Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Flying Paperclip

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students investigate items that interrupt magnetic fields. In this physics lesson, students explain why the paper clip in the experiment seems to fly. They write a detailed explanation of what they did in this activity.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Photovoltaics and Solar Energy

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students experiment with photovoltaic cells and determine the energy use of their appliances. In this renewable energy lesson, students calculate the energy emitted by a photovoltaic cell through an inquiry-based lab. They keep track of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Finding the Ages of Rocks and Fossils

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students practice dating fossils. They learn the concept of "deep time"--that earth was formed billions of years ago. They experience excellent hand-outs and virtual age tutorial links.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Three Clouds Activity

For Teachers K - 4th
Students understand how clouds are formed. In this cloud activity, students participate in three experiments to make clouds. Students complete activity sheets for each experiment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plant Nutrition and Nutrients

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students observe seeds growth and examine the different parts of the seedling. In this biology lesson, students compare the growth of seeds planted in soil and in hydroponics. They record their observations in their science journal and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

TE Activity: Super Spinners!

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students make spinners to investigate rotational inertia, rotational speed, angular momentum, and velocity. They make two sets of spinners that have different mass distributions and shapes. They complete a worksheet while experimenting...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Race the Track! The Time Challenge (lesson 2)

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students design a track that keeps a ball in motion for 5 seconds or longer. In this designing lesson plan, students explore force, gravity, and cause and effect when it comes to science and building before building their own track.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Woodwind Instruments and Pitch

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore musical pitch. In this cross curriculum musical instruments and "sound" physics lesson, students identify and describe common traits of woodwind instruments. Students research "pitch" and what causes pitch fluctuation by...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Have a Ball with Bernoulli II

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore the work of Daniel Bernoulli through experiment and background information.  In this Bernoulli lesson, 3rd graders participate in air pressure experiments. Students record their observations of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is the Attraction?

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders investigate the law of polarity. In this magnets lesson plan, 2nd graders discover how magnets are used in everyday life and which objects in our environment are magnetic. Students experiment with bar magnets and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hovercraft Racers!

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students gain first-hand experience on how friction affects motion. They build a hovercraft using air from a balloon to levitate a craft made from a compact disk (CD), learning that a bed of air under an object significantly reduces the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rules of Force and Motion

For Teachers K - 5th
Students view a video and complete experiments with force and motion.  In this force and motion lesson, students examine small pieces and how they affect the motion of a toy car.  Students also experiment with sand paper,...
Lesson Plan
Texas Instruments

Measuring Air Pressure Lab

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed Standards
Your class can investigate the weather through an experiment. In this chemistry instructional activity, learners collect data on air pressure and relate it to the weather. They collect data with the TI containing a barometer probe.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Race the Track! Design Challenge

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students focus on a force and motion problem, explore it, reflect on it and apply it while completing experiments.  In this motion lesson, students experiment with force and motion by creating a track for testing cars.  
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Light and shadow

For Teachers K - 2nd
Learners experiment with light and shadow. In this light lesson, students look at the relationship between shadows and light. They experiment with light source, shadow size, transparent objects and reflective objects. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Layering and Circulation

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Young scholars examine relationships and interactions between different types of water. They experiment with colored water of different temperature and salinity and discuss how the results relate to real ocean currents.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Transition Metals (III)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discuss transition metals, where they are located on the periodic table, some of the element in the group, and some characteristics of the group. They work in groups to conduct an experiment in which they mix transition metals...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mr. and Miss Big Feet

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders experiment with gravitational force. In this physical science lesson, 3rd graders send matchbox cars off a ramp while changing the amount of weight attached to the car. Students record their data and discuss the results.
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

Solar Energy Connection

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students conduct solar experiments. They calculate the solar gain and operate a solar cell devise used to generate electricity. Students compare and contrast solar energy gain with students in India. They analyze the difference...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Robot Ranger

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students participate in an experiment to understand how robotic systems can estimate distances.  In this robotic ranger lesson, students measure the the time it takes for and object to move back and forth.  Students will use a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Oceanographic Proxy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students conduct experiments on a sample of sea water. In this oceanography lesson, students inquire how conductivity is used to approximate the salinity ocean water. Students construct their own conductivity meters and test...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pendulums on the Moon

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students conduct experiments to determine if length, mass, or starting angle has any effect on the rate of a pendulum's swing. They also conduct an experiment online to determine if gravitational force plays a role in the swing. Groups...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Surface Tension of Water

For Teachers 1st
First graders observe the surface tension of water. For this water properties lesson, the teacher defines surface tension, then guides students through eight experiment that illustrate surface tension.