Curated OER
Focusing on Lenses
Students explore scientific observations by examining the parts of a microscope. In this optics lesson, students discuss the importance of a focal point and focal distance when utilizing an optical device such as a microscope. Students...
Curated OER
Pond Life Identification Kit
Learners explore ecology and biodiversty. They use the wet-mount procedure to make several slides to view using the microscope and draw what they see.
Curated OER
Particulate Observation Lab
Students collect samples of common dust from their homes and school for examination under a microscope. They identify the components of their samples using the provided "Atlas of Indoor Dust Particles." Pupils take samples form a variety...
Curated OER
Lab Report Template
Students write a paragraph (complete sentences) which explains what they did in the lab.
Curated OER
The Microscope
In this microscope instructional activity students explore the compound light microscope. Students discover techniques concerning cleaning, storage and proper use of the microscope. Students discover the working parts of the compound...
Curated OER
Cell Structures and Their Functions
Life science learners investigate live cells. They examine wet mount slides of cyanobacteria and Elodea plants. They peer into the dynamic microscopic world of protists. Afterward, they construct a model of a cell, including rudimentary...
Curated OER
Cell Size and Shape; Diffusion and Osmosis Processes
Use salmon eggs as a cell model for demonstrating the movement of water over concentration gradients. Junior scientists examine the same process microscopically with an onion cell. They use a thistle tube and a semipermeable membrane to...
Polar Trec
Plankton Parents
Plankton are so abundant in the ocean they outweigh all of the animals in the sea. In this three day activity, groups discuss and become familiar with plankton, capture females, and look for egg production on day three.
Curated OER
What Kind of Insect is That?
Fifth graders characterize insects and classify insects according to the Linnaean system. They use hand lenses or microscopes to examine insect body parts.
Curated OER
Evidence of Photosynthesis
Hands on science is the way to go! Learners conduct a lab experiment to help them explain how plants make food through photosynthesis. They test for the presence of starch in leaves using iodine solution and identify the basic things...
Curated OER
Cell Division
High schoolers describe the cell cycle. They make a connection between DNA replication and cell division. Students describe the parts of the cell that participate in cell division and the steps of cell division.
University of California
Hot! Hot! Hot!
Calories are not tiny creatures that sew your clothes tighter every night, but what are they? A science instructional activity, presented at multiple levels, has learners experiment with heat, heat transfer, and graph the function over...
Curated OER
Fiber Identification
Lab sheets for three different crime scene investigation activities are tucked into this resource. In the first activity, inquisitors examine a variety of fibers, including the fiber found at "the crime scene," under ultraviolet light....
Texas State University
Earth: Deposition and Lithification
Geology geniuses analyze sediment samples with a hand lens and sort according to physical characteristics. They also learn about the processes of cementation, compaction, and lithification within the rock cycle. The lesson plan is...
Curated OER
Bug's Eye View
Investigate the life of bugs and how they interact with the environment in this integrated science and language arts lesson. Young scientists construct mini environments in cages in order to make observations. This data forms the basis...
Nuffield Foundation
A Closer Look at Blood
Here is a lab that has teenage scientists examining samples of their own blood under a microscope. Learners carefully prepare slides, then make detailed observations and identifying different types of cells using a key.
Curated OER
Investigating Mitosis in Allium Root Tip Squash
Preparing the root tip samples is the most challenging part of the mitosis-viewing lab found here, but the directions help ensure you have everything you need. There is no worksheet included; however, there is a sample data table....
Nuffield Foundation
Dissecting Lungs
Here is a lab activity where teens experience the respiratory system first-hand as they dissect lungs and identify key structures within the system. Although the website is written in British English with some slightly different verbiage...
Curated OER
Applied Science - Science and Math Pre Lab
Students explore human senses. In this applied Science instructional activity, students utilize their senses to distinguish various objects. Students explain their descriptions.
Curated OER
Changing Planet: Withering Plants - Stressing Over Lost Water
Expectant earth scientists examine the bottom side of a leaf and learn the role of the stomata. They consider the gas exchange that occurs through these structures and relate how the climate is changing to its impact on food crops. This...
Curated OER
Plasmolysis in Elodea Plant Cells
Students microscopically observe various subcellular components. They determine the effects of different salt solutions on Elodea plant cells. They detect the presence of chloroplasts, cell walls, and cell membranes of Elodea.
Curated OER
Animal Organs and the Study of Reproduction, Embryology and Cancer
Students examine organs from dogs and cats to study reproduction, embryology, and the identification of cancer. They record their observations at both the gross and microscopic levels. They present their information to the class.
Curated OER
PARAMECIUM RESPONSES TO STIMIULI
Students design the test they use to examine, how the paramecium move, feed, and react to different types of stimuli such as a drop of vinegar. They conduct a lab experiment using a microscope.
Curated OER
Inquiry in Science Using an Animal Behavior Model
Young scholars observe a planaria without a microscope and with a stereoscopic microscope. They draw the planaria and describe its motion and eating habits. Students research planarias various body systems and behavior. They design an...