Finding the central idea is the focus of this lesson. Middle schoolers write descriptions of different animals using details and descriptive language. They watch a video of kids using descriptive language, and then use showing language...

You don't have to travel far to learn about rocks, just step outside, pick up a stone, and begin investigating. After taking a class walk around the school grounds collecting rocks, young scientists practice their skills of observation...

Explore expository writing and using precise language in this descriptive paragraph writing lesson. Learners brainstorm prior knowledge about the changing seasons in Ohio. They describe seasonal items, view seasonal pictures from...

Young scientists develop their observation and writing skills as they craft and then post a detailed description of a plant or animal they have spotted and photographed.

In this objective thinking instructional activity, student practice thinking objectively when observing information. They summarize two paragraphs. One they summarize in an objective manner and the other is summarized in a subjective...

Transform your class into young geologists as they learn about six different branches of geology. Using the included geology career descriptions and picture cards, learners work in small groups deciding which tools and locations fit...

Students make detailed observations and identify an unknown using descriptions.  In this observation lesson students are given a creature and must be able to identify it by species and genus.

Young scholars describe and draw what an engineer looks like and does. They descrie what they think an engineer does. Students volunteer to read their description to the class. They use their knowledge as well as their classmate;s...

First graders describe the characteristics of a tree. For this science lesson, 1st graders create predictions about a book they will be listening to, Have you Seen Trees. Additionally, students describe their trees using their 5 senses....

As a lesson on scientific observation, have your class investigate the features of a penny and a nickel. Working in pairs, they practice writing detailed descriptions using their senses and a ruler to gather information. This is an...

Upper graders identify the major characteristics of a wetland. They explore the human factors that change a wetland and write a descriptive paragraph about wetlands. This comprehensive lesson also has an interactive "Watershed Game"...

Cooperative groups research trip logs from deep-sea expeditions and explore characteristics of deepwater habitats. Using a cake as the ocean floor, they work together to decorate it as a model of such habitats. They also prepare a...

Investigate the coral reefs around Mokolai Island, Hawaii by researching and writing about improving the reef ecosystem.  Students map threats to the ecosystem and use the list of key words to assist in their descriptions

Students, after reading Chapter 1 in the book, "Cyprus," design and create a nature journal for an imaginary trip around Cyprus. They identify animals and plants that in their minds live in Cyprus as well as describe the landscape all...

Technology tutees read a description about coconuts and how they are used to make biodiesel fuel. Note that the link to the article does not work, and the article does not appear to be available online. There are, if you look for one,...

This wonderful recap of powerful figures in scientific history includes pictures, important dates, and the information about their inventions or impact. Atomic structure and the photoelectric effect are introduced. The first slide gives...

One of the key objectives of Europe's Copernicus Earth program is to monitor the temperatures of the oceans and seas on Earth. Young scholars learn the effects of different heat capacities through two experiments. These experiments...

Four lessons spotlight a variety of professions while boosting listening and observational skills and making inferences. Lesson one challenges pupils to group cards based on a commonality then justify the relationship they see....

Here is a good lesson which aptly describes how to do the classic "Oobleck" lab with your young scientists. Unfortunately, the "Oobleck Investigation Sheet" in the plan doesn't open. However, this is a very clear description about how to...

Third graders create reports in the fashion of small books. They write brief descriptions for a variety of topics and answering a variety of questions. They create a picture book for their individual animals. They utilize basic computer...

Swim with the fishes. Learners simulate the migration of Chinook salmon. Groups pretend to be salmon, while others are predators, fishers, and hazards. The salmon start in the spawning area and swim downstream to the ocean until reaching...

Don't let the term, "slotted wood board" detract you from the value of this experiment. Class members tie a string to a cart and, with even horizontal force, drag it up an inclined plane. The objective is to compare the work done with...

Turn your students into flocks of migratory birds for this fun lesson on animal migration. Prior to the activity, the teacher creates four different migration routes in the classroom or any available open space, labeling nesting...

Young surveyors look for patterns in water flow around campus. Using a map of the school (that you will need to create), they mark the direction of the path of water. They also perform calculations for the volume that becomes runoff. The...