Captain Planet Foundation
Which Plant Is Which?
Learn about dichotomous keys, plant identification, and how to care for the planet with a lesson that includes several hands-on and innovative activities. Kids go on a plant scavenger hunt and classify the plants that they find...
Kenan Fellows
Use of Dichotomous Keys to Identify Stream Organisms
What kind of organisms are living in the stream? After an explanation on how to use a dichotomous key, groups of three to four use the keys to identify macroinvertebrates from a local freshwater stream. Using the the concept of Stream...
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Concept Mapping Fuels
After reading an article, "Fuels for Everything," collaborative groups create a concept map poster of the transportation and non-transportation fuels. This makes a strong introduction to the different types of fuels used for transportion...
American Chemical Society
Using Chemical Change to Identify an Unknown
If you discover an unknown powder, how do you determine if it is safe? Lesson uses four different tests to identify the properties of various powders that appear the same. Then scholars get an unknown powder and have to determine which...
NOAA
Plate Tectonics Interactive
Here is a plate tectonics interactive that will really move your class! The first of a 13-part series introduces young geologists to the fundamental concepts and vocabulary they need to understand the interactions between crustal plates....
Scholastic
Study Jams! Identify Outcomes and Make Predictions
Making predictions and identifying possible outcomes are skills that all science pupils should possess. In this video, Mia and Sam discuss the chances of puppies being male or female as an example. The animation is adorable, and will...
Curated OER
Discovering Dichotomous Keys
Students become familiar with the structure and use of dichotomus keys. They demonstrate a comprehension of the fundamental principles of taxonomy by classifying organisms from a local ecosystem. Students are introduced to the term...
American Chemical Society
Using Dissolving to Identify an Unknown
There is a solvent called aqua regis that can dissolve gold! After observing a solubility demonstration, groups receive four known crystals and one unknown. Based on the demo, they design an experiment to determine the identity of the...
Biology Junction
Classification of Life
Did you know scientists identify more than 13 billion species of organisms, and they discover more almost every day? An interesting presentation demonstrates how scientists keep track of so many species. It also shows how they...
ARKive
Species Discovery
How do you classify a newly discovered species? Learners view a presentation and complete research about biodiversity and the classification hierarchy. The lesson includes activities with dichotomous keys and work on classifying both...
Curated OER
Anatomy and Physiology
Fifth graders work in teams to play a game enabling them to identify the basic components of the female human reproductive system. They view an overhead that describes menstruation and discuss their knowledge of the female reproductive...
National Institute of Open Schooling
Ionic Equilibrium
Scientific studies show the older we get, the more acidic we become. The activity extensively teaches high schoolers about acids and bases. By the end of the 14th installment of 36, they can define and explain three concepts of...
Mr. Waynes clas
Kinematics Objectives
Accelerate young physicists' learning with this collection of problem-solving worksheets. Starting off by teaching students to identify the given information and variables in physics problems, this resource goes on to challenge them with...
Columbus City Schools
Sedimentary Rocks
Turn your class discussion of rock formation from ho-hum to holy hornfels! Junior geologists gain experience in identifying rock types and rock origins, with an emphasis in hypothesizing the environment needed to form certain rocks. The...
NOAA
Through Robot Eyes
How do robots assist ocean explorers in collecting data and images? The final installment in a five-part series has science scholars examine underwater images collected by robots and identify the organisms shown. Groups then calculate...
NASA
Discovering the Milky Way
What do you call a tiny collection of galaxies? A puny-verse! Young scholars graph data gathered by scientists studying Cepheids. They attempt to identify a relationship between the variables through standard and logarithmical graphing....
EngageNY
Mid-Unit Assessment: Close Reading of Bullfrog at Magnolia Circle: Bullfrog Life Cycle
The sixth lesson plan in this Bullfrog at Magnolia Circle unit assesses your third graders' ability to read and understand informational text. The included assessment asks learners to take notes about the main idea and supporting details...
LABScI
Taxonomy: Who is in My family?
Find similarities in seemingly unlike organisms. The second instructional activity in a series of 12 builds the concept of a taxonomy and explores the use of a dichotomous key. Learners begin in part one by attempting to group a set of...
Physics Classroom
Name That Harmonic: Closed-End air Columns
Physics is like music—practice makes perfect! Challenge your class using an interactive that builds harmonic skills. The engaging lesson from a playlist exploring sounds and waves revolves around wave behavior in closed-end air columns....
Physics Classroom
Polarization
Are your young physicists static-savvy? Test their skills using an engaging interactive from the Static Electricity series! Learners evaluate scenarios to determine how charges move between conductors and insulators, then identify...
Physics Classroom
Case Studies: Impulse and Force
Why are gym walls padded and cars required to have air bags? Scholars observe two similar situations, such as those listed above, with only one variable altered. They identify the different variable and determine how the variation...
Science 4 Inquiry
Layers and Laws: The Law of Superposition and Index Fossils
What can layers of rock teach us about the climate? Young scientists solve a mystery about who stole a cookie by applying the law of superposition. Then, they apply the same concept to solve a more difficult mystery, trying to determine...
Smarter Balanced
Renewable Energy
Renewable and non-renewable energy sources are the focus of a series of activities that prepare learners for a performance task assessment on energy. Groups identify the various sources of energy and classify these sources as either...
Curated OER
Building Bodies
Students identify key anatomical similarities and differences between great apes and humans. They infer likely anatomical features in ancient human ancestors and list principal anatomical changes in primates necessary for adaptation to...