University of Washington
Using Modeling to Demonstrate Self-Assembly in Nanotechnology
Do polar opposites attract? After an introduction on the polarity of molecules, pupils are asked to design a self-assembling model using materials with different polarity. The challenge should motivate learners to develop a workable...
Forest Foundation
Fire in Our Communities - What Can We Do?
Learn about defensible space and renewable resources with a lesson about forest fires. After exploring the ways that humans have impacted the environment, kids conduct mock interviews about differing points of view in the conservation...
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.
Curated OER
Name That Leaf
Take a walk through nature with a science experiment about leaves. Third graders use a branching diagram to group attributes of certain kinds of leaves, such as oak, pine, and chestnut. For extra practice, they can collect leaves and...
Kenan Fellows
Isotopic Pennies
Many people confuse atomic mass and atomic numbers. The sixth of seven lessons in a unit requires scholars to find the weight of different groups of pennies. Then, they must solve how many of each type of penny exists in a closed system...
BioEd Online
Center of Gravity
Between the pull of gravity and the push of air pressure, it's a wonder animals can balance or move at all. With a hands-on lesson about the center of gravity, learners discuss their own experiences with the topic, then work with...
Flipped Math
Literal Equations
All the variables make it look harder. Individuals find out that solving a formula for a variable on interest is no different than solving an equation. Pupils participate during the video presentation by pausing the video and working...
Kenan Fellows
Density
Most scholars associate density with floating, but how do scientists determine the exact density of an unknown liquid? The third lesson in a seven-part series challenges scholars to find the mass and volume of two unknown liquids. Each...
National Park Service
Reduce Our Carbon Footprint, Let’s Compost!
Roll up your sleeves and get a little dirty with this elementary and middle school compost lesson plan. All you need is a large plastic container, a couple old newspapers, some organic waste, and a few hundred worms and you're ready...
Curated OER
Reflection and Refraction
What is a prism? A place for light waves that commit minor refractions! The thorough resource includes three hands-on investigations covering light reflection and refraction; mirrors, lenses, and images; and optical systems. Subject...
Horticultural Society of New York
Dress Up Your Salad
Salad dressings use a variety of different ingredients, but it's important to have a healthy balance of greens to create a delicious mix. Young chefs examine five types of herbs including chives, basil, dill, parsley, and thyme to...
STEM for Teachers
Temperature and Bounce
Take part in a fun experiment and hold an impromptu bouncing contest with your class. Young scientists heat and cool balls before bouncing them to determine whether temperature changes affect how they bounce. The set of...
Curated OER
Steps of the Scientific Method
Steps of the scientific method are summarized, and then an example experiment is presented to allow practice identifying the steps. The graphics and animations are a little blurry, but this otherwise well-formulated presentation will...
Judicial Learning Center
Law and the Rule of Law
We hear a lot about the importance of the rule of law, but most people do not really know what those words mean. The lesson is a webpage that defines the rule of law, explains why it is important in a democratic society and provides...
Curated OER
Pocket Solar System
Motivate your class with this lesson. Learners explore the solar system and practice working with fractions using this resource. They construct scale models of our solar system, and use fractions to correctly configure the solar system...
National Security Agency
Place Value - Butterflies Floating Place to Place
Learn about butterflies and place value in a series of interdisciplinary lessons! With several worksheets that reference butterfly facts in word problems, kids can practice science and math in one activity. Additional worksheets are...
Virginia Department of Education
Acid-Base Theory
Litmus paper, why so blue? A chemistry instructional activity includes a pre-lab activity, practice calculating pH, an experiment measuring the pH in acids and bases, a titration demonstration, and a titration experiment.
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...
Illustrative Mathematics
Toilet Roll
Potty humor is always a big hit with the school-age crowd, and potty algebra takes this topic to a whole new level. Here the class develops a model that connects the dimensions (radii, paper thickness, and length of paper) of a...
Georgetown University
Cup-Activity: Writing Equations From Data
Determine how cup stacking relates to linear equations. Pupils stack cups and record the heights. Using the data collected, learners develop a linear equation that models the height. The scholars then interpret the slope and the...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Using Genetic Crosses to Analyze a Stickleback Trait
Two fish appear different, but how do scientists determine their genotypes? Scholars practice performing test crosses to determine the genotypes of fish given their phenotypes. They answer in-depth comprehension questions and complete...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Beaks as Tools: Selective Advantage in Changing Environments
How does nature select some adaptations over others? Scholars experiment picking up seeds with two different types of tools simulating beaks. After practicing, they experience a drought where one type of seed suddenly isn't available....
Radford University
Pollution and Curves of Best Fit
Don't put the resource on curves of best fit out on the curb. Using researched data on trash and recycling, scholars create scatter plots and regression curves to analyze the information. As a culminating activity, they complete projects...
Las Cumbres Observatory
Play Bingo with Charles Messier
Let's play an out-of-this-world Bingo game! Using pre-made Bingo cards and an online randomizer, host a game of Bingo to practice identifying the objects of the cosmos. Pupils must match a picture shown to a similar picture on their...