Curated OER
Investigating Seed Germination and Tropisms
Students use the various steps of the scientific method to construct and carry out a detailed laboratory investigation (including a control). They demonstrate how various environmental factors may affect the process of seed germination...
Illustrative Mathematics
The Lighthouse Problem
Long considered the symbol of safe harbor and steadfast waiting, the lighthouse gets a mathematical treatment. The straightforward question of distance to the horizon is carefully presented, followed by a look into the different...
Out-of-School Time Resource Center
Nutrition and Physical Activity
Emerging nutritionists explore what it means to be healthy. In the beginning of the unit, your class will examine the five food groups and learn how food gets from the farm to our plates. This leads into the investigation of the...
Curated OER
Student Opinion: How Should Schools Address Bullying?
Spark a disscussion about a current issue, bullying, in your classroom. This resource, published by The New York Times, provides a short article discussing a Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights passed into law in the state New Jersey followed...
Nuffield Foundation
Investigating Enzymes Used in Laundry Detergent
It's a win-win situation: learn about enzymes and get clean clothes, too. Young scientists add enzymes to a dilution of laundry detergent. They apply them to stained fabrics to determine the effectiveness of the enzyme-filled detergents.
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Concept Mapping Fuels
After reading an article, "Fuels for Everything," collaborative groups create a concept map poster of the transportation and non-transportation fuels. This makes a strong introduction to the different types of fuels used for transportion...
Cornell University
Chemical Reactions
Investigate the Law of Conservation of Mass through a lab exploration. Individuals combine materials to initiate chemical reactions. They monitor for signs of reactions and measure the masses before and after the reactions for comparison.
US Department of Energy
Building the Basic PVC Wind Turbine
Here is a comprehensive and well-written lesson plan that results in learners building a standard wind turbine. Once built, teens can design a variety of experiments to test different factors. This activity is a noble undertaking that...
Sunburst Visual Media
Clouds
Support science instruction with a combination of engaging activities and skills-based worksheets that focus on clouds. Learners take part in grand discussions, write an acrostic poem, complete graphic organizers, solve word puzzles, and...
EngageNY
Why Call It Tangent?
Discover the relationship between tangent lines and the tangent function. Class members develop the idea of the tangent function using the unit circle. They create tables of values and explore the domain, range, and end behavior of the...
Curated OER
Ohm's Law
If your future physicists know how to construct simple circuits, include resistors, and use a multi-meter to measure voltage, then you might employ this lesson on Ohm's law. Each lab group investigates the relationships among voltage,...
Curated OER
The Effects of Alcohol and other Teratogens: A model using Zebrafish
Students investigate the interference of various drugs on an embryo through experimentation. This is an open-ended lab to allow students to see effects of various chemicals humans choose to put in their bodies and create questions they...
Curated OER
Opening A Cube
Fifth graders investigate mathematical concepts related to the construction of a three dimensional cube. They construct the cube from two dimensional patterns and compute the surface area. Students also define the faces, edges, and...
Curated OER
The Nature of Science and Technology
Second graders perform a variety of experiments to observe, form conclusions, and make inferences. In this experiment instructional activity, 2nd graders experiment based on the result of a pre-assessment. Students share what they have...
Curated OER
Pond Life
Environmental explorers create an experiment related to ponds and then present their finding to the class. This resource is extremely open-ended. It needs more concrete objectives and procedures for meeting them.
Special Olympics
A World of Difference
Kids engage in a series of activities that ask them to consider differences and similarities in characteristics, both visible and invisible. With this new understanding, the class investigates the Special Olympics program and develops...
Ohio State University
Exploration Activities with Electrostatic Interactions
Step out of the 21st century and discover protons and electrons through observation. Using common materials, participants continually adjust their explanation of charges. The final assessment requires pupils to design their own...
Curated OER
Maximum Volume of a cuboid and open-topped box
In this Algebra II/Pre-Calculus learning exercise, students investigate the maximum volume of a cuboid and the maximum volume of an open-topped box. Additionally, students determine the acceptable size for boxes to meet parcel service...
Bowland
My Music
Scholars investigate how the tempo of music affects heartbeats. Groups develop hypotheses about music and its connection to heartbeats before carrying out an experiment. They analyze and present data from their investigations.
US National Archives
Eastern Europe 1939-45 — Ukraine
Was Joseph Stalin desperate or exaggerating the USSR's need for assistance on the Eastern Front in 1942? History students examine two differing opinions on Stalin's position and the reality of the Eastern Front just three years before...
US National Archives
WWII: The Pacific 1939-45 – Japan and the Atom Bomb
Though the scientists who developed the atom bomb did not believe it should be used to end World War II, American President Harry S. Truman and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill were of like mind in their decision to drop the bomb...
US National Archives
Eastern Europe 1939-45 — Berlin
The inevitability of World War II has arrived: Berlin has fallen. Young historians watch contemporaneous footage of the event, analyze primary source documents, and write a news report that details the roles of the Soviet, British,...
Curated OER
The "Heart" of the Problem
Students explore mathematical operations while studying nutrition. In this physical fitness lesson, students explore calories, pulse rate, and the circulatory system. Students use mathematical data to create a healthy physical fitness...
Curated OER
A Shocking Experience
Learners differentiate between current and static electricity, conductors and insulators, explain how energy is converted from chemical to electrical, measure voltage of batteries, collect data on voltage, and predict voltage of...