Curated OER
The Effects of Photosynthesis on Plant Growth
Students examine the process of photosynthesis; its products and reactants, and the sequence of the process. They diagram the light reactions, record observations of plants, and discuss how difficult it is to measure plant growth as it...
Japan Society
Our Family and Other Families: Using Totoro to Teach Family Structure
What do families around the world have in common? Explore this theme through the popular animated film My Neighbor Totoro by Hayao Miyazaki. Over the course of two days, pupils view the film, pausing to discuss their own families and the...
Curated OER
You talkin' to me?: Investigations in animal behavior
Students examine how to develop and conduct scientific investigations of animal behavior. In this animal behavior lesson students view a video, play an interactive game and complete a lab exercise.
Curated OER
Lake Effect
Fourth graders explore some of the effects Great Salt Lake has on Utah's local weather/temperature moderation, lake effect storms, and temperature inversions. They observe the differences of specific heat between soil and water and...
Curated OER
Chemical Reaction in a Baggy
Tenth graders observe various chemical reactions in the lab. For this chemistry lesson, 10th graders list the indications that a chemical reaction took place. They give real life examples of reactions they see everyday.
Cornell University
Density
Certain things just do not mix, including liquids of varying densities. Learners collect data to determine the densities of several liquids. They then use the density information to predict the type of liquid.
Virginia Department of Education
Scientific Process and Experimental Design
The scientific method keeps you from believing only what you want to believe — it expands your mind. The activity introduces the eight steps in the scientific process and how to design an experiment to biology scholars. Live insects...
Royal Society of Chemistry
Colour—Gifted and Talented Chemistry
Add a splash of color to your chemistry class! Science scholars discover the principles behind color through a wide variety of hands-on activities. Lessons include dyes, chromatography, and flame tests.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Historical Climate Cycles
What better way to make predictions about future weather and climate patterns than with actual climate data from the past? Young climatologists analyze data from 400,000 to 10,000 years ago to determine if climate has changed over time....
Curated OER
Mississippi’s Contribution to Space Exploration
Eighth graders engage in a class discussion while going through a PowerPoint on Mississippi's contribution to space exploration. In this Space science lesson plan, the students will also participate in Brain Pop quizzes where they will...
Curated OER
What Do Bread and Beer Have in Common?
Students listen to an explanation of yeast cells and how they effect bread and beer. They discuss the ways alcohol affects the human body and participate in an indirect observation about cell respiration in yeast-molasses cultures.
Curated OER
Bottle Habitat
In groups of four, students construct aquatic habitats in pop bottles. They create charts and record data from observations over a four week period. Then they graph their data and write explanations for what they observed.
Curated OER
Rocks and weathered rocks
Students connect rock and mineral formation with the changes rocks and minerals undergo at the earth's surface. They observe changes produced by weathering and relating these observations to chemical processes such as oxidation,...
Curated OER
Population Models and Qualitative Analysis
In this quantitative analysis worksheet, students explore the limits of a rate equation. They use quantitative analysis methods to determine the differential, plot graphs of their values, and describe the relationships between the...
Curated OER
Look At Those Leaves!
Students observe, measure, and sort tree leaves. They examine leaves individually, in groups, and in relationship to the entire tree. They become familiar with the seasonal changing of leaves. They realize that these and other changes...
Curated OER
Graham's Law Of Diffusion
Students demonstrate Graham's Law by observing a gaseous diffusion. After a lecture/demo, students perform an experiment then complete a write up activity which is imbedded in this plan to reinforce what they have observed during the...
Curated OER
Sunspots and the Sun's Rotation
In this sun activity, students use a Sunspotter to observe the rotation of the sun by identifying the presence of sunspots and watching them rotate over time. Students calculate how many days it takes to see the sunspots they observe in...
Curated OER
Temperature Change and the States of Matter
Tenth graders observe the processes of evaporation, condensation, melting, freezing, boiling, and sublimation. They do a quantitative investigation of the freezing of water, to explore explanations that involve particles.
Curated OER
Examining Samples and Asking Testable Research
Students formulate a testable research question containing a comparison and a
quantitative measure. They state the null and alternative hypothesis for a testable research question. In addition, they describe some of the abiotic
and...
Curated OER
Stomata: Microscopic Openings that Let Plants Breathe
Students participate in a lab experiment to observe and measure the opening and closing of stomata. They focus on photoperiod, locate and identify stomata on a leaf and explain the role of stomata in the daily functioning of a plant.
Curated OER
Introduction to Fractals: Geometric Fractals
Students study and observe the patterns made by the areas of the Sierpinski Triangle. Students use the computer to draw two or three iterations to discover the number patterns. Students complete worksheets based on Geometric Fractals.
Virginia Department of Education
The Germ Theory and Koch’s Postulates
Explore the history of cholera and its effect on society with your biology class. Young biologists will then proceed to grow their own germs, prepared from live cultures, and follow the steps of the scientific method to generate data....
Achievement Strategies
Unit/Chapter Design Template
A thorough lesson plan template allows teachers to design balanced and standards-based lessons for any grade. The template includes spaces for unit vocabulary and concepts, objectives, and additional resources.
Colorado State University
Why Do Raindrops Sometimes Land Gently and Sometimes with a Splat?
A mouse can fall from large heights without injury! Air resistance is a large influence on small falling objects. In an exploratory lesson, young scholars build a raindrop bottle to compare the falling rate of different-sized objects.