Curated OER
Evolution: Natural Selection
Students analyze and discuss the evolutionary history of dinosaurs. In this investigative lesson students monitor different organisms in the environment and analyze the pressures that affect the chances of survival.
Curated OER
Nature Notes
Pupils spend some time outdoors and record their observations of abiotic conditions, geologic surroundings and living organisms. They reflect and write about the experience of being observant in nature.
Curated OER
Palpating Pachyderms: How Do We Interpret Observations?
Students interpret a poem before completing activities to distinguish observations and interpretations. They examine how personal background can influence how a person interpreters what they observe.
Curated OER
Using Magnetotactic Bacteria to Study Natural Selection
Students demonstrate that living organisms may possess incredible adaptations which enable them to survive. They observe bacteria that are able to orient themselves using the Earth's magnetic field and formulate a hypothesis as to how...
Curated OER
Observation
Students practice observation skills by discussing physical attributes of family artifacts. They determine what characteristics of an object are considered important details.
Curated OER
Observation Journal
In this ocean life worksheet, students observe the plants, animals, human activity, park rules/local laws, at a specific location. Students also observe any activity in neighborhoods, the water sources for the area, the water uses, and...
Curated OER
Natural Resources
Learners explore Iowa geography and topographic maps. In this geography and topographic maps lesson, student investigate maps, newspapers, Iowa flora and fauna. Students gain an understanding of how different landforms can be identified...
PBS
Season Seeking
It's a time of change. A hands-on activity engages young scientists in a lesson highlighting the change of seasons. They brainstorm indicators of season changes in nature and then look for them. Next, they record observations in a field...
American Chemical Society
Combustion and Burning
On Earth, a candle flame points up, but on the International Space Station, it forms a sphere. Young scientists practice their skills by recording observations before, during, and after a candle burns. Chemical and physical...
Teach Engineering
Bubbles and Biosensors
Bubbles aren't just for children. In the third installment of a seven-part series, teenagers use bubble solution to create bubbles and observe patterns of refraction on the bubble surfaces. Application of this concept to thin films in...
Purdue University
Take-a-Hike
Learn about nature and health all in one set of lessons. Individuals use a scavenger hunt to record observations during a nature hike. They then complete activities to categorize their observations and rate the health of the habitat for...
Curated OER
Unit Plan for The Catcher in the Rye —A “Place-Based” Approach
"People never notice anything." As part of their study of The Catcher in the Rye, class members adopt Holden Caulfield's approach and spend time as quiet observers of their surrounding, recording their observations/reflections in a...
PBS
Cloud Clues
It's cloudy with a good chance of learning! An inquiry-based lesson begins with an exploration of transparent, translucent, and opaque materials. Young scientists then connect their learning to the different cloud types as they take the...
Curated OER
How hard is it?
Inquiry is probably one of the most fun ways kids learn. They will test the hardness of 10 different minerals in order to classify them. They rate each of the minerals from most to least hard. Note: Having real minerals for this...
Journey Through the Universe
Going through a Phase
Ignore the full moon, it's just a phase. Young scholars observe and record the moon during a full cycle before learning to predict future phases. Then the instructor leads a discussion on the other solar system objects that...
National Park Service
Glaciers and Water
Explore the amazing power of glaciers with a hands-on earth science experiment! After first learning basic background information, learners go on to create their very own chunks of frozen water and gravel in order to...
Virginia Department of Education
Three Types of Rocks
Rock out with the second installment of a five-part series on earth materials and processes. Your budding geologists make observations of given rock samples and posit classification systems for rocks. They then learn about the...
It's About Time
Refraction of Light
Don't shine like a diamond, refract light like a diamond. Young scientists use an acrylic block and a laser light to observe refraction. Advanced scholars figure the sine of the angles of reflection and incidence as well as mastering...
Glynn County School System
Cosmology
The past, the present, and the future ... there's so much to discover about the galaxy. Scholars learn about the creation of the universe, its current structure, and how it is changing. The PowerPoint presentation begins with a...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Seasons of a Plant
The third in a series of six lessons is an engaging three-part activity defines that discusses phenology, focusing on the cyclic seasons of plants. Pupils then observe phenology outside before determining how climate change can...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Population Genetics, Selection, and Evolution
The Hardy-Weinberg principle states that alleles and genotypes remain constant in the absence of evolutionary influences. Scholars complete a simple hands-on activity applying the Hardy-Weinberg principle to sample data. They observe how...
Curated OER
Rachel's Life is in a Hole
Explore how lack of access to water impacts peoples' lives in poor countries. Through text reading and discussion, middle schoolers are presented with the story of a young girl who lives and functions with limited water resources. They...
Curated OER
Reptiles and Amphibians
Introduce your class to various reptiles and amphibians. They will meet and identify a representative from each of the four major reptile families, then learn about and discuss reptile characteristics. Next, they will identify and...
PBS
Reading Adventure Pack: The Lorax
Accompany a reading of The Lorax by Dr. Seuss and Tell Me, Tree by Gail Gibbons with an activity packet designed to bring awareness to nature, specifically trees. Scholars take to the outside, draw lines to create trees reminiscent of...