NASA
Stellar Fingerprints and Doppler Red Shifts
Young scientists observe the spectra of elements and compare that to the Doppler effect. Hook scholars from the beginning all the way to the extension activities in this 5E-format instructional activity.
NASA
Two Versions of Gravity: Newton and Einstein
We have all heard the debate about teaching both theories, but an innovative lesson takes the discussion to a new level. Scholars research and debate Newton's Law of Gravitation versus Einstein's General Theory of...
California Academy of Science
Human Evolution
As the great and hilarious Tim Minchin once said, "Science is simply the word we use to describe a method of organizing our curiosity." Science is more than just a guess; it is based on questions, observations, and evidence. High...
Curated OER
Lesson Idea: A Box Full of Science
Students analyze and study a shoe box of simple objects. They experience a homemade alternative to a company box of commercial kits for science. Each student creates their own shoe box of simple objects to share with their classmates.
Coastal Carolina University
Osmosis and Diffusion Lab: Honey I Blew Up the Bear
Beginning biologists explore passive transport through two demonstrations and a hands-on inquiry. Spray air freshener from one spot in the classroom and have class members raise their hands as the scent reaches them. Also, place a teabag...
Curated OER
Applied Science - Technology Post-Lab
Young scholars explore inventions. In this Applied Science lesson, students discuss the history of everyday objects and the invention of them. Young scholars illustrate and describe their own invention.
Science 4 Inquiry
Snakes in the Everglades
The Burmese python is on the loose ... and he's hungry! Illustrate the differences between causative and correlative relationships through an inquiry instructional activity. Pupils examine several sources of information to determine if...
Sea World
Endangered Species
Study different endangered species with several activities that incorporate math, science, language arts, and research strategies. A great addition to your activity on conservation or Earth Day.
NASA
Let's Investigate Mars
Take your science class on a hypothetical field trip to Mars with an engaging astronomy lesson. After first learning about NASA's Mars rover missions, young scientists plan their own scientific investigations of Earth's...
NOAA
Deep-Sea Ecosystems – A Tale of Deep Corals
Many have debated which came first, the chicken or the egg, but this lesson debates which came first, the hydrocarbons or the carbonate reef. After a discussion on deep-sea corals, scholars receive a set of questions to research and...
Bonneville
Setting Expectations for Science and Engineering Projects
What is science? Sitting in a whole group discussion, scholars first share their ideas on science and how to conduct investigations. They learn about the steps for scientific inquiry and experimentation. Once finished, individuals then...
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Amazing Birds
What's so amazing about birds? Find out just how amazing birds are with a physics of animal behavior unit created by Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Have learners explore and tap into their observational skills and notice how birds fly, what...
Lerner Publishing
Meet the Dinosaurs
Take your class of youngsters on a prehistoric adventure with this four-lesson series on dinosaurs. Accompanying the Meet the Dinosaurs books by Don Lessem, these lessons engage children in writing their own dinosaur books,...
Curated OER
Understanding the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB)
How did our universe really begin? Explore the Science Big Bang Theory and Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) with this multiple activity-based instructional activity that demonstrates that the increase of density due to the decrease of...
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...
Royal Society of Chemistry
Computational Chemistry—Chemistry Now
Can some plants make their own animal repellents? Science sleuths examine the properties of cinnamamide in pear trees using an case study about computational chemistry. The resource discusses how vital computers are to research, how...
Texas Center for Learning Disabilities
First-Grade Intervention
Learning how to read is a big challenge for young learners, but this series of lessons provides them with the extra support they need to succeed. With each lesson following the a clearly outlined format, children are introduced...
Texas Center for Learning Disabilities
Second-Grade Comprehension-Based Intervention
Help your youngsters find meaning in the text they read with this series of five intervention lessons. Offering explicit, step-by-step instructions for walking children through shared readings of leveled books, these...
Texas Center for Learning Disabilities
Fourth-Grade Text-Based Intervention
Provide young readers with the extra support they need using this series of 10 literacy lessons. Following a repeated sequence of learning activities, these lessons engage children in expanding their vocabulary...
American Chemical Society
The Periodic Table and Transuranium Elements
The periodic table has so much more to it than meets the uninformed eye. An inquiry-based lesson leads learners through the history of the discovery of several transuranium elements. They then use informational resources to build a...
PBS
Cloud Clues
It's cloudy with a good chance of learning! An inquiry-based lesson begins with an exploration of transparent, translucent, and opaque materials. Young scientists then connect their learning to the different cloud types as they take the...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Stalking the Genetic Basis of a Trait
Need an a-maize-ing lesson to show your class how regulatory genes work? If you use the well-written resource, they'll be all ears! Biology scholars discover the gene responsible for the evolution of the modern-day corn plant through a...
Beyond Benign
Writing the Principles
What is the difference between chemistry and green chemistry? The first lesson of the 24-part green chemistry series introduces scholars to its 12 principles. The tendency is toward nontoxic materials and sustainability.
Cornell University
Resolution—Not Just for the New Year
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.