Students participate in an after school program that promotes communicating with others, observing one's environment, how to take care of natural resources, making decisions and learning how to just have fun. They explore the world of...

Students apply cause and effect relationships to water pollution in a stream. In this pollution lesson students recognize the importance of clean water in their daily lives. Students accompany "Fred the Fish" as he travels down stream....

Third graders read, write, and listen to information about the sun and its effects on the Earth.as it relates to its axis, orbit, rotate, and revolution.  In this solar system instructional activity, 3rd graders examine...

Students explore the diet of insects. In this "insects" biology lesson, students take a nature walk and collect various natural materials they think may be eaten by insects. Students sort and classify these materials into three diet...

Students demonstrate knowledge of Indoor Air Quality by creating a class magazine. A link to order a free Action Kit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is provided so teachers can build background knowledge. Performance...

Students explore the concept of soil and decomposition. In this soil and decomposition lesson, students investigate bags of soil. Students then learn how  animals and other organisms help in the decomposition process. 

Students role-play as engineers designing wedge tools. They devise methods for shaping quarry rocks into pyramid blocks. Following a teacher demonstration, they use materials such as soap, clay, and foam for blocks and wood, plastic,...

Second graders identify animals with each letter of the alphabet. In groups, they create a PowerPoint presentation which shows the information they have collected about each one. Using all of this information, they create an animal...

Students consider that under certain conditions in nature tend to remain the same or move toward a balance. They observe populations and determine the functions (e.g., de-composers, producers, consumers) they serve in an ecosystem. They...

Students explore coral reef ecosystems.  In this ecosystems science lesson, students research coral reef ecosystems to determine the major functions the participating organisms must perform.  Students construct a miniature...

Students design and build a pedestal or platform that holds a toy animal. In this building lesson, students use knowledge from a prior lesson as they build a platform or pedestal for a toy animal using on index cards. They learn the...

Students explore marine animal adaptation. In this introductory ocean life biology activity, students access prior knowledge by participating in a whole class "thought swap." Students form two lines, respond to a prompt from the teacher...

Third graders research the history of cocoa. In this cocoa lesson, 3rd graders investigate how the cocoa bean has been traded from one country to another. Students create a timeline and map to track the history of the cocoa bean.

Students are introduced to the design of Old Faithful Lodge at Yellowstone Park including its use of trusses. They work in groups and use straws and modeling clay to design and test a variety of building supports.

Third graders observe light as a form of energy, that it can be reflected/bounced, refracted/bent and absorbed. They explore how different types of light affect our lives as a whole. Songs are researched that involve light (ex. "You...

Second graders construct a model of an ant, exemplifying that ants are insects. Students gather data create a pictograph chart to show ant food preferences. Also, 2nd graders access the Internet to explore ant eating habits.

Learners investigate magnetism. For this physics lesson, students create a KWL chart about magnetism and research various suggested websites to find out more about magnetism. Learners log on to the "BrainPOP" website and view a short...

Young scholars design a zoo habitat for an animals. In this zoo habitat lesson, students develop an idea for a zoo habitat that would meet the needs of a specific animal. They solve problems that might be encountered by using their...

Learners examine brackish water. In this Science lesson, students observe organisms found in brackish water. Learners record their observations of the various organisms.

First graders discover the effects of global warming on polar bears. In this life science instructional activity, 1st graders model the polar bear's habitat and observe what happens as they raise the temperature. They record their...

Students discover the actual size and weight of many insects and animals. For this biology lesson, students investigate animals and insects to determine their actual weight and size. In groups, students create an animal or insect of...

Students analyze soil for types of pollen to determine the probably climate conditions. In this earth science lesson plan, students make conclusions on what a climate is like based on soils samples. Students use a model soil...

Young scholars explore sound. In this "sound" science instructional activity, students define sound and explain how sound travels. Young scholars experiment with paper cups and string to conclude how sound travels. Students research a...

Students explore how various ramps affect the rate of speed of a rolling object. In this physics lesson plan, students work in groups to build a ramp out of various materials. Students test and record the rate of speed of a rolling...