Curated OER
Memorable Ways to Cover the Periodic Table
An exploration of the periodic table can lead to a discussion of the scientific process and the ways that our knowledge of this topic evolves and grows.
Curated OER
Selection and Variation in the Egyptian Origami Bird
Using origami paper birds, your biology class will experiment with mutations and natural selection to determine wing position, length, and width. It would be helpful to provide a worksheet to go with the activity that includes a...
Curated OER
The Photoelectric Effect in Photocells
Illuminate your physics class with this examination of a photovoltaic cell. Teach the structure and operation of the device using a diagram. Then make a human-powered, larger-than-life sized model of a PV cell. Learners become electrons...
Curated OER
Design a Green Rooftop Garden
Design and construct buildings with rooftop gardens. Junior engineers work in groups to build two buildings and then perform experiments to determine whether or not a garden affects the building temperatures. They graph and interpret...
Physics Classroom
As the Crow Flies Lab
A simple, yet memorable, way of practicing with displacement vectors is described here. Divide your class into groups and assign each a different landmark on campus. They measure smaller legs of the path from the classroom to their...
National Geographic
Rescuing, Relocating, and Rehabilitating Wildlife
Bring up the Deepwater Horizon (BP) oil spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Display the colorful diagram of the coastal and marine organisms living in the area. Show a video about relocating the eggs of the Gulf's sea...
Baylor College
Reebops: A “Model” Organism for Teaching Genetic Concepts
In a sweet simulation, junior geneticists examine the chromosomes of a fictitious Reebop marshmallow animal, combine chromosomes to produce offspring, and then make a model of the resulting Reebop baby. Phenotypes include number of...
American Chemical Society
Using Color to See How Liquids Combine
Blue-tinted water is added to unknown liquids that have been tinted yellow to find out how they interact. This is a memorable activity that is part of an investigation on the properties of liquids, which is part of a unit on the...
American Chemical Society
Changing the Density of an Object - Changing Shape
Continuing with the concept of volume and its effect on density, learners now work with a piece of clay to see if they can get it to float in water. This is a memorable end to a seven-part investigation of density. Make sure to check out...
Curated OER
Boosting Your Memory
For this memory worksheet, students learn about three different ways to memorize given information. They make up phrases to help remember lists and they create mental maps to remember terms. They put what they learned to the test and...
Curated OER
Wildflower Beautification Project
Learners, in cooperative groups, design and create a wildflower garden for the community. They write letters to property owners requesting use of their land and then write invitations to their parents and to local, state, and federal...
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 lesson in the six-part series of Cosmic Chemistry challenges groups of pupils to take a large amount of data and figure out how to best...
Curated OER
Hydrocarbons
Making models is always memorable. In this activity, physical science starters examine the structure of hydrocarbons using marshmallows, raisins, and toothpicks. They even act as atoms themselves and link arms to represent covalent...
Curated OER
The Roving Robotic Chemist
Junior oceanographers and underwater geologists describe the four major steps of mass spectrometry. They compete in small groups to simulate the tracking of a deepwater methane plume using imaginary autonomous underwater vehicles. Give...
Curated OER
Count Marsili & the Mediterranean Current
Young scholars integrate history and science while discovering how salinity affects the density of water. After a lecture/demo, students work in groups to complete a lab activity that demonstrates how salinity affects the density of water.
Curated OER
Wonderful Whales
Primary marine biologists consider the largest living animals on Earth, the whales. Introduce them to general anatomy, unique adaptations, and behaviors. Teach them to sing a song that will help them remember some of these facts....
Curated OER
Clouds and What They Mean
An excellent resource on cloud types and descriptions could be a valuable addition to your science lesson. After kids learn the correct vocabulary to describe clouds, they complete several worksheets and thermometer activities before...
Center for Technology in Teaching and Learning
CSI: The Experience - Family Forensics
Forensic scientists depend on their observation skills to analyze evidence down to the molecular level. Middle and high schoolers practice making observations and predictions with a series of crime scene activities, which includes a...
Curated OER
Science Observations
First graders investigate change by analyzing a photograph. In this scientific observation lesson, 1st graders view a photograph of a baby and attempt to memorize the details. Student view the photo a few minutes later, trying to...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Scientific Methods
Middle school scientists learn the steps of the scientific method by watching this phenomenal film and by singing a karaoke song! They are introduced to making observations and hypotheses, determining variables, data collection, and...
Curated OER
Atomic Structure and Ionic Bonding (A Visual Approach)
Using toothpicks, marshmallows, and round colored sticky dots, physical science enthusiasts build models of an atomic nucleus. In this eighth grade chemistry lesson plan, they play an atom-naming game with the models that they have...
National Science Teachers Association
Metals Metalloids Nonmetals
When physical science classes are becoming familiar with the periodic table of elements, you can use this set of printable cards to help them memorize some of the members of the metals, metalloids, and nonmetals groups. There are 24...
Curated OER
Lesson 4: Fire, Rock, and Water
You can demonstrate the destructive force of volcanic mudflows to your early earth scientists using this lesson plan. Messy, but memorable, the two demonstrations require some preparation. Use one or both! Included is a link to activity...
Curated OER
Fly Forensics
Freddy's Friendly Fruit Market is under attack by fruit flies, and it is up to your aspiring biologists to solve the crime! By reading and analyzing the phenotypes, detectives determine which fly is responsible. This memorable assignment...