Curated OER
Nailing Rust
When your upper elementary or middle school class is learning about chemical changes, these activities help demonstrate the concepts. In Part A, they submerge and place a nail partially underwater, then after a week they make...
Curated OER
Erupting Volcanoes!
Students examine the causes of earthquakes, volcanoes, and floods, and explore how these events shape the surface of the earth. In this erupting volcanoes lesson plan, students create a volcano model of their own, make observations...
Curated OER
Chalk Fizz
Little chemists observe the effects of acid on calcium carbonate as an example of chemical change. As a demonstration you will place a raw egg in vinegar overnight, and as a lab activity, learners drip vinegar onto a piece of chalk....
Curated OER
Physical or Chemical- That is the Question!
Students observe the differences between physical and chemical changes in properties. Through the use of an interactive presentation, the students compare and contrast the changes and provide supporting examples of each type of change.
Curated OER
Physical Science Review Questions
Prepare your class for a quiz with these physical science review questions. Learners respond to 7 questions about ionic and covalent bonds, oxidation states, and chemical and physical changes. In addition, they name compounds and balance...
Curated OER
Glaciers: Then and Now
A large data table is given to your elementary earth scientists in which they record observations that they make while viewing pictures of Alaskan glaciers. They compare and contrast recent photos with older photos. Hold a discussion...
Curated OER
Give Me Five!
Students become familiar with their five senses and how their experiences would change without them. For this observations lesson, students observe using their five senses in a garden. Students illustrate what they've...
Curated OER
The Same, But Different Part II
Learners characterize a physical change as something that changes to a different size, but retains its basic substance. They measure volumes using milliliters, and perform an experiment that proves that gases expand when hot and contract...
Curated OER
Investigate Science Using Crayfish
Young scientists discover the importance of scientific investigation by observing live crayfish. They carefully observe the patterns of crayfish in different environments. Then they discuss their conclusions and define what all living...
Curated OER
From Light to Dark and Back
Experiment with light and dark in a series of interactive activities that lead up to reading and writing poetry. Class members have the opportunity to observe their feelings while sitting in the light and dark and to play with shadow...
US Environmental Protection Agency
Weather and Climate: What's the Difference?
Future weather forecasters collect daily temperatures over a period of time. Afterward, they compare their data with monthly averages, as researched on national weather websites, in order to grasp the difference between weather and...
American Chemical Society
Chemical Reactions and Color Change
Colors are more than just a pretty effect. Learners explore what color change means in terms of chemical properties and reactions. They create a pH solution using cabbage leaves and observe the changes when acids and bases are added.
Curated OER
Annotating Change in Satellite Images
Students construct a movie using Landsat images to observe changes over time on Earth. For this satellite images lesson, students observe changes in land use over time and document one type of change they observe. They produce an...
National Wildlife Federation
Quantifying Land Changes Over Time Using Landsat
"Humans have become a geologic agent comparable to erosion and [volcanic] eruptions ..." Paul J. Crutzen, a Nobel Prize-winning atmospheric chemist. Using Landsat imagery, scholars create a grid showing land use type, such as urban,...
American Chemical Society
Using Chemical Change to Identify an Unknown
If you discover an unknown powder, how do you determine if it is safe? Lesson uses four different tests to identify the properties of various powders that appear the same. Then scholars get an unknown powder and have to determine which...
Curated OER
Physical Changes and States of Matter - Two
Here's a wonderful lesson on how substances change states. Groups of learners are given trays with a chocolate bar, a piece of paper, an ice cube, and a balloon. During the activity, the groups closely observe the changes that each...
Curated OER
Sky Observations Sky & Cloud Windows
Students observe the sky and weather to gather data. They conduct experiments to answer questions about the sky and weather phenomena. They measure, analyze and present data. They create sky windows by gluing sky colored paint chips...
Curated OER
Field Guide to Schoolyard Insects and Their Relatives
Sometimes all you need to complete your perfect lesson plan is an awesome hands-on learning experience. Here is an extension activity that is sure to excite your learners. They'll head outside to observe the local insect community. When...
Concord Consortium
Reaction Between Hydrogen and Oxygen Molecules
When molecules of hydrogen and oxygen are combined, how does water form? Science scholars observe changes in kinetic and potential energy during a chemical reaction in an interactive. The resource features easy controls that allow users...
Curated OER
Water and Ice
Learners will observe, measure and describe the phase changes of ice. In this science lesson plan, students observe ice as it changes phases. Qualaitative notations made by individual learners will be shared and compared.
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Changing Scapes
Culture and art are two things that change with time and context. Learners compare and contrast two landscape prints from different time periods. They work through art terminology to help them describe what they see in each piece. The...
University of Texas
Observing the Moon
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...
Curated OER
Changing Seasons
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...
Concord Consortium
Pressure Equilibrium
All together now! Physical science pupils observe the effects of temperature and amount of substance on pressure and volume of a gas. The interactive resource guides learners through the Combined Gas Law, where they observe changing...