Students observe and investigate the human skeletal and muscle systems. They become aware of the versatility of movement as well as gain experience through the use of diagrams and hands on activities. An extensive vocabulary is covered...

Students use hands on scientific observation to determine characteristics of wood. They work directly with the materials and record their observations. Students test if wood absorbs water, if wood floats or sinks, and if all wood...

Students explain basic principles of aeronautics such as gravity and lift. In this How Things Fly lesson, students visit the interactive, hands-on How Things Fly gallery at the Smithsonian. Students perform three experiments that...

Students investigate the earth's structural layers by participating in hands-on activities. They identify the earth's structure and investigate earthquakes.

Students review the life cycle of apples before they study information about the inside of apples. They work in small groups to color and identify the parts of the inside of an apple. Finally, they use real apples to have an hands on...

Students participate in Density Discoveries, which is a hands-on learning opportunity for students to find the mass, volume, and density of solid matter.

Young scholars investigate the properties of air through hands-on activities in conjunction with the demonstrations in a 3-2-1 Contact Video.

Fourth graders discover the differences between: reduce, reuse, and recycle by performing hands on examinations. They list what would happen to the soil if we allowed the earth to wash away and briefly discuss the meaning of erosion.

Students identify the various adaptations of reptiles and amphibians. After distinguishing between reptiles and amphibians, students discuss the ways in which their adaptations aid in their survival. They participate in a hands on...

Students build a model of a submersible that will allow them to explore ballasts and how they operate.  In this hands on instructional activity students participate in an activity that shows them how to control buoyancy.

The best inventions come from a problem that needs to be solved! Given a container with holes in...

Students use cabbage, backing soda, cobblestones, and more to test the acid in the water. In this acid mine damage lesson plan, students complete 13 experiments to test and treat acid.

Fourth graders experiment to determine how overpopulation effects ecosystems specifically plants. In this ecosystem lesson, 4th graders conduct an ecosystems experiment after listening to Claire Daniel's, Ecosystems. They watch a video,...

Young scholars read and answer questions on neural processing and the Pinocchio Illusion. They relate and discuss these topics in conjunction with body-image disorders such as anorexia and bulimia . This lesson include video extension...

Students recognize the relationship between Earth's tilt and the Winter season. In this Winter lesson, students work in pairs to complete make frost and design snow goggles. Students experiment a hand lens to study the frost created....

Students are introduced to the idea of soil as a habitat for many different organisms. They are introduced to the links between the biological adaptations of an organism and the physical demands of its habitat. Pupils are introduced to...

Students investigate energy. In this Physics instructional activity, students explore different sources of energy: heat, nuclear, and chemical. Students sing an electricity song.

Scientists know the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today is higher than at any point in the last 800,000 years. Scholars learn about the amount of thermic radiation absorbed by air and what happens to the rest of the...

What would the world be like if everyone expressed gratitude? Pupils explore the concept by watching a motivating time-lapse video. Scholars express appreciation by handing out tokens of gratitude, and then write about their...

Travel through space as you learn about the galaxy, solar system, planets, and much more. An extensive resource for studying astronomy in upper-elementary and middle school classrooms.

Young entomologists familiarize themselves with the physical characteristics of insects. Composed of two activities, each lesson involves your scientists tapping into their prior knowledge of bugs and making observations of real live...

Future scientists are introduced to the chemical consequences of burning fossil fuels, learning that fossil fuel combustion leads to the formation of oxides of three nonmetals: carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur, all of which end up in the...

Brainstorm ideas to design a sustainable guest village in the Sonoran Desert. The first installment of a nine-part unit teaches young environmental scientists about the basics of the Saguaro National Park and about sustainable design....

Class members will dig this activity that has them trying their hand at recovering artifacts. Groups are assigned a section of a sandbox, carefully uncover the artifacts in their section, and then develop theories about who might...