How can you tell if something is made out of wood, metal, or plastic? Kids use noise and visual cues to determine what various household items are made from. They then examine their toys at home and record the materials used to make...

Help your students write descriptive lab reports! Designed for ESL students but useful for mainstreamed kids as well, the activity prompts students to think of substances that match twenty given adjectives ("salt" for "soluble," for...

Help your classes feel like they can walk on water! An engaging inquiry-based lesson has young scholars experiment with different surface coatings. They make observations about their properties and how they relate to the surface tension...

The wonderful world of Oobleck is entered in order to awaken your learner's sense of touch! As a warm up, learners put their hands in mystery bags in order to identify things that are wet, dry, hot, cold, hard, soft, rough, and smooth....

What is mu? Emerging scientists explore the coefficient of sliding friction, or mu, and apply its concepts as they complete activities in the interesting lesson. They measure the sliding friction between soles of their own athletic shoes...

Fourth graders take a look at the effects of weathering and other geologic activities found in the environments in which they live. Along with a guided geologic walk outside of campus, there is also an effective in-class demonstration of...

The human body contains more than 200 types of cells, and plants contain many other unique types of cells. While a huge variety of cells exist, they appear to have very similar structures. A detailed presentation describes the structure...

The various experiments and processes that were completed in the 20th century to further our understanding of DNA are summarized here. There are wonderful slides to popularize the scientists who dedicated their professional life to...

Students define specific waste materials that could be used as aggregate in concrete. In this aggregate and waste lesson plan, students brainstorm on how to incorporate waste in construction and define different aggregate materials.

Students examine seeds from various plants. In this science lesson, students cut open fruits and vegetables in order to see the seeds. Students describe each type of seed and classify the seeds.

Though the walrus spends roughly one third of its time on land, it eats organisms that live on the bottom of the ocean. The first in a series of five, the lesson uses a variety of plant and animal cards to have scholars build an arctic...

Unleash the power of ... blackberries! Science superstars create solar cells using the juice of berries or leaves of a citrus tree in an engaging lab. In addition to offering a plethora of resources, the teacher's guide gives background...

Using this resource, your team of green thumbs discuss why plants are a part of a healthy diet and the different ways they are used in daily life. They then observe the characteristics of different seed as they attempt to match...

Students explore friction as a force that slows moving objects, explain conclusions in terms of the roughness or smoothness of surfaces, relate results to predictions, and begin to know how to plan a fair test.

Here is another in the interesting series of lessons that use the special State Quarters as a learning tool. This one uses the North Dakota State Quarter. During this lesson, your class learns about the different patterns of erosion, and...

Fifth graders experiment to observe the changes created on a surface by mechanical action of water with varying amounts of mineral content and abrasive qualities. They write the predictions of their outcomes and describe all of their...

Students study textures and identify textures using satellite images. In this texture lesson, students study various objects and define their textures. Students feel crayon rubbings and sort them into groups. Students use a book with...

If you're finishing up a unit on cells, here's a great project to get kids collaborating and recalling what they've learned in a fun and tangible way. Small groups create plant or animal cells out of materials they have at home. They use...

Students use descriptive vocabulary to discuss the attributes of matter. Then, they sort objects or pictures by the type of matter they are comprised of. Finally, students match objects of matter with similar attributes and create a...

Students build Lego cars which have two different types of tire surfaces. They roll them down ramps that have both rough and smooth surfaces to determine how friction affects the car as it rolls.

Fourth graders observe and identify the effects of geological activities and weathering on Earth's surface. They also take a look at reports of events such as storms, earthquakes, floods, and volcanoes. There is a hefty hands-on activity...

Fourth graders explore the agents of erosion. They observe rocks that are rough and unweathered and record observations. They investigate rocks rubbed with sandpaper and ones that are not and the effects that the sandpaper has on the...

Precise measurements make the job easier! One of the challenges when using an inclined plane for testing comes from pupils not using exact measurements. They often rely on books that slide or different ramp lengths when experimenting. By...

Mix it up and engage learners in a lesson on music and physical science. Using cups, strings, guitars, and voice, the class will experiment with sound vibration and frequency. They'll use each instrument and fill out a worksheet that...