Middle or high school volcanologists watch the 1997 film, Dante's Peak. They make observations as they watch and then write a movie review, focusing on what was accurately represented. They also point out what facts were stretched by...

Shocking! After viewing a short clip from the 1931 movie, Frankenstein and reviewing electricity references in Mary Shelley's novel, class members examine Luigi Galvani's and Alessandro Volta's observations on electricity and muscle...

Fourth graders perform research on an animal of choice. The reading of a novel is done prior to the research in order to establish context for the lesson. The use of the library for research is a key skill for this lesson.

Make reviewing evolution, cell division, genetics, cell structure, and scientific method more fun! Science Jeopardy allows teams to choose a category for the question they will address. If you complete the entire game, learners will have...

Knowing the names of the steps of the scientific method is not enough; in order to really understand each of the elements, one must practice. Beginning with an engaging recap of the steps of the scientific method, learners practice the...

Grandma said to gargle with salt water for a sore throat. Was she right? In the last part of the seven-part unit, lab groups design an experiment to test a cells reaction to salt solutions. The pupils conduct their experiment to answer...

What does it take to be considered a smart material? Learners investigate the properties of Nitinol, a smart material, through a hands-on lab activity. They examine the crystal lattice structure and the conditions required for Nitinol to...

Students discuss and observe permafrost features in their local community and compare and contrast these features with those described in a novel. In this permafrost lesson, students invite an elder from their community to discuss...

Learners analyze velocity and how it is determined. They experiment with velocity in order to measure and calculate the magnitude of speed. They use examples in their novel "Skateboard Renegade" to relate velocity to real life situations.

Students read an article written by Sarah Andrews, a geologist who has written mystery novels featuring a geologist who solves crimes. After reading the article, students write an essay based on a Writing Prompt and begin peer review...

Fifth graders enjoy learning more about animals and their habitats as they explore the Internet sites in these Student Activities based on the main characters in Mrs. Frisbee and the Rats of NIMH.

Students investigate crime scene scenarios to meet standards. For this crime scene scenario lesson, students gather background information during the first week. They investigate topics such as mammals, genetics, bacteria, or fungi. They...

High schoolers analyze information to determine how they can help a community that has been affected by water contamination.  In this environmental science lesson, students watch portions of the movie "A Civil Action" and discuss...

Young scholars, working in teams, assume they are the newly hired research director of a biotech firm interviewing the top two candidates for the position of research scientist. They evaluate the candidates and decide who should be hired...

Students role play one of the three given situations. They discover how to deal with a conflict in a positive way. They discuss the role of radon in their community and complete another role-play scenerio.

High schoolers explore ethical problems. In groups, students examine and study a given ethical problem. They practice techniques for making ethical decisions and interact with each other in the resolution. High schoolers support their...