Curated OER
M&M Graphing
Fourth graders name colors of M&Ms and record answers. They estimate number of M&Ms of each color found in a typical package of M&Ms on piece of paper.They record information on sheet of paper and create a spreadsheet. paper.
University of Minnesota
Mirroring Emotions
Do you ever give your class the "teacher look"? Without saying a word, they become silent and engaged (hopefully). How do they know what you're thinking? Explore the concept of nonverbal communication and how it relates to our mirror...
Virginia Department of Education
Isotopes
Lead your class through the amazing world of isotopes as they investigate the various properties they contain and further understand their respective location on the periodic table. They explore half-lives and radioactivity as each...
University of Minnesota
Dendritic Spines Lab
This is your brain on drugs ... literally! Your neuroscientists-in-training examine the evidence of drug use on the human brain and how neurons change their connectivity when altered by drugs. They then work together to create testing...
University of Minnesota
What's the Deal? Addiction Card Game
Addiction is a big deal! Playing a game of cards helps learners understand the concept of addiction. Through their analysis, they examine the potential for addiction and how it varies for each individual.
Curated OER
Exposure!
Students investigate that chemicals may affect different people in different ways. They also realize that their perceptions of dangerous materials may not be realistic and that the news media may not provide all the information needed to...
University of Minnesota
Virtual Neurons
It's electric! Young anatomists use Virtual Neurons software to build, control, and analyze complex nerve circuits within the body. Colorful and packed with content, class members enjoy interacting with the nervous system at a personal...
Science 4 Inquiry
All the Small Things
Scholars use sorting cards to try to define a pure substance versus a mixture. Risk becomes reward as they observe the differences and create a flowchart sorting matter into mixtures and pure substances (elements and compounds).
Serendip
The Molecular Biology of Mutations and Muscular Dystrophy
Different types of mutations cause unique types and degrees of muscular dystrophy. Scholars learn about the types of mutations and the impact on the body. They compare the location of the mutations and draw conclusions about how it is...
Curated OER
Mark, Recapture, Sampling
Learners conduct a simulation to explore how scientists estimate the size of animal populations. They analyze a random sample and then extrapolate those results to a larger population. Additionally, they will apply the principals of...
Curated OER
Designing the Future of Technology
Conduct research focused on improving a current technology by having students work in groups to investigate improvements that could be made to a particular piece of technology. They list the current problems and attempt to develop...
Middle Tennessee State University
The Invention of the Telephone
All of the people in your class would agree that life would be different without the invention of the telephone! Study Alexander Graham Bell's most famous and influential invention through the primary source document of his sketch of the...
Virginia Department of Education
Electricity and Circuits
Electrify your classroom as you lead pupils through a series of steps to demonstrate basic principles of electricity and magnetism. They design a simple circuit and test this for static electricity and current electricity. Next, they...
Curated OER
Introduction to Elementary Circuits
Students explore how a circuit works and create a circuit to use energy from a battery to light a bulb. In this introduction to circuits lesson plan, the students study the parts of a circuit and have a class discussion of what would...
Curated OER
Alcohol and Pregnancy Don't Mix!
Seventh graders learn about John Kellerman, a youngster who was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. They learn how alcohol and pregnancy doesn't mix.
Curated OER
What Role Does Light Play Within the Vision Process?
Students are introduced to the relationship between light and vision. In groups, they participate in experiments to discover how different wavelengths are divided in the visible spectrum. They record their answers and discuss their...
Curated OER
Castaway or Survivor
What a clever idea! Chemistry learners imagine themselves deserted on an island with a radio, but no batteries. They also have a few odds and ends in their pockets and storage chest. They are challenged to create a battery that will...
Curated OER
You Gave Me What?
Students see how an infectious disease such as AIDS may be quickly transmitted throughout a population. They conduct a simulated transmission of an infectious disease and mathematically determine the number of possible infected individuals.
Curated OER
Inside the Cranium: Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Students analyze different regions of the brain which are responsible for different aspects of cognition, awareness and regulating the body's process.
Curated OER
Flower Power
Students explore the parts of flowers and how they reproduce. They dissect flowers and observe the reproductive organs. Students observe anthers and ovaries of Tiger Lilies under a microscope. They investigate how insects and other...
Curated OER
The Structure of DNA
Students describe the structure of the double helix, explain how DNA copies itself, and recognize that the sequence of DNA is what makes each individual unique.
Curated OER
Studying Fossils
Students compare and contrast key skeletal differences between chimpanzees and humans: brain size, teeth, hand and thumb, trunk, pelvis, lower limb, foot and big toe. They then sort and group a set of mixed "fossil bones" of chimpanzee...
Curated OER
Comparing Fossils
Students explore early hominid evolution as they analyze bones that share characteristics of both apes and humans. Students compare and contrast key skeletal differences between chimpanzees and humans. In groups, they sort and group a...
Curated OER
Coloring Interval Graphs
Students investigate planning an activity and getting it done on time. In this algebra lesson, students define vocabulary words related quadratic equations, including the vertex and intervals. They figure a good way to color graphs...