Curated OER
Tree Study
Students measure the lengths of provided leafs to the nearest millimeter. Students identify trends in the data as well as sourced of inaccuracy and formulate additional questions that could be investigated to enhance their understanding.
Curated OER
Does One Tree a Forest Make?
Students take a walk around the schoolyard looking at and identifying the trees. One leaf for each tree is collected. A chart is developed that represents the population of trees on the school ground. They keep journals and write an essay.
Curated OER
Roads & Plant Diversity
Students, in groups, collect and analyze samples of native grassland plants near and around a road to show how roads have an impact on surrounding habitat.
Curated OER
The Sky is Falling!!
First graders complete a variety of activities about fall. They study a plant's life cycle and what happens to plants in the fall. They make leaf rubbings and discuss seed dispersal. They write a creative story about a seed and visit a...
Curated OER
Will It Sink or Float?
Students perform experiments to see if items will sink or float. For this sink or float lesson, students work in groups to make predictions, and record the results. After the experiments are complete students make a book of the results.
Curated OER
Soil In The Amazon
Students grow plants in soil representing that found in the Amazon basin. They compare results to plants growing in fertile soil and soil fertilized with leaf compost. Students chart, average and graph plant growth by height.
Students...
Curated OER
Schoolyard Tree Inventory and Biodiversity Project
Young scholars investigate the trees in their schoolyard by collecting data. In this ecosystem lesson students examine the schoolyard in sections, tagging and numbering trees and shrubbery in the specific area. Young scholars collect...
Curated OER
Graphing Data - Temperature
Seventh graders measure and record temperature over a given time period. They compare the recorded temperatures to the 40-year recorded normal average temperatures for the same area. Students display and interpret their findings in a graph.
Curated OER
Inner Space Cavern Cave Field Activity: Drip Rate Analysis
Students compare drip rates at several different locations throughout a cave. They observe, first hand, the heterogeneity in flow paths present in karst aquifers such as the Edwards aquifer.
Curated OER
Leaf Transpiration
Young scholars determine the amount of water loss due the transpiration.
Curated OER
Green Leaves
Third graders, after having conducted one experiment three times, record their observations results in a chart. They predict what hidden colors they believe that a leaf holds. Students record their predictions in their science note books...
Curated OER
Nature's Air Conditioner
Students observe the process of transpiration in leaves. They measure how much water a leaf gives off in a 24-hour period, calculate the volume, and answer discussion questions.
Curated OER
The Effects of Environment on Plant Growth: Selecting Seeds for Survival on a New Planet
Fifth graders conduct experiments to compare seed germination and plant growth rates. They construct a hydroponic plant unit and a lighthouse. They care for the plants for a month and collect data for graphs. They write a report.
Curated OER
Palace for Pill Bugs
Students build a palace fit for pill bugs. In this experimental design lesson, students design an experiment to determine which shelter is preferred by the pills bugs. Students are creating a testable hypothesis, collecting data,...
Curated OER
Goobers. Goobers? Goobers!
Learners begin the lesson by noting the many ways in which to use peanuts. In groups, they use the internet to research the work of George Washington Carver. They discover the allergies and nutritional information of the peanut and...
National Wildlife Federation
Citizen Science to the Rescue!
You don't have to be a scientist or even out of high school to contribute to scientific research. In the 12th lesson plan in the series of 21, scholars use this opportunity to add to the growing body of scientific knowledge and consider...
Curated OER
Drops on a Penny
A helpful worksheet describes an interesting demonstration on the surface tension of water. Learners guess how many drops of water the heads side of a penny will hold. This resource does a great job of describing just how a penny can...
Rural Science Education Program
Bees and Flowers – Partners in Pollination
Why are bees so important? After several activities where kids investigate the form and function of flowers, they learn about the different types of bees and label them. They then examine pollen under a microscope and decide which bees...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Are All Plants Created Equal?
Photosynthesis requires energy and produces food, and cellular respiration produces energy and requires food. An interesting lesson plan analyzes the factors that affect the rates of photosynthesis and respiration. Classes spend one day...
Curated OER
Ready for Roots
Fourth graders sort seeds and predict what conditions are needed for them to germinate. They keep the seeds moist, observe and measure their growth and graph the results. As the seeds start to grow students compare and contrast the each...
Curated OER
Building a Pill Bug Palace
Learners make "pets" of isopods (potato bugs) to determine their preferred environment and food sources. They record their results on a bar graph and in a scientific report.
Curated OER
TE Lesson: Caught in the Net
Students student the concept of bycatch, the act of unintentionally catching certain living creatures using fishing equipment. They determine the difference between bycatch and target creatures. They discover what species become bycatch...
Curated OER
"Measurement in Motion"
Ninth graders examine the rate of motion and changes in motion using a ramp and a rolling object. They conduct the demonstration, determine the average speed, and describe how a moving object can have zero acceleration and deceleration.
Curated OER
Aquatic Organisms and Their Habitats
Middle schoolers investigate the presence of specific organisms in a freshwater habitat to determine the quality of that habitat. They conduct a field study and distinguish and classify organisms found during the field study.