Curated OER
Applied Science - Science and Math Post-Lab
Students use scientific tools. In this Applied Science lesson plan, students investigate the use of scientific tools to enhance observation and discovery. Students indicate how each tool assists scientific work.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
What van Leeuwenhoek Saw
When van Leeuwenhoek saw cells and single-celled organisms for the first time, he knew these small things were a big deal! Share his discoveries with young learners through a narrated video, model-building activity, and scale study....
Curated OER
Math & Science
Students examine a list of ideas to draw from for lesson planning. They complete a quiz on Math & Science and hand in notes they have taken as a resource for lesson planning. They develop developmental appropriate practice...
Curated OER
Exploration of "Pillbugs"
Fifth graders define vocabulary terms, identify the characteristics of a pillbug, and create a dichotomous key. Then they examine the pillbugs and make observations and record these observations. Finally, 5th graders observe specific...
Curated OER
Exploring the Sky: Reading Maria's Comet
Discover the science behind astronomy. After reading the book Maria's Comet, which is about a young woman who breaks new ground by becoming a female astronomer, young learners practice reading comprehension with...
Curated OER
Proportionality: Modeling the Future
Students explore and examine how patterns, measurement, ratios and proportions are utilized in the research development and production of airplanes. They meet a pilot from the Federal Aviation Association who describes the growth of air...
Curated OER
Earth's Age: The Dating Game
Students conduct a simulation to determine radioactive decay and half-life. Using pennies, dice or sugar cubes as isotopes placed in shoe boxes simulating rocks, they hold five trials representing 1000 years each to find the theoretical...
Discovery Education
Sonar & Echolocation
A well-designed, comprehensive, and attractive slide show supports direct instruction on how sonar and echolocation work. Contained within the slides are links to interactive websites and instructions for using apps on a mobile device to...
Curated OER
Pyramid Play
Students investigate the concept of the Food Pyramid. They use a game as a tool of discovery in order to classify different types of food in the pyramid. Upon completion of the game the students construct their own models of it.
Curated OER
Here and There: Discovering Communities Through the Olympic Torch Relay
Students compare their hometowns to the towns on the Olympic Torch Relay and complete multi-curricular activities for the lesson. In this Olympics lesson, students complete math, geography, science, and history activities to learn about...
Curated OER
Fuel Cell Experimentation
With rising oil prices and increasing concerns over global warming, the pressure is on for engineers to develop alternative sources of energy. Among the new technologies being developed are hydrogen fuel cells, which young scientists...
Curated OER
Proportionality, Ratios and Constant Variation
Young scholars use Scion Image to estimate the proportion of space images. In this proportion lesson, students investigate the online site of Image of the Orbitor and relate the dimensions and sizes to known sizes.
Curated OER
Bug Sweep
Students observe and categorize insects. In this insects science lesson, students create a bug catcher out of a coat hanger and plastic bag, then collect bugs from the schoolyard. Students count and categorize the insects according to...
Curated OER
The Night Sky
Third graders develop questions they have about the solar system. After being read a book, they view and discuss different constellations in the sky. In groups, they are given a piece of butcher paper and glow in the dark crayons in...
Curated OER
Indoor and Outdoor Patterns
Students explore geometry by participating in a visual illustration activity. In this pattern identification lesson, students explore inside their classroom and discuss patterns they find while tracing them on paper. Students attend an...
Curated OER
The Schoolyard Safari
Learners engage in a lesson to find out more information about insects. They collect and observe different insects found on school property. They research the insects once they have been classified. Also a video is used to create a...
Curated OER
Separating Soup Mix
Students use screens of three sizes to separate a mixture of five solid materials. They plan and conduct simple investigations using appropriate tools, measures, and safety rules and record and report observations, explanations, and...
Curated OER
It's So Simple
Students use basic materials to create four simple machines. In this introduction to simple machines instructional activity, students are given four different scenarios that require a simple machine in order to solve. The students use...
Teach Engineering
Copycat Engineers
It's often said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Young engineers learn about biomimicry, which uses nature to generate engineering ideas, in the fifth instructional activity of nine in a Life Science unit. Working in...
Curated OER
Bubble-ology and Bernoulli
Students explore aerodynamics and Bernoulli's principle by devising ways to keep bubbles aloft.
Teach Engineering
Restriction Enzymes and DNA Fingerprinting
Show your class why restrictions aren't always a bad thing. In the third segment of a four-part series, the instructor develops the idea of restriction enzymes. Pupils learn how scientists use restriction enzymes in DNA analysis and DNA...
Teach Engineering
The Building Blocks of Matter
Everything can be reduced to atoms. The first installment of a six-part Mixtures and Solutions unit focuses on the building blocks of matter. Scholars review basic atomic structure, including protons, neutrons, and electrons, in...
Curated OER
Motion, Force, and Gravity
Young scholars write a research paper about human space travel. In this space travel instructional activity, students watch a video and research issues related to space travel. They use their research to write a paper about whether human...
Curated OER
Oh, Give Them a Home!
Fourth graders study the habitat of the American bison and its role in the life of the Native Americans. They investigate how the bison effect the Lewis and Clark expedition.