Curated OER
Earthquakes
Learners inspect the causes and effects of earthquakes and examine how seismic waves travel. In this earthquake lesson, students determine where earthquakes happen and why, before determining how to build an earthquake resistant...
Curated OER
Journey through the Digestive System
Students work in cooperative groups to design a theme park called Gastro World, based on the anatomy and physiology of the digestive system. They prepare a portfolio of the park's attractions and construct a model of it.
Curated OER
Comet Encounters
Students create glitter-covered comet models. Then they make large outdoor chalk drawings of the solar system and place their comets at the location of the Kuiper belt. They carry their comets around an orbit of the sun, shaking various...
Curated OER
What Do We Do With A Dirty Bomb?
Students examine composition of dirty bomb and its possible effects on a city, and investigate simulations of such an event; students use computational and problem solving skills to assess damage and prepare report proposing solution to...
Curated OER
Soapy Stress
Students investigate the three types of material stress related to rocks. They identify the three types of stress, conduct a simulation by breaking bars of soap using only their hands, and complete a worksheet.
Curated OER
Testing the Caverns
Middle schoolers build model caverns using paper mache or clay and bury them in a tray of sand. They test the models by dropping balls onto them to simulate an asteroid hitting the earth. They evaluate the effectiveness of a structure...
Curated OER
Shape Matters More!
Students investigate shapes as the area changes while the perimeter remains the same. Students demonstrate the shape/perimeter/area relationship using simulations and physical models.
Curated OER
A Phylogenetic Perspective for the Cladistically Challenged
Students use M&Ms to simulate radioactive decay of elements.
Curated OER
Water Lesson Plan
Students discuss the importance of water in our daily lives. In this physics lesson plan, students calculate the pressure of water tower systems. They investigate the effect of certain variables using a computer simulation.
Curated OER
Historic Earth Science Innovations
Students research the demands or limitations on Earth scientists. In groups, they design and build a model that would be useful to them in the lab or field. They share their model and their ideas behind it to the class and answer any...
Curated OER
Effects Of Weathering
Third graders simulate weathering and erosion using sand and soil. They define weathering and the ways in which surfaces become weathered. Working as a class, 3rd graders complete various activities that demonstrate physical and...
Curated OER
TE Activity: The Great Divide
Students simulate the distribution of nonrenewable energy resources using cookies. They determine how the world's growing population effects the equitable distribution of these resources. They look at how engineers work to develop...
Curated OER
TE Activity: Testing the Caverns
Students make model caverns out of paper mache or clay. They bury them in a tray of sand, and test the models by dropping balls into them simulating as asteroid hitting the earth. They discuss the results of the activity in a whole class...
Curated OER
The Battle of Brandywine
Students explore the Battle of Brandywine, how to analyze maps, and construct a model of a battlefield.
Curated OER
Protecting the Herd
Students explain how immunizing a significant proportion of a population against a disease prevents epidemics of the disease (herd immunity). They list factors that affect the proportion of a population that must be immunized to prevent...
Curated OER
Protecting the Herd
Students simulate the spread of a fictitious disease using an internet-based simulation. In this biology lesson, students predict the factors that could affect epidemic. They investigate these prediction using computer simulation.
Curated OER
White-Tailed Deer
Students investigate the importance of white-tailed deer and their impact on forest environments. They visit learning centers to simulate being a white-tailed deer and work in groups. After visiting a forest they share their information...
Journey Through the Universe
Is There Anyone Out There?
What is an alien's favorite game? All-star baseball! Scholars start defining living and non-living. Then, they conduct experiments to research if life exists, keeping in mind that life could be in many forms, not just human.
Discovery Education
Ahead of the Game
According to the movie Wildcats, "It's the sport of kings, better than diamond rings, football!" It is also, however, the sport of severe concussions and ongoing blows to the head. In order to keep our Seahawks soaring and Broncos...
Virginia Department of Education
The Particle Theory of Matter
Demonstrate the particle theory of matter to high school scientists with an engaging experiment that allows them to visually see the results as substances change from one state to another. The class concludes with a discussion about how...
NOAA
Wet Maps
How do oceanographers make maps under water? Junior explorers discover the technologies and processes involved in creating bathymetric maps in part three of a five-part series designed for fifth- and sixth-grade pupils. The lesson...
Rochester Institute of Technology
Skateboard Assembly - Cycle Time
Assemble a great lesson on assembly lines. In the first installment of a nine-part technology/engineering series, future entrepreneurs learn about the manufacturing process, specifically about the assembly line and cycle time. The lesson...
Chicago Botanic Garden
What Can Tree Rings Tell Us About Climate?
Tree rings are slightly thicker on the south side of the tree because it receives more sunlight. Part two in a series of five lessons helps learners analyze tree rings to determine the environmental conditions that caused size...
NOAA
Watching in 3D
Bring the ocean floor to life! Earth science scholars discover the process of deep sea mapping in the third installment in a series of five lessons about ocean exploration. The teacher's guide includes helpful resources, worksheets, and...