Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Heat Transfer and Ice Cream!"

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Learners analyze earth science by creating a frozen treat in class. For this heat transfer lesson, students discuss how matter is transformed from solid to liquid and liquid to gas when energy is removed from the equation. Learners...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heating Crystals

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the effects of heating on various crystals. They formulate and revise scientific explanations and models using logic and evidence. Students work individually during this experiment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's the Matter with that Cup?

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders measure volume, circumference, and height of fast food cups, find which one has the greatest volume, and compare/contrast those measurements to discover any correlations between them.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

No Creation-No Destruction--All in a Baggie

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students investigate the concepts of conservation of mass and simple chemical reactions. Students complete lab experiments and record all observations as well as conduct experiments on their own to determine which reactions created...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Emulsion_ Compulsion

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students experiment with common household products to determine the properties of emulsions and how they fit into the classifications of matter through this series of lessons.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creating Biodiesel and Mitigating Waste

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Biotechnology pros produce their own biofuel using waste oil and fresh vegetable oil. They test the quality of their product using titration techniques and pH analysis. They write their observations and report their findings. Be aware...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changing Planet: Permafrost Gas Leak

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Pair earth scientists up to use an amazing online arctic portal mapping tool and Google Earth to analyze permafrost changes. They compare changes to data on atmospheric concentrations of methane to see if there is a correlation. Then...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science: Liquid Matter

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders examine the properties of liquids and their classifications. They compare and contrast cups of different liquids and record their findings in journals. Students observe how liquids flow at various speeds and that unlike...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Big Meltdown

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students work together to develop a container to keep an ice cube in a solid state. They identify the three stages of matter and test different materials for this experiment. They share their results with the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Physics Post-Lab

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students explore physics. In this science lesson, students discuss physics in their everyday lives. Students complete a physics worksheet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kinetic Molecular Theory

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze and evaluate evidence that matter is made of tiny particles. They observe a series of phenomena involving solids, liquids, and gases to make inferences about the spacing, interactions and relative kinetic energies of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chemistry & The Community

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students complete a Webquest which investigates the chemistry in items such as shampoo. They research the Internet, perform a lab experiment, and write a scientific lab report with their findings. Upon completion of the activities, the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Funny Putty

For Teachers 1st - 8th
Students are introduced to the properties of solids, liquids and gases. They see that colloids are mixtures which display the properties of more than one of these states. They engage in an excellent experiment which demonstrates this fact.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Marshland Ecosystems

For Teachers K - 12th
Students identify animals in ecosystem depicted on 16th Century ceramic basin and classify them as herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores based on physical characteristics and prior knowledge, determine which life forms in ecosystem are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to Friction

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Students study the properties of the frictional force between two surfaces in contact. They inspect various phenomena in nature where friction plays an important role and demonstrate
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Warming by Freezing

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders discover the reasoning behind spraying water on fruit and seedlings in preparation for hard freezes. In this conceptual physics lesson, 9th graders conduct an experiment to measure the heat released when water goes from a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chemical Changes

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders observe two types of interactions in a sealed plastic bag. One bag contains baking soda and water, and the other baking soda and vinegar. They determine what evidence indicates that a chemical change is occurring.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Wonderful World of Polymers

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders investigate the concept of polymers. They discover unique properties and how polymers are natural. The lesson contains sufficient background information for the teacher. Students examine different types of materials and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Laws of Motions

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders explore the Laws of Motion. They define friction and explain the concept of inertia. Students explain what happens when a force is exerted on an object that is in equilibrium. They state the second and third laws of motion.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Modeling the Process of Mining Silicon Through a Single Displacement/Redox Reaction

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study silicon and where it comes from.  In this solar mining lesson students complete an Internet search of mining and a lab activity. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water and Ice

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students study the liquid and solid states of water. In this water states instructional activity, students complete three experiments to study water as it cycles from a liquid state to a solid state and back. Students finish with a Venn...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Does Size Matter?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore chemical solutions. In this chemistry activity, students investigate the relationship between three related experiments about solutions. Students determine variables that affect the chemical concentration of each solution.
PPT
Curated OER

Temperature

For Teachers Pre-K - 11th
Several slides compare different temperature scales. Thermal expansion, heat transfer, and Maxwell speed distribution are also explored. The last two slides seem unrelated to the topic of heat, but are easily left out of this otherwise...
Lesson Plan
University of Georgia

Splat!

For Students 9th - 12th
What does viscosity have to do with splatter? An activity shows that the viscosity of a substance is inversely proportional to the distance of its splatter. Learners conduct the experiment by collecting data, graphing, and analyzing...