LABScI
Vision Lab: The Eye
Our bodies have some amazing capabilities, but there are some limitations. Explore the limitations of the human eye through the eighth lab activity in a series of 12 biology lessons. Individuals measure their own peripheral vision and...
North Carolina State University
Construction
Engineering design projects serve as great opportunities for collaborative problem solving. In this case, students work in small groups designing, building, and eventually testing a structure that meets a teacher-specified objective. It...
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...
Curated OER
A Lesson in Biodiversity: Making Comparisons Between Defensive Mechanisms Utilized by Marine Organisms
If your upper elementary or middle school marine biology learners are going to visit an aquarium, then here is a field trip activity guide for you. It is written specifically for The Maritime Aquarium, but the idea can be adapted to any...
Curated OER
Vanishing Environment: Exploring Changes in Landscape
To discover the impact of urbanization on the environment, learners compare landscape paintings from the past with contemporary photographs, create found poems from descriptions of artwork, design backyard or public garden spaces,...
Cornell University
Making a Battery
Don't be shocked when your class has a blast making their own batteries! Science scholars examine a dry cell battery, then design and construct a wet cell battery. The activity guides them through the parts of a battery, the variables...
Curated OER
Sunrise-Sunset
Students gather data, make and share predictions about the time of sunrise ans sunset in their area. Patterns are analyzed and shared with students from other areas.
California Academy of Science
Moons in Comparison
Just how big is Earth's moon? With a hands-on simulation, scholars use Play-Doh to model the sizes of the planets Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and their moons. They make predictions as a class, work together to make their models, and discuss...
Curated OER
What Type of Snow Makes a Good Snowman
Students attempt to build a snowman. In this comparison lesson, students divide into groups, are given different types of snow (dry and wet) and try to make a snowman. Students discuss and record the characteristics of the snow and if...
Curated OER
Making Comparisons of Living Things
In this comparing living things worksheet, students examine pairs of pictures that show living organisms such as a snail, a cat, a butterfly, a giraffe, and a rabbit. They look at pairs of pictures and orally answer questions using...
Curated OER
Bugs, Bugs, Everywhere!
Young scholars collect and compare bugs using magnifying lenses and graph data based on their comparisons. For this bugs lesson plan, students also make an aspirator by using a jar, tubing, and screen.
American Chemical Society
Defining Density
Three simple activities kick off a unit investigation of density. Your physical scientists make observations on the volume and mass of wood, water, and rocks, and make comparisons. Though this is written for grades three through eight,...
Curated OER
Make a Natural Weaving
Students use natural materials and yarn to create weavings. In this natural weaving lesson, students find large branches to act as the loom, use other natural objects to act as designs within the weave, and use fine motor skills to wrap...
Pingry School
Acid-Base Indicators
Acid-base indicators are an essential part of any chemistry classroom. Individuals explore the color-changing feature of the important indicators in a vibrant hands-on activity. Using serial dilution, learners create solutions ranging...
National Wildlife Federation
Wind Power
Many have played with seed helicopters at one time or another. Learners use paper to create their own helicopters to model the Linden seed. After a discussion of seed dispersal, they take their models outside, let them go, and make...
NOAA
The Incredible Carbon Journey: Play the Carbon Journey Game
Class members explore the carbon cycle in the final installment of the 10-part Discover Your Changing World series. They play a simulation game where they walk through the steps carbon takes as it cycles through the different layers of...
NASA
Earth’s Energy Budget - Seasonal Cycles
Earth's energy budget should be in the red. Young researchers review satellite data in a presentation to study Earth's solar radiation. They make both qualitative and quantitative observations about variations in available seasonal...
Curated OER
Fall Leaves Fall! Lesson Plan
Students discover facts about leaves. In this early childhood lesson plan, students identify different types of leaves, and make predictions about which types of leaves they think they will find in their community. Students collect...
Curated OER
Breathing Rates and Exercise
Young scholars work in groups to predict which condition produces more breaths per minute. Groups record their breathing rates during rest periods and periods of activity. They graph their results and make comparisons to their...
Pacific Science Center
Worlds in Comparison
Young astronomers follow a step-by-step procedure for dividing a lump of dough into parts, resulting in a scaled volume set of puny planets. Along with the printable directions is a template chart of planet names on which learners can...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Lesson 7: Observations Across Habitats
How are animals in separate but nearby habitats related? Ecology scholars compare the animal inhabitants of the Gorongosa National Park in part seven of an eight-part series. Learners study photos from two different habitats, then...
Curated OER
Animal Nutrition, Variations, Adaptations & Regulation
Information about digestion of various food components is given in this PowerPoint. The diets of herbivores and carnivores are compared, and there are many diagrams giving details of their digestive system specializations. The labelled...
Curated OER
Parachute Drop
Learners will have fun creating a parachute to collect data with. They will construct the parachute in small groups, measure the materials, and create an observation sheet. Then they drop the parachute and make predictions about how long...
Serendip
Structure and Function of Cells, Organs and Organ Systems
Cells of different organs have unique cell functions. Learn how cell functions vary depending on their roles in the body using an inquiry-based activity. Scholars analyze the cell structure to make comparisons to its functions, allowing...