Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Degradation and Weathering of Polymeric Materials

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Young scholars investigate issues of degradation and weathering of polymeric materials during their useful life. They evaluate photodegradable plastics and their viability as an environmental solution for litter and investigate the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Density Studies of the Earth

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Density comes to life as investigators place soda cans into containers of various liquids to find if they sink or float. They layer different density liquids, compare densities of different gases, and more. A total of six different...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wind Power

For Teachers 9th - 12th
What a wonderful way to explore wind power! Through this lesson, learners get a background in the history of wind power, create their own wind turbine, and the test their designs. This is a terrific way to tie scientific principles to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Along the Birdhouse Trail

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students set up and maintain birdhouses on the school grounds in an effort to witness and capture (through video and photos) the major stages in the life cycle of cavity-nesting birds.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changing Planet: Rising Ocean Temperatures - Rising Sea Levels

For Teachers 5th - 9th
As an anticipatory set, young environmental technicians watch a video about how ocean temperatures seem to be changing along with the global climate. They perform a laboratory demonstration with the purpose of observing what happens to...
Lesson Plan
National Geographic

Rescuing, Relocating, and Rehabilitating Wildlife

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Bring up the Deepwater Horizon (BP) oil spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Display the colorful diagram of the coastal and marine organisms living in the area. Show a video about relocating the eggs of the Gulf's sea...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Laws of Motion

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Do you need some new ideas for teaching Newton's Laws of Motion? This series of activities will spring your curriculum to life! Choose from five activities to demonstrate or have your science stars perform. As a result, they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Radioactivity, Time, and Age

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Four activities demonstrate the chain reaction of nuclear fission to your physical science fans: falling dominoes, snapping mouse traps, throwing paper wads, and igniting a series of matches. They perform additional...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Soil Type and Management

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students study the basics of soil science. They research and gather data through readings, videos, and performance of laboratory investigations. As a team they generate oral and written recommendations for the amendment of soil.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Search for El Nino

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders complete an El Nino scavenger hunt. In this earth science instructional activity, 6th graders describe the conditions that create El Nino and compare it to normal condition. They discuss how this phenomenon affects marine...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Taking the Measure of the Universe

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Four fabulous activities immerse amateur astronomers into measuring objects that we cannot handle. The experiences are applied to NASA's Space Interferometry Mission, which will take measurements of planets around stars other than our...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

For Teachers K - 1st
Wow! Here is a most-impressive series of lessons and activities that revolve around the classic story, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. The purpose of the lessons are to provide an agricultural theme in the reading, writing, and science...
Lesson Plan
Center Science Education

Plugged In To CO2

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Watt is going on here? Middle schoolers are learning about energy use and carbon dioxide emissions! In the first part of this lesson, learners measure how much energy different appliances consume and calculate the amount per day. In...
Lesson Plan
Center Science Education

CO2: How Much Do You Spew?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Split your earth science or environmental studies class into groups and give each a scenario card. Scenario cards describe the lifestyles of 10 different fictitious families, focusing on their energy usage. Carbon dioxide emissions are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Probabilities of Problems: A Look at Genetic Inheritance

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Discuss an article about families affected by genetic disorders and their decisions about whether or not to evaluate their own genetic information. Investigate four different inherited disorders. Participate in a probability exercise....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

West Nile Virus-What is the Risk?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Begin with an online pre-quiz about West Nile Virus. Using a fictional scenario, young epidemiologists read how it is transmitted and examine the stages of the life cycle of a mosquito. They imagine that they are members of the Centers...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Air Pollution: The Issue of Global Warming

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Here is an outstanding 10-page lesson plan on global warming. Learners discover that there is a lot of controversy surrounding this topic in that the science behind global warming is difficult to prove. The best thing about this plan is...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Environmental Models to Determine the Effect of Acid Rain on an Ecosystem

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Demonstrate to your middle school science learners how chalk breaks down in a weak acid. Discuss what affects acidic rain might have on ecosystems. Lab groups then choose one of two questions: "How does acid precipitation affect an...
Lesson Plan
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science

A Tale of Two Houses

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Does it cost more per year to heat Bill's home in North Dakota or to cool Bubba's home in Georgia? Using heat transfer concepts, mathematical equations, and critical thinking skills, young engineers work in groups to determine who is...
Lesson Plan
SeaWorld

How Big is a Blue?

For Teachers Pre-K - 3rd
Whales are all big, but some are larger than others! Kids will love sorting the 10 whale species by size at their desk (whale cut-outs provided). Next, use a whale rope to visualize how long each of these whales actually is. A large...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

once and future MOON

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Beyond the phases of the moon, this comprehensive lesson plan covers geologic history and geology. Amateur astronauts examine photos of the lunar landscape, experiment with the creation of craters, and delve into information about the...
Lesson Plan
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Baylor College

Why Circulate?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Lub-dub, lub-dub. Why does the heart beat? Why does blood circulate throughout the body? Life scientists find out how important circulation is for dissolving and dispersing materials by timing how long it takes for food coloring spread...
Lesson Plan
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

How Novel Icefish Genes Can Improve Human Health

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Designed to accompany the 13-minute video The Making of the Fittest: The Birth and Death of Genes, this handout serves as both a viewing guide during the video and an analysis of how the adaptations of the icefish might help treat...
Lesson Plan
University of Minnesota

Ethics of Dissection

For Teachers 9th - 12th
There's an elephant in your classroom. That's right — a big, awkward elephant named Dissection. Sure, you'd like to talk about him ... but how? Whether you're a seasoned teacher or fresh out of student teaching, the topic of dissection...

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