Students examine the concept of extinction by studying dinosaurs. In this living environment lesson plan, students view dinosaur video clips and define the word "extinction." Students visit the "Zoom Dinosaur" website to investigate...

Students take an imaginary hike in two opposite directions along a lake. They view and interpret satellite images and discuss the pros and cons of hydroelectric dams.

Young scholars reflect on the role of electrical energy in their daily lives. They consider ways in which they might prepare for a blackout. They examine role of energy deregulation in the August 2003 blackout. Finally, they present this...

Students describe the types and parts of a circuit. They discover three types of electrical switches and create a chart showing the many uses for each type of switch.

Students explore renewable and nonrenewable energy sources and develop a documentary that explores multiple energy sources and draws conclusions about their uses.

Students read an online article to study the positive and negative aspects of nuclear energy, biotechnology, and nanotechnology. They conduct a debate on technology of the future.

Students examine the power that is possible from the sun through an interactive program. They also analyze how energy turns into different forms in different parts of the human body. They finally explore how wind is created and how wind...

Students explore chemiluminescence through various experiments. In this chemistry lesson, students explain the chemical reaction that drives the process. They give real life applications of chemiluminescence.

Students form definitions of the greenhouse effect based on prior knowledge, class discussion, viewing diagrams, and participate in group brainstorming sessions and class discussions related to the impact of the greenhouse effect and...

Students explain how electricity is transferred from source to load without actual wires connecting the two. In this physics instructional activity, students explore how wireless electricity was discovered. They cite practical...

Students discover the properties of chlorophyll in plants. In this plant biology lesson, students conduct an experiment to find where the chlorophyll in the plant is located. Students are split into small groups and study plant parts....

Sixth graders investigate the nutritional value of different types of cereal. They take a survey of students that ate breakfast and create a circle graph with the results. Students examine the nutritional information on the sides of the...

Students investigate the effects of the food chain on all animals by creating a food web.  In this seafood lesson, students discuss energy flow and research a specific marine organism of their choice.  Students create a food...

Students work with a real optical spectrum of a gamma ray burst afterglow taken at the Keck Observatory. They measure the shifts of spectral lines, deduce the velocity of the astronomical object, and then use Hubble's Law to get its...

Students role-play coyotes looking for natural resources.  In this natural resources lesson, students examine the relationship between animal life and the environment.  Students play a game that demonstrates how natural...

Seventh graders convert measurements in recipes to metric measurements and prepare the food items. They create a metric measurement cookbook.

Middle schoolers explore the Westward Expansion Movement of U.S. history. In this Westward movement instructional activity, students use primary and secondary source documents research personal accounts of those who travelled west...

Fifth graders evaluate the physical properties of 5 powders. Each powder is subject to different conditions. They describe each observation as with a chemical change or a physical change.

Fourth graders graph metric tons of rice produced by various countries.  In this graphing lesson, 4th graders follow problem solving steps to answer questions about rice nutrition and then graph the amount of rice produced by...

Students are introduced to the concepts of a watershed, stream flow and water quality. This five-day plan is an excellent way to introduce students to the concepts involved. They create their own watershed using a paper bag, water and...

Fifth graders study early explorers. For this World history lesson, 5th graders draw an outline of a map labeling each part, build geographical features out of dough, and paint each of the land and water features.

Students discover the life of Benjamin Franklin by studying his inventions.  In this biography instructional activity, students identify the inventions of Benjamin Franklin and their impact on society today.  Students create a...

Fifth graders read information about levers. They complete worksheets to summarize their learning. This lesson plan relies heavily on the Silver Burdett Ginn text, Science Discovery Works, Energy, Work, and Machines. The lesson plan will...

Students examine static and current electricity, and discuss what their lives would be like without electricity. They listen to a teacher-led lecture about electrons and atoms, and explore static electricity using a comb or a balloon...