Curated OER
Theobroma - Food of the Gods
Students discuss the history of cacao and its use in the production of chocolate. They analyze actual cacao pods and record their observations. Finally they create a five minute contour drawing of the cacao pod and seeds.
Curated OER
The Effects of Photosynthesis on Plant Growth
Young scholars examine the process of photosynthesis; its products and reactants, and the sequence of the process. They diagram the light reactions, record observations of plants, and discuss how difficult it is to measure plant growth...
Curated OER
Snail Observation Exercise
Learners are given a pond snail in a clear glass and asked to make observations on the snail's form and behavior. One of the key ideas is that seemly common subjects (like snails) often have surprising or interesting properties.
Curated OER
Mystery Box
Students use their sense of touch to describe an object in the mystery box. In this mystery box activity, students use linguistic abilities to describe the object. Students give as much detail as they can as to what they feel that object...
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Through the Eyes of an Owl
Students describe vertebrates in terms of observable body parts and characteristics and describe life cycles of familiar organisms. They identify familiar organisms as part of a food chain or food web and describe their feeding...
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Sound
Fifth graders explore and examine the basic properties of sound. In pairs, they speak through a balloon and listen to the sound vibrations, and listen to a ticking clock or watch through a variety of materials and identify the...
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Matter: Solids Liquids and Gases
Students participate in a science experiment to understand that matter takes up space. In this matter lesson, students experiment with solids, liquids and gases to recognize that matter is everywhere. Students make observations and...
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The Components of Light
Students are given a mnemonic device to review the light spectrum as it relates to the different components of refracted light. In this components of light lesson, students read Light Magic and review the properties of light. Students...
Geography for Geographers
Five Themes of Iceland
How do the five themes of geography relate to the country of Iceland? Pupils learn about everything from the differences between relative and absolute location to how humans both adapt and change the environment. The presentation...
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Modeling Shadows
Learners demonstrate understanding of shadows by creating a physical model of concepts taught.
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What is the Rock Cycle and Its Processes?
Geology beginners examine three different rock samples and determine their origin by their characteristics. By making and recording observations, they become familiar with features of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rock types....
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Food & Science - How Healthy is Your Diet?
Learners experiment with various foods to determine fat and starch content. They rub jam, peanut butter, bananas, and other foods in a small circle on a piece of paper, and observe the results. If there is a high fat content in the...
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Classifying Shells
Pupils observe and classify different types of shells. They compare and contrast an exhibit they created with one that already exists in a musuem. They discover the different characteristics of shells.
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Water and Ice
Students explore water and ice. In this physical science lesson, students participate in a science inquiry and observe the characteristics of ice and water. Students compare the differences between a solid and liquid and record their...
Illustrative Mathematics
Make 9
Learning how numbers are put together as parts and wholes is a big step in building the foundational number sense of young mathematicians. Here, children are given a number less than 10 and are asked to find as many pairs of numbers as...
Curated OER
Reading the River
In collaborative groups, young ecologists measure the temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen for three different freshwater samples. They examine each sample with a microscope and record observations on the microorganisms in the pond...
Curated OER
Bicycle Wheel Gyro
Using a bicycle wheel and a rotating stool, young physicists experiment with angular momentum. This is a simple, fun, and educational activity that demonstrates a foundational concept. If you can secure the materials, it is definitely...
Teach Engineering
Changing Fields
Eddy currents, Faraday's Law and Lenz's Law provide the connection between train brakes and and MRI machines in a instructional activity that asks teachers to provided the material needed so the pupils can understand the properties of...
Curated OER
Putting the Ice in Hockey
Eighth grade physical science classes examine why the ice on which hockey is played is slippery. They do so by discussing phases of matter and the molecular motion in each. They read an article on a website and write out answers to...
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Ice Cream
Open this instructional activity by giving a brief history of ice cream. Using liquid nitrogen to lower the temperature, preteens make their own confection. The accompanying activity sheet queries learners about freezing point, the...
Curated OER
The Miracle Fish: Learning to Design an Experiment
Students develop procedures to explore the behavior of fish. For this scientific experiment lesson students from a hypothesis, write a question, identify different variables and controls in their experiment.
Curated OER
Ice Breakers: A Lab Experience About the Effects of Global Warming on Icecaps
Students describe the physical properties of ice and speculates on the dangers that icecaps might pose on a global scale. They then demonstrate, through a series of experiments, several physical properties of ice (ability to fracture,...
Curated OER
Classifying Matter Game
Students identify the different states of matter. In this chemistry lesson, students differentiate the physical properties of the three states. They apply what they learned by playing a team game at the end of the lesson.
Curated OER
What Do We Need for Our Picnic?
First graders group objects according to physical characteristics.