Explore the connection of surface area to bonding within atoms. Learners complete lab investigations to model changing surface area with different sizes and concentrations of atoms. A flour fireball demonstration follows the labs to...

How can a hand puppet's shadow look like a dog? The lesson explains the science behind shadows, combining paint colors and the colors used in old televisions. Scholars use white, red, blue, and green lights to experiment with colors...

Alegebra amateurs identify the slope and the y-intercept given a linear equation in slope-intercept form by correctly completing some in class problems. They write the linear equation in slope-intercept form that corresponds to the given...

Emerging electricians extend mental models of light bulbs and resistors in series and or in parallel circuits to include the connection of photovoltaic cells in arrays. They investigate open circuits, using a DC voltmeter, a light...

Chemistry classes pretend to be consultants to a grocery story trying to decide what polymer to use for therir new non-paper bags. They prepare tensile bars and use them to test plastic film samples for strength and stretchability. Both...

Develop readers’ awareness of the visual power of language with a guided imagery exercise. Set the stage and create the mood with dim lights, soft music and potpourri. Then read the provided section of Bud, Not Buddy. Next, invite...

Teach and review elementary locomotor skills. Use "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis to get youngsters up and grooving to the beat! The dance steps are described in rich detail and you will have the class jumping, skipping,...

As part of a study of colonial and Native American history, class members focus on the beliefs and land use of the Pocumtucks, who settled near Deerfield, Massachusetts. Students examine their beliefs about land use and ownership, the...

Using the 5E method for teaching about kinetic energy, potential energy, and conservation of energy, this two-week unit with many videos and possible extensions is sure to keep pupils engaged as they are learning.

Students investigate the spectroscopic colors unique to elements, and to use this information to create a specific color. They follow a detailed schematic to produce a spectroscpoe to be used in the testing.

Young scholars recover latent prints by iodine fuming, cyanoacrylate fuming, and dusting with powder, after a lecture/discussion on fingerprinting techniques. They each provide a fingerprint for identification by another student. A...

Penguins are very diverse and well-adapted birds; they live on islands, in warm and cold climates. Little ones examine penguin diversity and discuss the highly functional adaptive traits that have helped them survive in some of the...

Young scholars are introduced to how the differences in solubility of materials are used in the manufacture of fibers and films. They are also introduced to the various processes used to make films and fibers. Pupils prepare fibers using...

Fifth graders study the concept of momentum and its application by Newton in his studies. They view a demonstration and complete an experiment with toy cars on a racetrack that shows them the properties of momentum and how velocity and...

Be sure to come prepared to discuss the theory of Pangaea and the two super-continents, Laurasia and Gondwanaland. Collaborative learners look for fossil evidence that supports the theory that one super-continent divided into two. They...

Make music. Class members construct a simple record player using a paper cone and a pin. The resource provides a description of what is happening and why listeners can hear the sounds through the cone. 

Inform your class about the adaptations in fish eyes: cones, lens size, endothermy, and speed of vision. The adaptations are related to diving behavior. Junior marine scientists compare the adaptations of four different fish species to...

Sixth graders put themselves in the shoes of aborigines who were displaced from their homes in the 1800s by Europeans who came in and took their land from them. They discuss the social injustices suffered by these people, and write...

New roads, new businesses, new developments, new mass transit systems. All growth has both positive and negative effects on communities. Government classes investigate the principles of Maryland's 1997 Smart Growth program and...

Learners watch a section of a medical TV show and individually make a written recommendation of appropriate imaging techniques to be used and explain why they chose these techniques. They participate in a discussion revealing their...

Students investigate radioactive atoms. In this radioactive beans lesson, students experiment with split peas and beans to determine what happens when a radioactive atom decays. 

Third graders describe the American Indian nation in their local region long ago and in the recent past in terms of national identities, religious beliefs, customs, and various folklore traditions. They synthesize their findings into a...

Young scholars study the structure and behavior of ice.

Conduct an experiment with batteries to make a simple circuit. Fifth graders read the provided information, consider the two circuits, and determine which one is complete. An electrically charged experiment suggestion is included. Tip:...