Baylor College
What Dissolves in Water?
One of water's claims to fame is as the universal solvent. Young physical scientists experiment to discover which materials dissolve in this special compound. You could never be more prepared for teaching this lesson than by using this...
Baylor College
There's Something in the Air
Clever! In order to compare indoor and outdoor dispersal rates for the movement of gases and particles through air, collaborators will participate in a classroom experiment. Set up a circular grid and set students on lines that are...
Curated OER
ToxMystery Lesson Plan 1: Introduction to Common Household Chemical Hazards
Students participate in ToxMystery, a computer game, where they discover potential environmental health hazards in rooms of a common household. In this lesson on household safety, students first brainstorm possible hazards in the...
Odell Education
Building Evidence-Based Arguments: “Doping can be that last 2 percent.”
Even the most thrilling sports career can end in an asterisk if the player uses performance-enhancing drugs. Focused on the topic of doping in sports, a seventh grade unit breaks down the arguments for and against steroids in five...
Curated OER
Be Kind to Your Teeth
What kinds of food can be bad for your teeth? Kindergartners and first graders explore dental health with an interactive science inquiry. Given a choice of foods such as celery, cake, and milk, kids choose which ones are better for their...
Southern Nevada Health District
Is It Fruit?
The concept is the most valuable feature of this resource, which is designed to bring learners' attention to the nutritional labels of food items. Your class will take a closer look at the labels on bottled juice containers to determine...
Curated OER
Cell Wall Recipe: A Lesson on Biofuels
Biotech engineers discover that changes in the DNA code for cell wall formation can help create crops better suited for biofuel production. They extract DNA from wheat germ. They decode paper strips with codes and relate the activity to...
American Physiological Society
Did I Observe it or Infer it?
Take the mystery out of inquiry! When young scientists learn to use their keen powers of observation to make smart inferences about a situation, they are well on their way to understanding what the scientific method is all about. Using...
G. Turrell
Science Activity 2: Light & Sound
Little learners experiment with sunlight and map out how light travels. Using a mirror and slotted card, they find out about items that can reflect or absorb the light. They experiment with a variety of materials to find out how light...
Cornell University
Vitamin C Module
Test the levels of vitamin C in different juices. After a instructional activity on the importance of vitamin C in our diets, learners use titration to determine the vitamin C content in juice. They use their experience with the...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Silver and Bandages: Assessment of Inhibition of Bacteria by Silver Colloid-Impregnated Bandages
Silver: more than jewelry, it's also a natural antimicrobial agent. An inquiry-based lesson asks collaborative groups to design and implement an experiment to test this property. Using samples of silver nanoparticles and a strain of...
101 Questions
Sugar Packets
Depending on your eating habits, you just may not want to know the answer to the inquiry-based question! The task is to determine the number of sugar packets in one 20-ounce soda. Learners use nutritional information from the sugar and...
Curated OER
Pulling It All Together
Students review data about a health problem and prepare an investigative report. Teams trade reports and utilize skills developed from previous lessons to evaluate the critical thinking evident in the reports.
Royal Society of Chemistry
Acids and Bases—Microscale Chemistry
Here's proof that small-scale labs lead to big-time learning. Introduce acid-base interactions to middle school scientists through a microscale chemistry lab. Pupils combine a variety of solutions and use indicators to obtain approximate...
Curated OER
Recognizing Litter
When does trash become litter? Use this litter awareness lesson to help them understand the importance of trash disposal. Get learners engaged by reading Nancy Loewen's Lady Lulu Liked to Litter (not included). After discussing what...
Polar Trec
Animal Monitoring Introduction
Not only do mealworms taste great, they are also great for classroom science lessons. In pairs, young scientists observe and record what they see as they check out what their mealworms are doing from minute to minute. Each minute...
Curated OER
Pandemic Panic
Learners gather information about the H1N1 virus, and share this information. In this pandemic lesson students read about Influenza A, or Swine Flu, compile information on the disease, and then present their findings to the class.
Curated OER
What Happened to Mya
Students research the symptoms and treatments of diabetes. In this diabetes lesson, students explore the topic and share their findings through a case study. Several extensive activities are also suggested.
Curated OER
Food for Thought
Fifth graders explore the brain and what is needs. In this biology lesson plan, 5th graders will work on a series of activities that will allow them to learn about the brain, its parts, and the best foods to eat for their brain.
American Physiological Society
An Inquiry into Alcoholic Fermentation
Introduce life science students to their new "best buds" yeast! Using a wide variety of materials, lab groups design an experiment that illustrates how yeast acquires the resources it needs to undergo cellular respiration. The teacher's...
Curated OER
The Importance of Making Labs a Priority
The benefits of inquiry-based exploration can be attained in any classroom.
Curated OER
You Are What You Eat!
Students calculate the calories in food samples and plan a meal based on the calorie amount. In this calories lesson plan, students also devise a work out program to burn off the calories.
Curated OER
TSI: Teen Science Investigations
Students read an article about a research conducted on teen brain decision making. In this health science lesson, students identify the steps in the scientific method. They discuss how this research can benefit them when faced with...
Curated OER
Water Quality with Samples
Young scholars recognize whether one wants to drink water, swim in it, or for the health of the organisms living in it. They prepare different water samples to observe and collect samples regarding the water quality.