Curated OER
Invention Convention
Eighth graders research how science and technology have evolved by studying inventions. In this invention activity, 8th graders discuss inventions and work in teams to create an innovation to present at the Invention Convention. Students...
Curated OER
Animal Characteristics
Students investigate the characteristics of animals by creating a chart. In this animal life lesson, students create a KWL chart listing all the different animals a class can name. Students take a field trip to a science facility to get...
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics - Electronic Scavenger Hunt
Students explore the attributes of plate tectonics. In this plate tectonics lesson, students use computers to access a plate tectonics scavenger hunt file and complete the required activities using their textbooks.
Curated OER
Circuits and Conductors
Students explore electricity by completing Internet activities. In this physical science lesson plan, students identify an electric circuit and describe the characteristics of conductors, giving examples as well. Students...
Curated OER
Friction
Students review what force. For this science lesson, students determine which surfaces are rough and which are smooth by observing how an object moves on each surface.
Curated OER
Characteristics of Materials
Students examine everyday materials by utilizing educational software. In this group analysis instructional activity, students identify several different fabrics and materials used in everyday life. Students participate in a computer...
Virginia Department of Education
States of Matter
Scientists have been studying exothermic reactions before they were cool. The lesson begins with a discussion and a demonstration of heat curves. Scholars then determine the heat of fusion of ice and the heat needed to...
Virginia Department of Education
DNA Structure, Nucleic Acids, and Proteins
What is in that double helix? Explain intricate concepts with a variety of creative activities in a instructional activity that incorporates multiple steps to cover DNA structure, nucleic acids, and proteins. Pupils explore the history...
Curated OER
Organ Systems
Students examine organisms that are composed of tissues, organs, and systems. They dissect a fetal pig and explore the assigned organs systems such as the skeletal, muscular, and circulatory organs. Students identify and explain their...
Curated OER
Periodic Table of Fun
Are you looking to put the fun back in the fundamentals of chemistry? Why not have groups create their own periodic tables of something (animals, food, music groups, etc.) practicing the organizational strategies used in the periodic...
Virginia Department of Education
Vapor Pressure and Colligative Properties
Hate to vacuum, but enjoy using a vacuum pump? Explore a instructional activity that starts with a demonstration of boiling water at various temperatures by using a vacuum pump. Then scholars design their own experiments to measure vapor...
Virginia Department of Education
Body Systems
The human body is an amazing thing! Explore the body with your high school class as they investigate each system in detail. They learn components of each organ system and disease processes that can negatively affect general health and...
Virginia Department of Education
Thermochemistry: Heat and Chemical Changes
What makes particles attract? Here, learners engage in multiple activities that fully describe colligative properties and allow the ability to critically assess the importance of these properties in daily life. Young chemists...
Curated OER
Magnetism
A wonderfully rich presentation teaches about magnets and magnetism. Each slide is packed with interesting information on the discovery, history, physics, and uses for magnets. Good photographs, and an emphasis on vocabulary are part of...
Curated OER
Applications of GIS
Don't be concerned that the title slide of this presentation mentions Virginia's Geospatial Extension Program; this slide show is very informative for any technology-focused curriculum when considering global information systems. It...
Virginia Department of Education
Acid-Base Theory
Litmus paper, why so blue? A chemistry lesson plan includes a pre-lab activity, practice calculating pH, an experiment measuring the pH in acids and bases, a titration demonstration, and a titration experiment.
Virginia Department of Education
Solution Concentrations
What happens when you combine 6.022 times 10 to the 23 piles of dirt into one? You make a mountain out of a mole hill. Scholars use dehydration to obtain percent composition and then calculate the molarity of the original...
Virginia Department of Education
Planet Line-Ups
Should Pluto be considered a planet or a dwarf planet? Scholars research planets in our solar system to understand their similarities and differences. It also includes memory activities related to the order of the planets.
Virginia Department of Education
Laboratory Safety and Skills
Avoiding lab safety rules will not give you super powers. The lesson opens with a demonstration of not following safety rules. Then, young chemists practice their lab safety while finding the mass of each item in a mixture and trying to...
Virginia Department of Education
The Colligative Properties of Solutions
How can you relate colligative properties of solutions to everyday situations? Pupils first discuss the concepts of density, boiling and freezing points, then demonstrate how to accurately determine the boiling and freezing point of...
Virginia Department of Education
Partial Pressure
At some point, everyone has been under pressure—even Dalton! Explore Dalton's law of partial pressures with young chemists as they measure the volume of air extracted from a sample compared to its original volume. Class...
Virginia Department of Education
Radioactive Decay and Half-Life
Explain the importance of radioactive half-life as your high school biologists demonstrate the concept by performing a series of steps designed to simulate radioactive decay. Pupils use pennies to perform an experiment and gather data....
PBS
Stories of Painkiller Addiction: Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Campaign
The I-STOP law was designed to regulate the distribution and tracking of prescription drugs. After reading an article about its signing and implementation, middle and high schoolers work together to come up with their own ideas for an...
Curated OER
Computer Science: Pendulum
Learners investigate the basic properties of pendulums as a function of spreadsheets. Working in groups, they measure the period for a pendulum at six different lengths and record the results. They prepare a file using Microsoft Excel...