Students conduct toboggan time trials to investigate the variables that have the greatest effect on toboggan speed. In small groups, they develop a hypothesis to test and perform three trials on the toboggan run for each variable.

Students collect evidence to make inferences about a object hidden inside a sealed box. They think critically and logically to raise questions. Students identify questions that can be answered through investigation. They formulate and...

Students research to find information about famous people from Colorado. They copy and save pictures from the Internet, then make a trading card containing important biographical data.

Students make paint using the ingredients from recipes from the 17th century. In this paint making lesson plan, students follow a recipe with vegetable oil, eggs, pigment, paintbrushes, and more to make their paint.

Seventh graders study microorganisms in their environments by experimenting with milk products. In this microbes instructional activity, 7th graders read background information about microorganisms in yogurt and soured milk. Students...

Students view slides of pictures of rare animals and make predictions about them based on the characteristics they see. In this animals lesson plan, students then research one of the animals and present their findings to the class.

Students research a complex question. They work together to form hypothesis and research the question and analyze the data. They present their "decision" to the class based on their work.

Learners demonstrate how descriptive epidemiological clues can be used to make educated guesses as to what might be the cause of a disease. They utilize handouts imbedded in this lesson plan.

Students experiment with graphing. In this graphing introduction instructional activity, students complete four activities: 1) a bar graph based on class birthdays 2) an estimation graph of the raisins in raisin bread 3) another...

Do you know the name for the biological study of interactions? A short presentation with accompanying worksheet introduces individuals to ecology. The materials offer a broad overview of the subject and the levels of organization to...

Scholars investigate how the tempo of music affects heartbeats. Groups  develop hypotheses about music and its connection to heartbeats before carrying out an experiment. They analyze and present data from their investigations.

Here is an unexpected, but practical resource. It is not a worksheet, but rather an outline of what a science laboratory participant should include in a report. Especially valuable is a grading rubric that spells out what is expected for...

A fish that lives in the desert? You and your class can meet the desert pupfish as they examine its habitat, the role humans play in diminishing water supplies, and how climate change might impact this fishy friend. There are four short...

Scientists classify everything from the smallest cells to the largest galaxies, but how do they decide on a classification system? Scholars use 40 pictures of galaxies taken by the Hubble Space Telescope to sort and try creating their...

Environmental science classes read articles about two different scientific studies. One is about the effects of contraceptive chemicals on fertility, and the other is about how a pesticide may be reducing bone density in exposed...

What's the difference between wind erosion and water erosion? Perform an experiment to study the effects of air on soil, as well as water and soil, and how effective it can be to place rocks on the soil. 

Your biology class plays the role of epidemiologist when a mysterious illness breaks out in Kildare, USA. Using interviews with doctors, patients, and local citizens, maps, the results from different materials sampling, they work to...

What killed the dinosaurs and how do scientists know? Your high schoolers can examine these fascinating questions with a geochemical lens using the engaging 33-minute video, the accompanying data interpretation, and some thoughtful...

Here’s a reading strategy that can be used with any text. Class members examine portions of a novel, and make predictions about the theme or subject matter of the book. Although designed for Christopher Paul Curtis’s Newbery Medal...

M&M's are always a great manipulative to use when teaching math. In this graphing lesson plan, learners predict how many of each color of M & M's there are. They count up each color and plug the data into a graph using the...

Can you eyes be fooled into seeing colors that aren't actually there? Budding scientists view a presentation that addresses this topic. They explore how their eyes interpret color through the retinas and messages sent to the brain. They...

Can you guess what is going to happen in a story just by looking at the cover? Readers engage in a directed-reading activity in which...

Lunar explorers perform an experiment to understand the size of the craters on the surface of the moon. They layer flour, laundry detergent, and cocoa powder in a pan to model the lunar surface. They drop marbles from different heights...

Students take on the role of epidemiologists. They investigate an "outbreak" in serious birth defects that occur in infants born to teenage girls. students discover a link between the use of the acne drug called Accutane and birth defects.