Activity
PBS

No Slip Grip

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
The force will be with you during an inquiry-based lesson focused on friction. Young scientists explore the effect of different surfaces on friction. They use rubber bands to measure the amount of force needed to move an object on the...
Activity
PBS

Print Hints

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
It would be a crime not to give the lesson a chance! An inquiry-based lesson has pupils assume the role of crime scene investigators as they make observations about shoe prints. They look for patterns in the prints such as distance and...
Lesson Plan
1
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Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary

Ingenious: Franklin Assembles a Scientific Community

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Few Americans have heard of the burgeoning scientific community known as the America Philosophical society, started by none other than Benjamin Franklin. With inquiry, research, and discussion, high schoolers come to understand their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Household Conservation/Efficiency

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Hook your class up to an online home energy usage calculator so that they can estimate the amount used per month by their families. Then give them Watt meters with which they will measure the power consumption of several small...
Worksheet
1
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Curated OER

Be Kind to Your Teeth

For Students K - 2nd
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...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Bendable Things

For Students K - 2nd
What kinds of cups can bend? Kindergartners find out with a straightforward science inquiry, designed to teach them about the properties of materials. They hypothesize about the flexibility of a china cup, a plastic cup, and a paper cup....
Worksheet
Curated OER

It's A Gas!

For Students 5th
Fifth graders complete a learning exercise which has them place a list of gases in order from the least to the most dense. The density in grams is given for each. There's a good paragraph which provides background knowledge about the...
Lesson Plan
Physics Classroom

Action-Reaction Lab

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Computer-interfaced motion detectors are required to carry out this inquiry. It is a new twist on exploring motion with plunger carts: they are set back-to-back and then propelled away from each other. Their velocities are measured, and...
Lesson Plan
Illustrative Mathematics

Comparing Temperatures

For Teachers 5th - 7th Standards
Which is colder -12 or -18? Temperature is natural real-world application of ordering rational numbers. It's also fun to talk about the lowest recorded temperature on Earth. Take the time to discuss this inquiry with your class. 
Lesson Plan
Perkins School for the Blind

Conductors of Heat - Hot Spoons

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Why is the end of a spoon hot when it's not all the way in the hot water? A great question deserves a great answer, and learners with visual impairments will use their auditory and tactile senses to get that answer. A talking...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Mysterious Present

For Teachers K - 5th
Even history can be the basis for the inquiry process. First, several images of a bowls and vessels used in Japanese tea ceremonies are examined. Then, the class crafts questions about the origin, purpose, and use of the items. They use...
Unit Plan
Mathematics Vision Project

Quadratic Functions

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Inquiry-based learning and investigations form the basis of a deep understanding of quadratic functions in a very thorough unit plan.  Learners develop recursive and closed methods for representing real-life situations,...
Activity
Education Development Center

Absolute Value Reasoning

For Students 6th - 7th Standards
Teach solving absolute value inequalities through inquiry. Groups use their knowledge of absolute value and solving inequalities to find a solution set to an absolute value inequality. Working collaboratively encourages discussion,...
Interactive
CK-12 Foundation

Simplify Products or Quotients of Single Variable Expressions: Quotients of Single Variable Expressions

For Students 7th - 9th Standards
Investigate division within an algebraic term using an inquiry-based lesson. Individuals adjust sliders and watch as the simplification of the term changes. Questions help guide them to important conclusions.
Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Resolution—Not Just for the New Year

For Students 11th - 12th
Experiment with optical resolution using an inquiry-based lesson. Young researchers calculate fellow classmates' optical resolutions. They apply the information to understand the inner workings of optical instruments.
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Periodic Shuffle: Introduction to Periodicity and Electron Configuration

For Teachers 9th - 12th
No matter how you shuffle the elements, their electron configurations keep them in the same order. How can that be? Introduce the concept of periodicity through a lesson that combines inquiry, discussion, and comparison. Partners...
Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Creating and Testing Silver-Nanoparticle Socks

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Antibacterial socks are a product of nanotechnology. An inquiry-based lesson asks collaborative groups to create their own antibacterial socks and then test them against other products on the market. The sock with the least amount...
Activity
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Silver and Bandages: Assessment of Inhibition of Bacteria by Silver Colloid-Impregnated Bandages

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Hiding Behind the Mask

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Microchips are a man-made wonder. Investigate the manufacturing wonder with a hands-on inquiry-based lesson. Scholars simulate the process of pattern transfer using photoresist. Their conclusion identifies how their process replicates...
Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Understanding Wave Motion - Slinky vs. Snaky: Which Spring is Dominant?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Ride the wave to an understanding of refraction! The first in a series of two inquiry-based lessons challenges learners to create transverse waves with two different types of springs. As their wave hits an object, they observe the change...
Lesson Plan
iCivics

Step 2: Find What You Need

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Have you ever searched for something on the web only to get 50,000 results? Scholars analyze ways to break down an inquiry to get specific results. The second installment of a 10-part County Solutions - High School series researches...
Unit Plan
Los Angeles Unified School District

River Systems

For Teachers 6th Standards
Scholars must react to the ecosystems of a river. They use inquiry-based learning along with maps and visuals to better understand the impact of rivers on everyday life. To finish, they create final written projects and presentations. 
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Hooking Your Reader

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Hook your class into inquiry-based, hands-on learning with a activity on narrative leads. Pupils research different types of hooks and decide which one to use in their own writing. Carefully scaffolded to include all learners, the...
Lesson Plan
Mascil Project

Water Quality

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
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...

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