Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Scientific Inquiry Using WildCam Gorongosa
How do scientists determine what questions to ask to meet their research goals? Help your class develop an inquiry mindset with a lesson based on studies in the Gorongosa National Park. Partners create their own research questions by...
Polar Trec
Down to the Deep Virtual Lab
At a depth of 3,000 m in the ocean, the pressure is 300 times that at sea level! In the activity, individuals predict what will happen to Styrofoam cups submerged 3,000 meters into the ocean. They then convert these units to soccer...
Serendip
Understanding and Predicting Changes in Population Size – Exponential and Logistic Population Growth Models vs. Complex Reality
Salmonella poisoning impacts over 200,000 people in the United States each year. Scholars learn about the growth of these bacteria using multiple approaches. Then they apply the same growth calculations to endangered species and think...
Columbus City Schools
Totally Tides
Surf's up, big kahunas! How do surfers know when the big waves will appear? They use science! Over the course of five days, dive in to the inner workings of tidal waves and learn to predict sea levels with the moon as your guide.
International Technology Education Association
Become a Weather Wizard
Accurate weather forecasting is something we take for granted today, making it easy to forget how complex it can be to predict the weather. Learn more about the terms and symbols used to forecast the weather with an earth science lesson...
Science Friday
Cooking with Chemistry
Use class time to perfect your hollandaise sauce with a chemistry lesson. It includes two activities to teach about immiscible liquids, emulsifiers, and creating a stable homogenous mixture. Young scientists first mix liquids in a...
Scholasic
The Magic School Bus and the Missing Tooth
We chew with our teeth every day, but how much do we really know about them? Allow Ms. Frizzle to teach your kids a thing or two about teeth. Kids complete a prereading exercise, read the book, and respond to several prompts about the...
It's About Time
Volcanic Landforms
Did you know the word volcano comes from the name of the Roman god of fire, Vulcan? During this activity, scholars make a topographic map, interpret topographic maps, and infer how lava will flow based on their analysis.
Wild BC
Weather Where We Live
Over a span of two weeks or more, mini meteorologists record weather-related measurements. What makes this particular resource different from others covering similar activities are the thorough details for the teacher and printables for...
NASA
Exploration of a Problem: Making Sense of the Elements
When given too much data to simply memorize, it helps to sort it into manageable groups. The second instructional activity in the six-part series of Cosmic Chemistry challenges groups of pupils to take a large amount of data and figure...
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
Weather Watch Activity Guide: Groundhog Day
Exactly what do groundhogs know about weather? Not as much as your science students will after completing these lessons and activities that cover everything from the earth's rotation and the creation of shadows, to cloud...
Beyond Benign
Water Bottle Unit
How much plastic do manufacturers use to create water bottles each year? The class explores the number of water bottles used throughout the years to determine how many consumers will use in the future. Class members compare different...
Kenan Fellows
What Element Would You Be?
Primo Levi wrote a collection of short stories comparing his life from Italy to Auschwitz to elements in the periodic table. Pupils read an excerpt from his book and research the characteristics of various elements. Then, they make a...
Curated OER
Missing Macroinvertebrates - Stream Side Science
Field study groups collect samples of stream water and identify the macroinvertebrates found. Using their data, they calculate a water quality index to rate the health of the stream. They graph their data and discuss the value of a water...
Journey Through the Universe
Going through a Phase
Ignore the full moon, it's just a phase. Young scholars observe and record the moon during a full cycle before learning to predict future phases. Then the instructor leads a discussion on the other solar system objects that also go...
American Chemical Society
Why Do Puddles Dry Up?
Bring evaporation right into the hands of young scientists with an entertaining, hands-on activity. Investigators view videos and images while participating in class dialogue focused on water evaporating from surfaces. A short experiment...
Mathematics Vision Project
Module 3: Arithmetic and Geometric Sequences
Natural human interest in patterns and algebraic study of function notation are linked in this introductory unit on the properties of sequences. Once presented with a pattern or situation, the class works through how to justify...
Science Matters
Crawly Composters
Get your hands dirty with an interactive lesson plan that showcases the process of decomposing and returning nutrients back into the soil. After building a compost pile, pupils regularly observe the ways worms help with changes to the...
LABScI
Freezing Point Depression: Why Don’t Oceans Freeze?
Can you go ice fishing in the ocean? Learners examine the freezing point of different saltwater solutions. Each solution has a different concentration of salt. By comparing the freezing points graphically, they make conclusions about...
Cornell University
Density
Certain things just do not mix, including liquids of varying densities. Learners collect data to determine the densities of several liquids. They then use the density information to predict the type of liquid.
Beyond Benign
What's In a Window?
Take a peek inside a window to heat efficiency. Scholars watch a demonstration to investigate how heat dissipates from several different cups of hot water. Scholars then relate the exchange to how heat escapes from the windows of a...
NASA
Catch a Gravitational Wave, Dude!
It is cowabunga time! Pupils read an article about the NASA LISA mission on gravitational waves and conduct additional research on them. The class participates in a science bowl type competition about gravitational waves. Panels of four...
Curated OER
The Hat
Honing reading and communication skills through the theme of farm animals is the focus of this activity. Young scholars read a book about Scandinavian farm animals and complete prediction journal activities. They complete a worksheet...
Curated OER
Why Are The Shore Birds Dying?
Students engage in a field study of birds and how they are in danger harm due to environmental factors. They list different possible causes in a prediction activity. The observations are done while writing up data and connecting it to a...