Could the seasons be changing? Using National Park data, learners recognize patterns in the growth of seasonal plants. They look specifically at the first bloom date of cherry blossoms in Washington DC and compare them to temperature...

Students create and extend patterns. In this pattern lesson, students learn to identify patterns using multiple senses. Students work at centers in small groups to explore and extend their understanding of patterns.

Students explore growth patterns by using manipulatives such as pattern blocks, investigate growth pattern of pattern, record growth in T-chart, describe how pattern is growing, and predict number of blocks needed to extend pattern.

Students will create and predict patterns formed when making paper snowflakes. Students will construct snowflakes understanding that patterns may be predicted based on observation.

Students count the number of varves (annual layers of sediment) in shale billets, taken from the Green River Formation in Wyoming. The count is then extended to reflect the entire 260 meters of sediments where the billets originated.

What better way to make predictions about future weather and climate patterns than with actual climate data from the past? Young climatologists analyze data from 400,000 to 10,000 years ago to determine if climate has changed over...

Looking for a hot date? Pick any day in August, statistically the hottest month in the United States. The 15th lesson in the series of 21 instructs pupils to investigate the August 2007 heat wave through NASA data, daily temperature...

Evolution happens over generations, so how do we observe it? Scholars learn to look for patterns and create cladograms. Then they apply those lessons to the evolution of technology over many generations.

NASA presents a mini-unit on distances in our solar system. It incorporates scientific concepts of gravity, mass, density, and payload while your aspiring astronauts also employ mathematics skills. They calculate speed, they determine...

Young scholars become familiar with patterns, the Fibonacci Sequence, and the Golden Ratio. They see how many places these occur. They have practical applications for using the calculator and making charts to extend patterns.

Did you know the hole in the ozone is seasonal and filled by January every year? The lesson uses scientific measurements of the ozone over the South Pole to understand patterns. Scholars learn that the hole grew bigger annually before...

Extinction events have happen throughout geologic history, but only five mass extinctions occurred over the last 4.5 billion years. Scholars view fossils from a layer of sediment during an extinction event and observe patterns to draw...

Hurricanes are a destructive yet fascinating phenomenon. Individuals examine evidence that hurricanes use thermal energy from the ocean as they approach land. Learners use images, charts, and graphs to collect data and then draw...

Students observe the pattern of the inside of a mushroom and write down what they see. For this mushroom lesson plan, students cut a mushroom at the top and draw what they see in the spore of the mushroom.

Learners interpret data from a three-dimensional array of current monitors to determine an overall pattern of water circulation. They hypothesize what effect an observed water circulation pattern might have on seamount fauna. A very...

Here is a great science activity. It extends the concept of vision into the area of optical illusions, perspective, and tessellation. This well-designed plan has tons of great activities, utilizes interesting video, and should lead to a...

Young scientists roll up their sleeves and get a little dirty in this three-day earth science investigation. Following the scientific method, children monitor the growth of algae in pond water samples in order to determine...

Do you have young scientists wanting to make new discoveries rather than just completing the same experiments? Young scientists use their observational skills to identify animals and patterns in animal behavior. Through tracking...

Mendels laws of Genetics are extended here with examples of traits that are completely controlled by just one gene. Malfunctions such as albinism and baldness can therefore be tracked and will demonstrate inheritance patterns to your...

Get your class outside to observe their surroundings with a lesson highlighting weather patterns and seasonal changes. First, learners take a weather walk to survey how the weather affects animals, people, plants, and trees during...

This PowerPoint jumps right into the details of unusual traits and how they are coded.  The epistasis patterns in Labradors are used as a main example, and many instances of polygenic inheritance malfunctions are explained. All of...

The United States is a large country with many different climates. Graph and analyze temperature and rainfall data for Sacramento and Washington DC as you teach your class about the characteristics of Mediterranean climates. Discuss the...

Sediment samples from the ocean bottoms tell scientists about climate change, pollution, and changes in erosion for the area. Groups of learners focus on sediments and their movement through water. During a hands-on activity, they...

By the 19th lesson in the 20-part series, scholars realize volcanoes and earthquakes are related to plate boundaries. The lesson extends and applies the knowledge by having individuals create a bumper sticker for one specific area of...