They use these concepts to help answer the big question: carry capacity, density dependent v. density, independent factors,...

Learners view the PowerPoint slide of a lynx and hare and discuss what would happen if all the lynxes were destroyed. They then take notes on the lesson and brainstorm about other competitive/cooperative relationships as well as discuss...

Scholars build a boat using an assortment of materials such as foam plates, aluminum foil, and skewers, then test its buoyancy with pennies. Challenge boat builders to construct the strongest or fastest boat in a healthy competition with...

Students define the following terms: predation, competition, carrying capacity and population. They can explain the patterns of growth and the limitations of growth. Students explain the difference between density-dependent and...

Facilitate learning by using small objects to teach the principles of atomic mass in your science class. Pupils determine the average mass of varying beans as they perform a series of competitive experiments. They gather data and...

Wind it up and let it go. Individuals build a basic spool racer in the second portion of a six-part unit on energy. After receiving three criteria, pupils modify their designs to meet the new challenge. Pairs compete against each other...

Change one variable and try again. Teams build basic balsa gliders and collect data on their flight distances and times. Through collaboration, the team decides on two modifications to make to the basic design and collect data for the...

Learners are introduced the "Lego Robot Competition", demonstrate Lego Data Control System that is controlled through tethers by laptop computers. High School students create the competition, organize the media coverage, and conduct the...

Young scholars set up various feeding stations and observe bird behavior and gather data.

To wrap up your year of general chemistry, have lab groups compete in a tot wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) competition. With their foundation in chemical nomenclature, stoichiometry, and gas laws, each group completes several...

The 2009 version of the first part of a national chemistry competition is posted for your use with olympiad hopefuls. Test takers deal with 60 multiple choice questions covering an entire year of chemistry curriculum. Use this to...

Only eight problems are on this competitive national chemistry exam. It required the balancing of chemical equations, solving stoichiometry questions, and more. This is part two of three of the national exam. Also available is a...

Physicists become Olympians in a competition using centripetal force. They ride a bicycle to comprehend relationships between linear and rotational motion. If you have an old-fashioned record player, it can be used to help pupils...

Get some competition going in your life science class. Give lab groups a variety of plant parts, all of them fruits, except one. Their mission is to make observations, compare and contrast, in order to be the first to identify the...

Sixty multiple choice questions cover the entire gamut of chemistry concepts. This is the local section of the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad, where your chemistry candidates take a shot at entering the national competition. They...

Challenge young engineers to design a one-bedroom scale house to collect and maintain as much heat as possible. Particular constraints must be adhered to, but creativity is also allowed. Included is a diagram and background information...

The first STEM lesson in a group of 10 explores composting. After discussing how to make a better tomorrow, classes are challenged to track garbage in their communities, visit a local waste management facility, and conduct a survey...

Why do athletes load up on carbohydrates the evening before a competition? The lesson helps answer this question as it relates the type of food to the amount of energy it contains. After a discussion, scholars perform an experiment...

Krill is a very small ocean animal that is key to keeping the ocean ecosystem going. The class reviews food webs and chains, learns about the importance of krill, discusses krill anatomy, builds a model of a krill, and then has a...

Occasionally, a short PowerPoint is still able to get many important facts about friction and motion across. The consequences of friction on movement and the terms used to describe it such as drag or viscosity are covered. The only...

For this reactions worksheet, students read about two types of reactions that take place between metals: displacement and competition. Then, they answer two problems.

Young scholars design water filtration systems. They draw sketches and write paragraphs about their systems. After presenting their systems to the class, each group then builds their system and determines its effectiveness for purifying...

Students examine energy, where it comes from and the different fuels that are used.  In this energy lesson students design an energy infrastructure using a renewable energy source. 

High schoolers explore the effects of different density-dependent and density-independent factors on population growth. They explore how the interactions of organisms can affect population growth. Students explore the pattern of...