Curated OER
Species and Specimens: Exploring Local Biodiversity
Students practice skills essential to all scientific investigation: carefully observing and collecting data. They become field biologists in a series of hands-on activities to collect and identify specimens, and survey and calculate the...
Lesson Snips
Who Killed the Flowers?
This could be really good, or it could be really bad! The crime to be solved is, "Who went pee in the flowerpot?" Given four imitation urine samples, young chemists or crime scene investigators perform pH, glucose, and turbidity...
K20 LEARN
Show and Tell Museum - Investigating Primary Sources: Read and Interpret Primary Sources
Scholars become detectives in a lesson that focuses on primary sources. Learners practice their observational skills by examining the teacher's artifact and visiting the Show and Tell Museum that highlihgts items from peers and...
Bonneville
Setting Expectations for Science and Engineering Projects
What is science? Sitting in a whole group discussion, scholars first share their ideas on science and how to conduct investigations. They learn about the steps for scientific inquiry and experimentation. Once finished, individuals then...
American Chemical Society
Matter on the Move
Start this mini unit on matter out by demonstrating how food coloring behaves when placed in cold and in hot water. Then have the class experiment with warm water and soap film. Pupils will learn that an increase in thermal energy also...
Curated OER
Using Inspiration To Support Logical Reasoning
Students share descriptions of science experiments they have conducted. They create a thin film on the surface of water in order to float light objects and observe that a paper clip does, indeed, float on the surface of the water at...
Curated OER
Liquids in Bottles
Students investigate different liquids to develop their concept of a liquid. They work at a center to tip, swirl, shake, roll, and otherwise investigate seven liquids in small, clear plastic bottles: plain water, corn syrup, liquid...
Curated OER
Earth Science/ Scientific Methods
Middle schoolers identify questions and problems in the earth and environmental sciences that can be answered through scientific investigations. They design and conduct scientific investigations to answer questions related to earth and...
Curated OER
Floating and Sinking
Learners conduct experiments in which they investigate which materials float and which sink. They examine what qualities the materials that float have in common. They carry out a scientific investigation, predict, and test their...
Curated OER
Cookie Caper
Students determine the best chocolate chip cookie. In this comparison investigation, students create a quantitative scientific study to determine the best chocolate chip cookie using the steps of the scientific method.
Curated OER
Chemical Changes
Second graders investigate chemical changes and reactions and will identify four characteristics that indicate a chemical change. In this chemical change lesson plan, 2nd graders perform experiments that promote chemical changes. They...
Curated OER
Magnetic Discovery Bottle
Students investigate the properties of magnets. In this physical science lesson plan, students will go through a short 5E lesson plan that allows the students to study magnet materials and predict what will and will not be attracted...
Curated OER
Positive Futures Fair - Application of Year-Long Content Skills
Students demonstrate the knowledge of proper scientific investigation and reporting skills. They decide how to make a positive difference in the world using these skills.
Curated OER
What is An Insect?
Students investigate the concept of an insect. They conduct research about six different insects and identify the different body parts. Students look at the life cycle of the developing monarch butterfly. They also use the library to...
Curated OER
Threats to Validity
Students review the components of the scientific habits of mind. In groups, they use this information and relate it to scientific investigations. They develop strategies to evaluate information and evidence and how to question sources...
Curated OER
Apply Scientific Inquiry and Scientific Habits of Mind
Students review the components of the scientific inquiry method. In groups, they develop hypothesis on a variety of different topics and design an investigation or experiment to test it. They share their conclusions with the class and...
Curated OER
The Nitty Gritty-The Source and What To Do
In this environmental contaminants worksheet, students read about a scenario where children were exposed to lead from an old painted bench at a park. Students answer 5 questions about the investigation and what should be done to protect...
Curated OER
Magnitude of Earthquakes
Young scholars investigate the causes and effects of earthquakes and investigate their magnitude. In this earthquakes instructional activity, students study the Richter Scale and measure it as it relates to the energy released by...
Curated OER
Life Science: DNA Whodunit?
Students role play an honorary detective to assist in solving a crime committed. They investigate by a bank robbery and interview eyewitnesses using their Crime Investigation Notebook and clues from an eyewitness account from the...
Curated OER
Pebbles Sand and Silt
First graders investigate soil, sand and silt. For this environment lesson, 1st graders discuss how changes occur in the environment and the effects of weather. Students perform their own investigation and record their predictions,...
Curated OER
Unit Lesson Plan Template
First graders listen to the book The Story of Sand and make predictions about an investigation based on soil, sand, and silt. For this sand lesson, 1st graders work in groups to discuss their observations about sand and answer higher...
Curated OER
Let's Measure the Speed of Sound
Third graders measure the speed of sound using scientific investigative techniques.
Curated OER
Photosynthesis
In this photosynthesis worksheet, students follow the steps to complete a science investigation and then respond to 8 short answer questions regarding the photosynthesis investigation.
Curated OER
Plant Reproduction
In this plant reproduction worksheet, students follow the steps to complete a science investigation and then respond to 2 short answer questions and complete a data table regarding the investigation.