Curated OER
A Guide (on the Side) to Physics
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the concepts related to the study of Physics. They participate in class discussion and list common misconceptions of Physics. Students write and discuss the problem of Science illiteracy.
Curated OER
Peter The Butterfly
Students complete an interdisciplinary unit chronicling the life cycle and movement patterns of the butterfly. Through language arts, mathematics, and science activities, students identify various types of butterflies and document the...
Curated OER
It's Written in the Stars!
Children create narrative accounts about their character traits, illustrate the constellation of each sign of the Zodiac, and write and illustrate their own creative myths about an original "Zodiac Sign". They use the computer as a...
Curated OER
Tree Trekkers
Students explore different types of trees. In this tree lesson, students use a digital camera to photograph trees in their area and upload them to a computer. Students will share their findings by using their photos to make a booklet or...
Curated OER
Life Cycles
Using computers, Students work in small groups and progress through the roles of Explorer, Researcher, Designer, and Evaluator as they study the life cycle of plants, insects, butterflies and frogs.
Curated OER
Science Under Control
Students investigate and assess scientific issues for which government regulation has been or might be enacted. Using their research, students write letters to lawmakers supporting or contesting related legislative efforts.
Curated OER
Illinois Wild
Sixth graders identify different animals native to Illinois. They research a specific animal to study more about its characteristics, examine what makes a habitat, and recognize the difference between a food web and food chain.
Lawrence Hall of Science
Photolithography
Examine the use of photolithography in the fabrication of circuit boards and other components. An advanced activity teaches pupils a process for transferring a pattern onto a surface. Using UV light and a light reactive substance,...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Small Scale Sculpting: Etch Lab
Make works of art using a vintage yet effective etching strategy. The surface of a semiconductor chip has specific patterns formed through a process called etching. Through a lab investigation, young scholars recreate that process...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Jell-O® Waveguide and Power Loss
Jell-O® can help model the transmission of light through fiber optic cables. Young scientists use the jiggly dessert to make a waveguide to transmit a laser beam from one point to another. Their models help them learn the function...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Hiding Behind the Mask
Microchips are a man-made wonder. Investigate the manufacturing wonder with a hands-on inquiry-based instructional activity. Scholars simulate the process of pattern transfer using photoresist. Their conclusion identifies how their...
Curated OER
Deep Impact
How can acknowledging opposing viewpoints reinforce one's argument? Use this New York Times lesson to study consumerism and the environmental impact of new products. After reading the article "Whether a Hummer or a Hybrid, the Big...
Curated OER
Our Nation's Natural Disasters
Sixth graders classify their regions' natural disaster(s). Within this lesson students enhance their research skills by utilizing different resources, as well as their writing skills by composing short research papers.
California Academy of Science
Exploring Our Growing Need for Water
Pupils explore the amount of water people use in agriculture and for personal use. They compare water usage for various crops to that of raising animals before considering solutions for increased access to safe drinking water worldwide....
Curated OER
Colorful Indicators
Young chemists learns about acids and bases by coming up with a solution that will test for each. They also access the Internet to perform research. They are encouraged to contact students in other schools by conducting the experiment at...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Food for Thought: Climate Change and Trophic Cascades
Learners examines the arctic food web with a short video about polar bears and an article about bears and warming temperatures. They design an arctic food web and discuss the trophic cascade that could come from climate...
Curated OER
A Discourse on the History of Language
Analyze and make inferences from the information used by linguists to construct the evolution of languages. They research different dating techniques to explain how scientists infer age with evidence.
Curated OER
Can You Build a Better Mousetrap?
Learners use a variety of linked sites to research information about student inventions and contests that are available for them. They research an invention they would like to see become available. They communicate their results to their...
Curated OER
Wind Effects- A Case Study
Students explore hurricanes. In this weather data interpretation lesson, students draw conclusions about the impact of Hurricane Floyd as it related to weather conditions. Students read and interpret a tide data table, a barometric...
Curated OER
Human Fingerprints: No Two The Same
Students will be offered numerous opportunities to further enhance their observational skills as well as the integration of math with their continual exposure to the metric system, measurement, and graphing to represent their data....
Curated OER
Sextant Solutions
Students explore ways a sextant can be a reliable tool that is still being used by today's navigators and how computers can help assure accuracy when measuring angles. This activity will show how computers can be used to understand...
Curated OER
Getting In Is Half the Battle
Students read and discuss "Defending Affirmative Action With Social Science," examining the admissions policies in public universities and colleges. They write persuasive essays either for or against the admissions policies in their state.
Curated OER
Mapping Meteorites
After reading an article, "Cameras Capture a 5-Second Fireball and Its Meteorite's Secrets," space science superstars use the triangulation method to determine the location of a distant object. In-class activities and homework are...
Curated OER
Around-The-World-Zoo
Junior biologists design and maintain a website about a zoo by researching, classifying, and providing the correct habitats for the animals they choose to have in their zoo. This technology-based project can last over an entire semester...