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Hot Rocks
Students demonstrate that setting of plaster and cement is a change, which involves a release of heat energy, use data collected experimentally to construct comparison graphs and analyze the graphs to make predictions about future...
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Pendulum Activity
Fourth graders conduct a lab activity that measures the factors that change the swing rate of a pendulum. They create a hypothesis and test it during the experiment. They record their observations using the recording sheets and journal...
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Recyclers Revisited
Fifth graders observe their plant experiments that they started in a previous lesson and examine the role of decomposers in the nitrogen cycle. Two weeks after they set up a worm terrarium, they analyze any changes they observe, and...
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Daisyworld: Stella Mac or PC
Young scholars investigate Daisyworld, a very simple planet that has only two species of life on its surface - white and black daisies, and bare ground. They construct a Stella model of Daisyworld and perform guided experiments to...
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How Do You Dew?
Students examine how the processes of condensation and evaporation occur. They describe the relationship between heat energy, evaporation and condensation of water on Earth. They give examples of the processes of evaporation and...
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Wondrous Water
Students explore the different properties of water. They experimenting with different activities, each one explaining a different property of water. Students read an article "Small, Ues, But Might: The Molecule Called Water." and then...
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What is Drought?
Students explore and conduct an experiment on the effects of drought on the environment. They define what drought is and the impact that a shortage of rainfall can have on agriculture, municipal water supplies, tourism, recreation, etc.
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Weightlessness
Young scholars compare and contrast the terms "weight" and "mass". In this physics lesson, students observe an experiment in which objects are placed on a balance scale and weighed under different circumstances. Partners drop items and...
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Sunlight and Warm Air
Students discuss radiant energy from the sun, performing a simple experiment with sun glasses and bright light to demonstrate the concept. Students further participate in simple in-class experiments to demonstrate: air density as it...
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Rising Air
Students investigate the concept of rising air in the formation of clouds and precipitation. In this rising air instructional activity, students conduct an experiment with hot and cold water that shows how warm water rises due to thermal...
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Weather "Why"
Students research weather and explore how to use their research information. In this weather information lesson, students visit a given website for weather forecasts. Students graph the weather, sing weather songs and select a class...
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Modeling Oil and Gas Reservoirs
High schoolers investigate energy by researching how oil reservoirs work. In this fossil fuels lesson plan, students conduct an experiment using a half full bottle of water, corn oil and oxygen, recording their data as the elements are...
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Bigger Faults Make Bigger Earthquakes
Learners experiment with string to visualize how earthquakes are created. Using various lengths of string, students determine which earthquakes lasted the longest and hypothesize why. Learners look at a fault map and determine which may...
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Human Needs
Students investigate human needs and how they have adapted to different environments. They complete an experiment to discover the effect of stress on muscles. They use the food pyramid to create a plan for healthy eating.
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Cloud Formation
Fifth graders discuss the weather and cloud formation. They rotate, in groups, through various activity stations set up in the room. Stations include activities such as researching types of clouds, drawing pictures of the water cycle,...
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Exploring the Interstellar Medium
Students investigate the Interstellar Medium and the Local Bubble that the Sun is inside. They read and discuss a handout, answer discussion questions, observe a demonstration of light scattering, and conduct an experiment on the...
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Properties of Soil
Students encounter various pieces of knowledge utilizing lessons that addresses a diversity of learners with multiple intelligences. They cover various concepts: science, Earth, scientific inquiry, geometry, data analysis, probability,...
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Under the Sea
Students culminate a science and language arts unit by participating in a performance. In this performance instructional activity, students make costumes and scenery before performing a play entitled, "The Mystery of the Missing Jewel...
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How do rice farmers make good use of the land they use for planting rice?
Second graders discuss how farmers grow rice. In this rice growing lesson, 2nd graders see the optimal condition for land in order to grow rice. They experiment with clay and garden soil to see which holds water better.
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Forces and Movement
Students examine types of forces and movements. They identify different causes that can affect movement and speed. They create their own predictions about they believe to be the outcome of an experiment.
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Minerals vs. Rocks
Fourth graders are introduced to the characteristics of a variety of minerals and rocks. As a class, they are shown rocks and minerals and asked to describe them as a geologist would. They work together to measure and record their...
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Solids and Liquids
Students investigate what happens to solids and liquids when they change from one form to another. In this states of matter lesson plan, students work in groups on a virtual experiment that requires them to collect data regarding the...
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Solar Powered Cars
Students build and race solar powered cars after a teacher lecture. They answer questions based on their experiences with the car they build.
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Photosynthesis: Intake of Carbon Dioxide - Production of Oxygen
Students, after a long-term observation of photosynthesis with aquatic plants, assess the benefits of photosynthesis towards all living organisms. They explain in their own words the two cycles within photosynthesis. Guided discussion...