Desert regions are hotter for multiple reasons; the lack of vegetation causes the sun's heat to go straight into the surface and the lack of moisture means none of the heat is being transferred into evaporation. This concept, and other...

Ninth graders respond in essay form to the following writing prompt. Mel Gibson, star of The Patriot, is quoted as stating, "If one were to adhere to historical accuracy all the way, you'd probably have the most boring two hours on...

Students participate in a lab experiment to observe and measure the opening and closing of stomata. They focus on photoperiod, locate and identify stomata on a leaf and explain the role of stomata in the daily functioning of a plant.

Young scientists investigate the scientific concepts and principles that help make common toys such as hula hoops, yo-yos, slinkies, and silly putty work. As a class, they read "Backyard Rocket Science, Served Wet" to get a look behind...

Students experiment with plants. In this plant activity, students research the needs of plants. Students determine if all plants have the same requirements for growth.  In small groups, students experiment with different plants.

Students examine the world of nature. In this early childhood lesson plan, students develop observation skills as they bird-watch and make rainbows, experimentation skills as they explore seeds and carrots, prediction skills as they...

Learners brainstorm on ways they use water, and where water comes from. They view video, Down the Drain, to gain specific facts about water use, properties of water, problems of water and the water cycle. They perform a lab activity...

Students study insects. They go on an outdoor insect outing and look for insects in a variety of places--in the air, under rocks, on leaves, in water, etc. They record information about the insects they find, including habitat, weather...

Music has been said to effect short term memory. Learners test out this hypothesis, graphing how knowledge retention in a biology classroom changes when music is played in the background. In the end, a better appreciation of the dynamics...

The artistic choices Art Spiegelman made in his graphic novel, Maus, are the focus of an exercise that asks class members to compare classic comic book forms with Spiegelman’s panels and frames. Directed to specific pages and guided by a...

Students observe chicks hatching from eggs. In this science lesson plan, students view a video to develop an understanding of the proper care and needs of eggs and live animals. This is a great precursor activity for hatching eggs...

The best inventions come from a problem that needs to be solved! Given a container with holes in...

Students investigate the psychology behind color choices using two sites on the Internet. They complete a worksheet and construct an Inspiration file with the data from the charts. Then they form a hypothesis and test it using the...

Seventh graders hypothesize about the number of drops of liquid that can be placed on a penny before it spills over. They examine both the concept of devising a hypothesis and the idea of surface tension. They determine the difference...

Students use the Scientific Method steps to complete an experiment on various brands of soap to determine their floating capabilities. In this scientific method lesson, students write a hypothesis about the ability of various soap bars...

Students are given a set problem, they use the scientific method to solve the problem using all steps of the scientific research. Students list the steps of the scientific method used in solving a problem. They are given a selected...

Students identify the effect of light on objects. For this scientific inquiry lesson, students use a chart to write a hypothesis about what will happen when colored construction paper is left in sunlight. Students observe and discuss the...

Students observe three qualitative and quantitative observations. The students further practice the follwoing: asking research questions,forming a hypothesis, and describe how ant lions catch their prey. Students also form hypotheses...

Students explain why physics is the basic science. They outline scientific methods by distinguishing among observations, facts, hypotheses, laws, and principles. Students describe the circumstances under which a hypothesis or law must be...

An interesting instructional activity on hypothesizing about the diameter of a drop of blood that is splattered. To test their theories, learners work in groups to make blood droplets splatter from different heights. They use graphed...

Students study the term living fossil and examine why some of the reasons they survived.  In this fossils activity students form a hypothesis and use data to see if it is accurate. 

Using the paintings On to Liberty and A Ride for Liberty, 10th graders analyze historical perspectives on life after the Civil War. They attempt to determine what the Civil War meant for free slaves, then read a paragraph highlighting...

Eighth graders watch a PowerPoint presentation that focuses on the scientific method including developing a hypothesis. They examine how to perform a scientific experiment using a method that maintains its validity, collect and use the...

Learners predict the appearance of a geode's internal structure based on its mass and density. They form a hypothesis based on the data they collect. They also identify common minerals found in Illinois.