Curated OER
The Living Environment
Students explore the cycles of an ecosystem. In this environmental science lesson, students work in groups to research the nitrogen cycle, the water cycle, or the oxygen-carbon dioxide cycle. Students prepare a PowerPoint or other...
Curated OER
Water and Ice
Students study the liquid and solid states of water. In this water states lesson, students complete three experiments to study water as it cycles from a liquid state to a solid state and back. Students finish with a Venn Diagram...
Curated OER
Carbon for the World
Students explore the presence of carbon in the world. In this environmental stewardship instructional activity, students discuss the carbon cycle after they read assigned textbook pages. Students also discuss biomass content in different...
Curated OER
Dissolved Oxygen and Temperature
Learners are shown how temperature affects dissolved oxygen and they create a graph showing this relationship. They think about the adaptations of animals to live in different water temperatures. Students test four different water...
Curated OER
Do It Yourself: Matter & Energy Interaction Lesson Plan
Students complete a KWL chart describing their knowledge or renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. They examine the Stirling Engine which is an external combustion engine and compare it to a Hero's Engine. They participate in a...
American Chemical Society
Exploring Moisture on the Outside of a Cold Cup
As a stand-alone or as part of the intended unit, this is a valid investigation of what causes condensation to occur. By limiting the amount of air around a cold cup of water and comparing it to one out in the open, they find that...
Curated OER
Clip the Face
Middle schoolers discover the moon's phases and the rarity of eclipses. In this lunar lesson, students view a video titled Spin Around the Solar System: A Moon Dance, which demonstrates the key differences between a lunar and solar...
Curated OER
Water and Ice
Learners perform experiments in pairs to visualize the changes in water during freezing and melting. In this properties of water instructional activity, students use their senses and inquiry tools to understand the changes in state of...
Curated OER
Condensation
Students participate in the scientific process to investigate what happens to water when it evaporates by observing condensation. In small groups they observe what happens to ice in a cup, and what occurs when they hold a bowl of ice...
NASA
Making Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide
Some like it hot! Scholars observe both exothermic and endothermic reactions as part of the carbon dioxide oxygen cycle. First, scientists demonstrate (or watch) a chemical reaction to create pure oxygen using fire for...
Prince William Network
The Incredible Journey
Divide your school gym into breeding grounds and non-breeding grounds so that your zoologists can play a game simulating the seasonal migration of shorebirds. Players pick one of the included game cards and follow its directions, which...
Teach Engineering
Solar Angles and Tracking Systems
The sun will continue to rise in the east and set in the west, no matter what. The first instructional activity in a series of eight introduces the class to solar angles. It makes connections between a person's latitude and the angle of...
Curated OER
Water and Ice
Students study the water cycle and states of matter. In this water cycle instructional activity, students observe ice for a period of time and record their observations. Students create a Venn Diagram comparing water in solid form and...
Curated OER
Investigating Earth's Materials
First graders compare and contrast water from different sources. After collecting water from various sources, 1st graders create a list of observable properties of the water. Students then pour the water into a filter and observe the...
Curated OER
Bringing Up Birdy
Students explore biology by creating diagrams of animal life cycles. In this baby bird activity, students view video clips of birds being born from incubation to flying on their own. Students utilize the Internet to research birds and...
Curated OER
Classifying Shells
Pupils observe and classify different types of shells. They compare and contrast an exhibit they created with one that already exists in a musuem. They discover the different characteristics of shells.
Curated OER
Worms, Nature's Recyclers!
Learners study what worms need to survive in different environments. They study how worm composting improves soil and reduce waste. They discuss composting techniques and present a puppet show about a worm's life.
Curated OER
WET Science Lesson #11: How Light Affects Water
Scientists listen to the story of Wadja Egnankou who works to save African mangrove forests. They experiment with refraction and the introduction of particulate matter to water. They conclude with creative writing about the need for a...
Curated OER
The Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM) Lesson
Introduce your class to one of the ways that technology is benefiting humanity. The Global Precipitation Measurement Mission involves the data collected by nine satellites from different countries with a united focus on studying world...
Curated OER
Water and Ice
Students observe water as it changes form. For this water lesson students observe, measure, and describe water as it changes state.
Curated OER
Food Chains & Food Webs
Tenth graders examine how energy is lost through different trophic levels. In this trophism lesson students construct a food web and view a video.
Michigan Sea Grant
Food Web II
A food web consists of complex food chains and the more complex the web, the better likelihood of survival. Learners compare and contrast food webs and food chains and discuss concepts like the predator-prey and consumer-producer...
Curated OER
Dust in the Wind; Chemicals in the Water
Students explore mechanical and chemical weathering at stations. They articulate some mechanisms of chemical and mechanical weathering through exploration in a lab. Students stations describe how chemical weathering differs from...
Curated OER
I Need Some Help Here!
First graders describe what help seeds need to grow, including light, water, good soil, and warmth, observe and discuss what happens when seeds do not have help, and state similarities and differences among seed growth.