Curated OER
What Is the Freezing Point?
Students remove heat energy and determine how it causes a phase change.
Curated OER
Helping Plants Grow Well
Students investigate the effect of water, temperature, and light on plant growth. In this plant lesson plan, students identify the parts of the plant and participate in an online activity. The website is included in this lesson plan.
Curated OER
Sun Friendly Homes
Students design and build a model solar energy home. In this technology lesson plan, students test the efficiency of their model houses by measuring temperature at regular intervals. They analyze data and share results with the class.
Curated OER
Solids and Liquids
Students complete activities to study the properties of solids and liquids. For this states of matter lesson, students investigate the melting and freezing of a range of materials in a virtual experiment. Students melt the substances and...
Curated OER
Yeast Blowup
Students experiment to determine if yeast is a microorganism. For this yeast blowup lesson, students mix yeast with other ingredients and observe the results by using a balloon. Students adjust the amounts of the ingredients and test...
Curated OER
Cool Suits
Students examine the materials that are used to make space suits. They complete an experiment in which they test different materials in different colors to determine the best one for keeping astronauts comfortable. They analyze the data.
Curated OER
Coffee Cooling
Students explore the factors that affect how long coffee stays hot. They develop a question and a testable hypothesis for one factor such as initial temperature or size of opening of the container. Then they design and conduct an...
Curated OER
The Shape of Things
Middle schoolers study the natural incubation of hens and the important characteristics of the egg shell. They perform experiments to test the strength of the dome shape of an egg and prove that an eggshell has pores to allow air to...
Curated OER
Water Properties of the Great Salt Lake
Fourth graders examine the ecosystem of the Great Salt Lake in this two-part lesson, completing a KWL chart before and after the field trip to the site. While there, they draw and write about their observations. To test for buoyancy,...
Curated OER
Health: Food Borne Illnesses
Students discover how to inhibit food borne illnesses by practicing safe food-handling techniques. Among topics they examine are the advantages and disadvantages of using wooden or plastic cutting boards. After studying for the test,...
Curated OER
Convection in a Pan
Students watch a demonstration using a plastic bag and a hair dryer to create a hot air balloon. After the demonstration, they discuss the results and whether or not hot water behaves the in the same manner as hot air. They conduct...
Curated OER
Water Quality Monitoring
Students comprehend the four parameters of water quality. They perform tests for salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH and clarity or turbidity. Students comprehend why scientists and environmental managers monitor water uality and aquatic...
Curated OER
Smog Be Gone
Students begin the lesson by identifying greenhouse gases. In groups, they observe and record the effect of the gases on the atmosphere and the temperature of the Earth. They participate in activities that describe the role of...
Curated OER
Evaporation of Alcohol and Water
Students investigate the process that occurs when liquids evaporaate. They test water and alcohol to determine which substance evaporates more quickly and relate the rate to energy changes.
Curated OER
Oh Nuts! - Calories Count
Students measure and record the mass of the nut to be tested to the nearest 0.01 gram.
Curated OER
Periodic Table
Students identify the periodic table trends and predict material properties. They also design and conduct simple experiments and test material properties. Finally, students compare and contrast material properties and that chemical...
Curated OER
Secret Agents of Dissolved Oxygen
Students determine the changes in different types of water in a sealed container over time. They investigate how to measure dissolved oxygen, temperature, and carbon dioxide with calculator or computer probe-ware. Students determine the...
Curated OER
Solar Energy: Become a Sun Chef!
Young scholars design and construct a solar cooker. They use the Internet to research solar collectors and the process of changing light energy into heat energy.
Curated OER
Yogurt Production
Learners work together to complete an experiment making yogurt. They test different temperatures and different amount of ingredients. They record and analyze their data.
Curated OER
Convection Currents
Students explain and understand the circulation of air in the atmosphere. They identify that energy can be carried from one place to another by heat flow or by waves, including water, light and sound waves, or by moving objects. ...
Virginia Department of Education
Greenhouse Gas Modeling Activity
Why are greenhouse gases called greenhouse gases? Young Earth scientists learn about greenhouse gases though experimentation in the second installment of a 3-part series. They use lamps to model radiant energy as well as warming through...
Virginia Department of Education
Partial Pressure
At some point, everyone has been under pressure—even Dalton! Explore Dalton's law of partial pressures with young chemists as they measure the volume of air extracted from a sample compared to its original volume. Class members perform...
Virginia Department of Education
Weathering of Limestone
We all know limestone weathers, but what affects the rate of weathering? Young scientists investigate the physical and chemical weathering of limestone (chalk) through experimentation. First, they conduct trials with different-size...