Virginia Department of Education
The Law of Conservation of Matter
The Law of Conservation of Matter can be complex for young scientists to fully grasp. Use this experiment to help simplify the process as pupils perform two experiments to determine mass: one that melts a substance and the other that...
Mascil Project
Water Quality
How do you prevent the spread of water-borne illness in large public swimming areas? Scholars discover the challenges to identifying safe water through an inquiry experiment. They then produce posters sharing their understanding of water...
EduGAINs
Understanding Viscosity through Investigation and Comparison of Fluids
Not all liquids are the same. Investigate the viscosity of different fluids with a series of activities designed for eighth grade science. As learners move through learning centers with different experiment setups, they determine...
Virginia Department of Education
Formulas and Percent Compositions of Ionic Compounds
Try not to blind anyone with science by following the safety rules. The lesson encourages scholars to form an ionic compound from magnesium and chlorine. Then they determine the empirical formula and determine the mole ratio and percent...
University of Minnesota
Balance: The Ears Have It
Don't go around and around with the same concept! A hands-on activity explores the vestibular system and circular motion. After spinning a group member, lab partners examine their eye movement. Making observations allows the group to...
Science Matters
Digestive System Simulation
What do a sandwich bag and a mouth have in common? Your classes are about to find out in a hands-on lesson that has groups build models of the digestive system. Using a little imagination, learners use everyday materials to create a...
Curated OER
Look on the Bright Side!
Students explore solar eclipses by participating in a number of hands-on activities. In class, students work in teams using tennis balls, grapes and flashlights to model partial and total solar eclipses.
University of California
Hot! Hot! Hot!
Calories are not tiny creatures that sew your clothes tighter every night, but what are they? A science lesson, presented at multiple levels, has learners experiment with heat, heat transfer, and graph the function over time....
Virginia Department of Education
Permeability and Porosity
Covering both permeability and porosity, scholars perform a hands-on experiment testing various soil types. The material includes a pre-lesson worksheet to help focus pupils on the task at hand.
TryEngineering
Sugar Crystal Challenge
Be sure to use this sweet resource. Scholars perform an experiment using sugar to investigate how surface area relates to the coarseness of sugar. They consider how this concept connects to nanotechnology.
Curated OER
Cell Biology
Identify the different cell organelles in prokaryotes. Modelling the cells using Jell-o and candies will be a fun way to experience the cell in a hands-on way (different to using play-doh!). They observe cells under a microscope and draw...
Polytechnic Institute of NYU
Potential vs. Kinetic Energy
Legos in science class? Watch your pupils fall in love with this activity. After learning to measure potential and kinetic energy, young scientists create their own ramps using Lego Mindstorm sensors and software.
Virginia Department of Education
Adaptation and Evolution
Um may be the atomic symbol for confusion, but it won't be needed in this lesson. Scholars rotate through seven stations completing experiments, hands-on activities, writing exercises, and analysis. Stations include material on...
Curated OER
Insect Anatomy
A wonderful lesson plan on the many benefits of having spiders and bugs around us. Learners discover how important these bugs are to our ecosystem. The lesson helps young biologists see the differences between spiders and caterpillars,...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Classroom Activities: Stem Cells and Diabetes
A multi-faceted lesson immerses AP biologists into the world of the stem cell. Using PowerPoint presentations, you introduce your class to diabetes and the possibility of finding cures through stem cell research. Online animations and...
Curated OER
Science All Around You
Students visit and explore a Hands On Science Center (HOSC). They participate in a variety of self-guided table exercises and observe as scientists demonstrate various scientific principles.
Curated OER
Wegener and Plate Tectonics: A Hands-On Lesson
Students are introduced to and experiment with the basic concepts of plate tectonic theory as well as assess the history of the theory of plate tectonics. They explain and illustrate the basic concepts through diagrams and models of...
Curated OER
Matter/Solid Liquid Gas Experiments
Learners investigate matter:solid, liquid, gas by conducting different experiments. In this states of matter lesson, students conduct hands on activities that allow learners to see first hand results. Students mix...
Curated OER
Erosion Mountain
Students investigate the erosive impact of water. In this erosion lesson, students research the impact of water on terraced and non-terraced hillsides. Students create an erosion model to have a hands-on experience with the soil.
Curated OER
Antarctica: Effects of Salinity on Icebergs
Students investigate the effects of salinity on icebergs. In this hands on lesson, students design and conduct an investigation into how the amount of salt in ice affects its buoyancy.
Curated OER
Ready-Set-Tech: When a Volcano Erupts
Wouldn't it be a blast to uncover the science behind volcanic eruptions? Explore, research, and examine the nature of volcanoes with three fun hands-on projects kids will love. First the class takes to the Internet to research volcanoes....
Curated OER
TE Activity: Bubbling Plants
Students study a way to quantify the process of photosynthesis during a given time using the Elodea plant. They design a hypothesis that they test in the hands on activity. They compare the amounts of photosynthesis that occur during low...
Curated OER
Earthquakes and Volcanoes
Even though volcanoes look alike, they can be very different based on the types of lava that erupts from their surface. Learn about strata volcanoes, shield volcanoes, and the varying viscosity of lava with an engaging hands-on...
Curated OER
You Really "Affect" Me
Middle schoolers examine the effects of variables. They view a video which introduces the concepts, take part in an internet-based activity, then engage in a hands-on activity which allows them to practice what they have been studying.