Teach Engineering
Surface Tension Lab
What constitutes a good soap bubble? In the second installment of a nine-part series, scholars apply their understanding of surface tension to soap bubbles. They experiment to determine the best solutions to use for the...
Teach Engineering
Bees: The Invaluable Master Pollinators
There is nothing in the world quite like a bee. Here is a video that explains the importance of bees to pollination. Scholars consider possible solutions to the declining population of bees in the ninth and final installment in the series.
Teach Engineering
Show Me the Genes
Give your class a chance to show what they know. In the last installment of a seven-part series, pupils summarize and review what they have learned in the series. They present their solutions for creating a biosensor to detect cancer...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Historical Climate Cycles
Ice core samples give scientists access to climates of old—those from more than 800,000 years ago. Through an analysis of various temperature graphs from ice cores, tree rings, and weather stations, scholars compare historical climates...
Curated OER
Equivalent Mixed Numbers
Fifth graders use various internet sites to complete math programs where they identify different representations of mixed numbers. In this mixed numbers lesson plan, 5th graders practice math before hand and then go on the computers in...
Curated OER
Investigating Fingerprints
Students study the individuality of fingerprints. In this fingerprint instructional activity, students determine that each person has a unique set of fingerprints. They rub their fingertips with soft pencil lead and rub the print off on...
Curated OER
Double Down
Students shuffle cards identifying different patterns. In this algebra instructional activity, students investigate the accuracy of the card shufflers in a casino. They discuss out-shuffle, faro shuffle and magicians mixing cards to...
Curated OER
Hello, Fractions!
Third graders discover fractions through the use of pattern blocks, literature, website activity and making a fractional pizza.
Curated OER
The Ups and Downs of Weight and Mass
Students explore the concept of mass, and how it differs from weight. They also calculate their weight change as they ride up and down on an elevator. They record the changes in their weight as the elevator moves
graph the collected data.
Curated OER
Production and Costs
Students discuss the concept of productivity and participate in an activity in which they test their own productivity in making Origami cups. Teams determine how to improve productivity and then discuss factors that influence...
Curated OER
The Water Cycle
Students access prior knowledge of the water cycle by completing a KWL. For this water cycle lesson, students follow the movement of water through the water cycle.
Curated OER
Salmon Homing Instincts
Students role-play salmon returning to original streams using their sense of smell like the salmon do. They smell cinnamon, vanilla and peppermint on cards and follow that scent to locations in the classroom that represent their original...
Curated OER
Direct and Inverse Variation
Eighth graders participate in two data collection activities that involve direct and inverse variation. In the pre-assessment, 8th graders categorize numerical, graphical, and verbal representations as linear or nonlinear and determine...
Curated OER
The Greenhouse Effect
Seventh graders investigate the temperature change in open and closed containers. For this earth science lesson, 7th graders relate this lab activity to greenhouse effect. They create a line graph from data collected in the experiment.
Curated OER
Flips, Slides, and Turns
Fifth graders manipulate and draw shapes to demonstrate the concept of flips, slides, and turns using letters and arrows on graph paper.
Curated OER
Crackin' the Musical Code
Young scholars decode musical notation and then synthesize and apply by notating their own musical composition. Students draw various rhythmic examples which are equal in time duration. They notate and count rhythmic patterns. Additional...
Curated OER
Volleyball Lesson
Learners explore their physical abilities by participating in a sport. In this volleyball lesson, students discover the different techniques and skills needed to play volleyball by moving from different stations with small groups....
Curated OER
Can You Catch the Water?
Students work together to construct a model of a water catchment basin. They survey water patterns and complete experiments to see where rain travels and collects. They discover how engineers design structures that help with drainage.
Curated OER
A Day in the Life of a San Francisco Native Animal
Students write from an animal's perspective. In this writing lesson students explore the landscape of San Francisco prior to the arrival of the explorers. Students research animals indigenous to the area.
Curated OER
Mr. Gallon
Students investigate measurement conversions using a visual demonstration. In this mathematics conversions lesson plan, students create an image of a plastic gallon jug using a paint software program. Students utilize the jug...
Curated OER
Field Experiments on Succession
Student develop a hypothesis regarding the effects of either mowing or fertilizer upon the diversity of plant species in a grassland ecosystem. They set up experiment field plots and measure species richness.
Curated OER
The Flea's Sneeze Lesson Plan
Students read a book and engage in three different activities. In this lesson about repetitive story patterns, students read a story, The Flea's Sneeze, and examine how the story has a rhythmic pattern of rhyming verse that sounds like a...
Curated OER
Eye Color
Learners take a survey on eye color and plot their findings into a graph. In this eye color lesson plan, students take a class survey of everyone's eye color and learn how to put those findings into a graph.