Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Gorongosa: Making Observations Activity

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Do you have young scientists wanting to make new discoveries rather than just completing the same experiments? Young scientists use their observational skills to identify animals and patterns in animal behavior. Through tracking...
Activity
GLOBE Program

Observing Visibility and Sky Color

For Teachers K - 12th
What does a beautiful sunset have to do with the atmosphere? An inquiry-based lesson has learners make observations about the visibility and color of the sky during different time periods. They then relate their observations to...
Activity
News Literacy Project

Critical Observation Challenge: Was Elsa Really Arrested?

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
A 14-slide presentation showcases a social media post featuring Disney's Elsa from the movie, Frozen. The seemingly harmless post received lots of attention, raising the question, how do we know posts are factual? Scholars go through...
Activity
School World

Moon Observation Project

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Mrs. Flynt has designed a 12-day moon observation activity that is best assigned when daylight hours are shorter. Middle school moon experts record several factors, including the altitude above the horizon, the azimuth, the phase, and...
Lesson Plan
UAF Geophysical Institute

Observing the Weather

For Teachers 4th - 7th
How can you predict the weather without any technology? Young scientists learn to forecast the weather using traditional Native American techniques. Based on their observations of the weather, as well as talking to their classmates, they...
Activity
Cornell University

Celebrate Urban Birds

For Students 3rd - 8th
Set up a 50x50 square foot area in a space at school and choose three days to go outside and observe the birds seen in a 10 minute span. The activity has learners tapping into their observation skills and creates awareness of the birds...
Activity
Las Cumbres Observatory

Astronomical Seeing - How Good Are the Observing Conditions?

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Why is star gazing easy on some nights and difficult on others? Pupils aim to quantify the answer in an enlightening astronomy lesson. After collecting images from an online robotic telescope, they measure the brightness of images using...
Lesson Plan
Illustrative Mathematics

Sammy's Chipmunk and Squirrel Observations

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
Here is a fun project. Sammy observes a chipmunk and a squirrel to see how many holes each needs in order to stash the same number of acorns.  Scholars could find the answer algebraically or create a table to analyze the...
Lesson Plan
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University of Wisconsin

Bimodel Botany Bouquet

For Teachers 1st - 12th
Gardeners are given an individual plant specimen from a bouquet of local rain garden plants. They group up by their plant type and then make observations together, name the plant, and introduce it to the rest of the class. You then share...
Activity
Curated OER

Sky Observation Project

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this sky observation instructional activity, students make observations of the night sky and use their planisphere and star charts to help identify what they observe. They make observations and record what they see for 10-15 minutes....
Activity
PBS

The Cat in the Hat Activity Exploring Weather

For Teachers K - 2nd Standards
Observe different types of weather right in your classroom! Here, pupils look at clouds, rain, snow, wind, and hot and cold temperatures, and observe these weather patterns at school. They keep track of their observations in a worksheet...
Activity
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Scholastic

Minibeasts

For Teachers 1st - 5th Standards
Lead young scientists to discover insects outdoors. After investigating, students will record observations, learn about these fascinating creatures, craft, and role play.
Activity
Michigan State University

All About Insects

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Insects are the focus of an activity that looks deep into the anatomy and metamorphosis of everyday bugs. Two worksheets reinforce knowledge obtained through a teacher-guided grand conversation and insect observation.
Activity
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University of Texas

Observing the Moon

For Teachers K - 8th Standards
Why does it look like there is a man on the moon? Why does the moon look different every night? These are the focus questions of a lesson that prompts class members to observe and record the nightly changes of Earth's natural...
Activity
University of Waikato

Observing Water's Thin 'Skin'

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Keep the tension up in the classroom. The class first observes as the teacher creates a dome of water above a glass by adding paperclips into an already full glass. Classmates then work in pairs to see how many drops of water can fit...
Lesson Plan
Omaha Zoo

I Like to Move It

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
What do lemurs do best? They move! Lemurs like to jump, run, hop, and climb and it's your class's job to document seven fun lemur behaviors. The class starts by discussing why lemurs are considered primates, and then they isolate seven...
Activity
Cornell University

Sun or Water? or Both?

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Over the course of 10 days, young scientists observe their cups of seed and soil—one that gets sun and water and one that gets no sun and only water. Then they reflect on the results of the experiment to determine if their hypothesis was...
Activity
DiscoverE

Building with Biology

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Seeing is believing! Bring DNA to life for young biologists using a simple extraction lab. Individuals extract the DNA from wheat germ, then place it in a microcentrifuge tube for observation. They thread yarn or other material through...
Activity
Museum of Science

Nature Bingo

For Teachers K - 6th
Hit the jackpot by playing nature bingo. Scholars go on a nature walk and record observations in their notebooks. They see how many types of trees and insects they observe and play a nature bingo game where they find different natural...
Activity
Climate Research Facility

Ocean Currents

For Teachers 6th - 9th Standards
Young scientists investigate the effects of heating a beaker of ice water by dropping dye into the water and observing how the color circulates.
Activity
DiscoverE

Water Pollution Cleanup

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
How do scientists determine the best method for removing pollutants from our water sources? Environmental scholars experiment with pollution clean-up options to discover which are the most cost-effective, fastest, and most thorough....
Activity
Michigan State University

Inspecting The School

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Keep your eyes peeled for pests! Here, scholars inspect their campus for signs of living things such as insects and rodents. Upon observation, class members record their findings and present the information to their peers.  
Activity
Science Education Resource Center

Compare and Contrast deciduous and evergreen tree leaves to aid in tree identification

For Teachers K - 2nd Standards
Boost observational skills and get to know the difference between deciduous, coniferous, and evergreen trees with a lesson that challenges scholars to compare, contrast, identify, sort, and draw their findings.   
Activity
American Museum of Natural History

Draw a Monarch

For Students 6th - 12th
Five steps walk scholars through the process of drawing a Monarch butterfly. Participants research the insect, make observations, trace, then color. 

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