California Academy of Science
Kinesthetic Astronomy: The Meaning of a Year
How many times have you traveled around the sun? Aspiring astronomers grasp what a year is and they differentiate between orbit and rotation by walking around the sun right within your classroom. Place a lamp in the center of the room to...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Light Absorption, Reflection, & Refraction
Zoe and RJ are trying to photograph an egret on a lake, but they are having trouble with the lighting. Reflection, refraction, and absorption are explored through their thoughtful dialogue so that your physical scientists are illuminated...
National Wildlife Federation
I Speak for the Polar Bears!
Climate change and weather extremes impact every species, but this lesson focuses on how these changes effect polar bears. After learning about the animal, scholars create maps of snow-ice coverage and examine the yearly variability and...
University of Minnesota
Ethics of Dissection
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...
Virginia Department of Education
The Cell Cycle and Mitosis
What a packed lesson plan! Provide your class with the opportunity to learn about the cell cycle in several exciting ways. Biologists first learn about the theory behind mitosis, then proceed to view onion tips under the microscope and...
Curated OER
Tutti Frutti
Get some competition going in your life science class. Give lab groups a variety of plant parts, all of them fruits, except one. Their mission is to make observations, compare and contrast, in order to be the first to identify the...
Curated OER
The Game of Life
Students explore the game of life which refers to what happens to a species when most of the population is gone. For this endangered species lesson, students describe what it means for a marine animal to be endangered. Students...
Curated OER
Life Cycle of a Salamander
Third graders examine the life cycle of a salamander. For this life cycles lesson, 3rd graders view a PowerPoint presentation about the life cycle of a salamander. Students take the temperature of a toy salamander with a thermometer and...
Curated OER
Particulate Matter
Seventh graders examine the different types of pollutants. In this environmental science lesson, 7th graders observe particulate matter under a microscope. They explain how these can affect once health when breathed in large quantities...
Curated OER
Seaside Science
Learners research sea life using laptop computers. In this sea life lesson plan, students participate in a field trip to the beach and enter observations into their laptop computers. Learners classify shells and sea life.
Curated OER
Marine Protected Areas
High schoolers role play different stakeholders perspective on the debate about Channel Islands. In this marine science lesson, students identify different types of Marine Protected Areas. They research about their stakeholder's point of...
Curated OER
Mosquito Life Cycle
Seventh graders investigate the life cycle of the mosquito. In this life cycle lesson, 7th graders gain knowledge about the diseases mosquitos carry. Students breed mosquitos and investigate their eggs. Students collect and record...
Curated OER
How would an oil spill affect a Marine Sanctuary?
Students explore the concept of environmental stewardship. For this science lesson, students discover how scientists assess damages to the environment following oil spills. Students conduct a simulation of a public meeting in order to...
Curated OER
A Bugs Life: Diary of an Insect's Metamorphosis
Students play games to learn about the life stages and metamorphosis of different insects. In this insects lesson plan, students discuss the life of insects, and then play matching, vocabulary, and memory games.
Curated OER
I Wonder What the Manduca Life Cycle Looks Like
Students create their own insect, build a model of it and explain its life cycle.
Curated OER
A Science Experiment With Crayfish
A crayfish can lead to a science experiment involving habitats, animal behavior, and anatomy..
Curated OER
Talking Trash - Marine Debris
Students bring in different trash items and define "marine debris" through a discussion about these items. They categorize debris and use statistics and graphing to better explain the types and amounts of marine debris found each yea
Curated OER
Blue Planet: Seas of Life - Tidal Seas
After viewing the video Blue Planet: Seas of Life, students review oceanic concepts. In this earth science lesson, students reflect on the effect tides have on living things and conduct research to create a "tidal trivia" game....
Curated OER
Magic School Bus: The Wild Whale Watch Lesson Plan
Students research information about whales. For this early childhood lesson plan, students create an illustration of a whale to display in a sea scene in the classroom. Students then use the library and internet to research a whale of...
Curated OER
Health of Aquatic Life a Real Problem
Learners explore the health of aquatic life in this science lesson plan They measure and track the oxygen level in the water to determine the health of the aquatic life. They collect this data using the TI explorer to graph and analyze...
Curated OER
Science Fiction Stories
Students write a story. In this genre lesson, students read a science fiction story and discuss its characteristics. Students brainstorm a list of things that if scientifically changed would alter the way we live our lives. Students...
Curated OER
Fall Lesson Plans
Students participate in various fall activities. In this fall instructional activity, students take a trip to a farmers market and purchase the ingredients needed for vegetable soup. Students paint fall scenes and create a fall story....
Curated OER
Very Hungry Caterpillar
Students explore the life cycle of a butterfly. In this life cycle instructional activity, students read the book the Very Hungry Caterpillar. Students use this book throughout the year to create a year round bulletin board showing the...
Curated OER
Dead Zones: Why Are the Waters Dying?
Young scholars investigate the effects of pollution on marine ecosystems. They read and discuss an article, identify the effects of pollution on marine life, conduct research on local nutrient pollution, and conduct local water quality...