Royal Society of Chemistry
Observing Chemical Changes—Microscale Chemistry
Want to add a wow factor to your current chemical changes lesson plan? Try a microscale experiment with colorful precipitates! Partnered learners conduct 10 single displacement reactions and record their observations.
abcteach
Community Walk
Invite your pupils to explore their surroundings with a walk around the neighborhood. Learners use their senses to make observations about their surroundings.
University of Georgia
Energy Content of Foods
Why do athletes load up on carbohydrates the evening before a competition? The lesson helps answer this question as it relates the type of food to the amount of energy it contains. After a discussion, scholars perform an experiment...
Chymist
Esters: An Introduction to Organic Chemistry Reactions
Scratch and sniff an introduction to organic chemical reactions. A creative instructional activity has individuals study the esters commonly used in scratch-and-sniff stickers and advertisements. Following the lab procedure, scholars...
NASA
Soda Straw Rockets
Three, two, one, blast off to a better understanding of force and motion with this exciting science lesson! Beginning with a discussion about rockets and gravity, young scientists go on to complete a series of worksheets about net...
Towson University
Looking Into Lactase: Structured Inquiry
Why is lactase important? Biology scholars explore enzyme function in a structured inquiry lab. The activity tasks lab groups with observing how temperature and pH affect enzyme activity, as well as determining which milk products...
Towson University
The Wildlife Forensics Lab
Can science put an end to the poaching of endangered species? Show your young forensic experts how biotechnology can help save wildlife through an exciting electrophoresis lab. Grouped pupils analyze shark DNA to determine if it came...
Towson University
Transformation Lab
Transform your class' understanding of genes and antibiotic resistance with the Transformation Lab. Junior geneticists create and observe their own resistant strains of E. coli through research, discussion, and experimentation. The...
Royal Society of Chemistry
Acids and Bases—Microscale Chemistry
Here's proof that small-scale labs lead to big-time learning. Introduce acid-base interactions to middle school scientists through a microscale chemistry lab. Pupils combine a variety of solutions and use indicators to obtain approximate...
Center for Learning in Action
Density
Explore the concept of density within states of matter—gases, liquids, and solids—through a group experiment in which young scientists test objects' texture, color, weight, size, and ability to sink or float.
Curated OER
Rocks and Minerals
Take young geologists on an exploration of the collection of rocks and minerals that we call Earth with an upper-elementary science lesson. Through a series of class discussion and hands-on investigations, students learn about the...
NASA
Is It Alive?
Determining whether or not something is living can be more difficult than it seems. Put your young scientists to work defining their own criteria to identify life, then work with three samples to see if they are alive or...
Michigan State University
In Search of Life
Explore the habitats around you with an activity that takes kids out of the classroom to learn about the local variety of habitats and the living things that call them home. In small groups, scholars investigate their surroundings,...
EduGAINs
Form and Function
Will that structure survive the force? The differentiated lesson allows pairs to choose the structure they would like to construct and the building materials they wish to use. Individuals record their findings in...
University of Hawaiʻi
Taxonomy and Me!
Taxonomy is the study of organisms and how you phylum. Three biology activities are included, helping scholars understand four of the six kingdoms, specifically Protista, Plantae, Fungi, and Animalia. Scholars observe and classify...
NASA
Lava Layering
Take the old baking soda and vinegar volcano to the next level by using it to study repeated lava flows over time, examine geologic features on Earth and Mars, and speculate about some of the formations on Mars.
Towson University
Looking Into Lactase: Guided Inquiry
Milk does a body good ... unless, of course, someone is lactose intolerant. Pupils play the role of pharmaceutical scientists in a guided inquiry lab about lactase. Lab groups collaborate to learn more about lactose intolerance, how...
Candlewick Press
A Classroom Guide to Peter H. Reynolds's Creatrilogy
Help young readers find, identify, and use their voices with a set of empowering activities based on Peter H. Reynolds' trilogy of books. Sky Color, Ish, and The Dot focus on recognizing moods and treating each other...
Curated OER
Tides at the Battery, NY
Skill in using Excel and increasing proficiency in manipulating data are challenged with this data analysis work. A web link supplies data and step-by-step instructions help learners create a graph. There are many extension...
Tracy Pendry
Cardiovascular/Circulatory System
Explore the circulatory system with a cardiovascular pump activity that promotes discovery and discussion as class members create a functioning model of the heart. Continue the learning process through a web quest showcasing the...
Curated OER
How Does the Sun Seem To Move?
In this sun learning exercise, students will fill in the blank of 3 statements about observing the movement of the sun. Then students will fill in the blank of a conclusion they develop from the facts. This learning exercise is a graphic...
Curated OER
World of the Pond Data Sheet
In this pond worksheet, students study aspects associated with pond water and pond life. Students complete 26 fill in the blank questions to complete the data chart of observations.
Curated OER
How Can You Use Tools to Observe?
In this observation tools worksheet, students will compare how a lens, a ruler, and a balance can help them learn about the properties of objects. This worksheet is a graphic organizer.
Curated OER
Pigeon Study-Nature Notebook
in this pigeon study worksheet, students "find pigeons to investigate," then complete activities, answering questions about where the pigeons were found, how many, what they look like, observing behaviors and writing questions they may...