American Museum of Natural History
Draw a Monarch
Five steps walk scholars through the process of drawing a Monarch butterfly. Participants research the insect, make observations, trace, then color.Â
Curated OER
Let's Learn About Plants!
Students discover different plants and plant parts by observing their campus. Â For this plant life lesson, students take a guided walk around their school with a magnifying glass examining everyday plants as well as photographing them....
Curated OER
Magnify It!
Young scholars view objects of various sizes from several viewing distances to discover that their visual field is limited. They record what they see and compare their observations with classmates. They conduct more structured experiments.
American Museum of Natural History
Draw a Monarch Butterfly: Scientific Illustrations
One doesn't have to be an artist to appreciate nature. A thorough resource shows pupils how to create detailed illustrations of a monarch butterfly. The lesson highlights the benefits of creating scientific drawings as opposed to simply...
Curated OER
Playground Zoom
Students observe and draw small objects on the playground or in the classroom with and without a magnifying glass. They explore how lenses can affect the way that an object is observed from afar or remotely sensed. Afterwards, they share...
Arts & Humanities
Let's Go Buggie!
To celebrate art youth month, little ones get out the magnifying glasses and get close-up with bugs. They make scientific observations of bugs you bring into the classroom. Then, they use markers, clay, paint, or crayons to make artistic...
Curated OER
Magnify It!
Students explain that there are limits to what the eye can see and that a magnifying glass can help extend those limits. They examine an object with the magnifying glass and draw the size and shape of what they see as accurately as they...
Curated OER
Drawing From Nature
Students observe similarities and differences of natural objects. In this observation lesson, students use a magnifying glass to identify the details of objects.
American Chemical Society
Changing State: Condensation
When you have a cold drink and you notice the water forming on the outside, it is literally pulling the water from the surrounding air to form the condensation. After watching a demonstration of condensation forming on a glass,...
Curated OER
Bugs Every Which Way
Students, after gathering information about insects through observation and the internet, explore and examine tiny insects that crawl through a magnifying glass and then draw their favorite bugs from different angles. They create a...
Curated OER
Crystal Painting
Students investigate crystalline solids. In this crystals lesson, students observe samples of natural crystals and compare and contrast each. They draw pictures with crayons and then paint over their picture using crystalline solids...
Curated OER
What on Earth?
Second graders investigate the different living and nonliving things they can find on Earth. In this life science lesson, 2nd graders record their observations as they dig into the soil. They examine them under the magnifying glass and...
Curated OER
Clearly Classified
Young scholars review the classification system for living organisms and apply it the classification of insects and flowers in the still life by Ambrosius Bosschaert. They create a chart classifying the animals and plants in the painting...
Curated OER
Digging Into Soils!
In this soil analysis instructional activity, students fill out a chart with information about four samples of soil. Students record notes about 5 questions about the soil samples: feel, color, possible origin, and smell. Students draw a...
Curated OER
Fall Leaves Fall
Students explore fall leaves. In this leaf instructional activity, students collect leaves to investigate. Students also measure, compare and contrast, draw and look at leaves through a magnifying glass. Students sing songs and use...
Curated OER
Bug Hunt
Students strengthen observational skills by searching for insects in their home and classroom. In this observation lesson, students use magnifying glasses to classify what kinds of bugs were found. Students then create a bar graph to...
Curated OER
Animal Homes
Match animals to their environments with a cute lab activity. Kids draw a line between each animal, such as a fish, a rabbit, and an ant, to the place where it lives. For hands-on practice, a science investigation instructs learners to...
Curated OER
Outdoor Observation
Students use observation materials to record what they find outdoors. In this senses lesson plan, students use their five senses to observe things outside. They use a clipboard, pencil, crayons, magnifying glass, and their senses to find...
Curated OER
Crystal Ice Art
This isn't just an art instructional activity, it's a science instructional activity too. Kids draw a lovely winter scene and then paint over it with a solution of epsom salts and water. They make predictions, then observe how crystals...
Curated OER
Signs of Change: Tree Rings
Students identify and experiment with dendrochronology (the study of tree rings to answer ecological questions about the recent past) and come up with conclusions as to what possible climatic conditions might affect tree growth in their...
Curated OER
Be Kind to Mother Nature!
A clever worksheet on identifying things that harm the environment is here for you. Elementary schoolers read a short paragraph describing the harm that can come to the environment due to human activities. Then, they must circle five...
Curated OER
Classifying Rocks and Minerals
Students identify rock types by observing key characteristics. Describe the differences between minerals and rocks. Observe rocks using a magnifying glass and draw shapes and colors of the minerals.
Cornell University
Sun or Water? or Both?
Over the course of 10 days, young scientists observe their cups of seed and soil—one that gets sun and water and one that gets no sun and only water. Then they reflect on the results of the experiment to determine if their hypothesis was...
Curated OER
Applied Science-Science and Math Lab
Students explore magnification. In this scientific observation skills lesson, students observe sea life items and draw pictures of what they observe. Students predict which lens will have the strongest magnification when given three...