Curated OER
Bubble, Bubble, Soil and Fun!
Fifth graders experiment to find the physical properties and commercial uses of the mineral talc. They create a soapstone sculpture and a rubric for the creation.
Curated OER
Take a Hike!
Students explore the benefits of staying active by going on a hike. In this physical education lesson, students discuss the concept of a hike, where a good place to hike is and what types of foods are necessary to stay nourished....
Curated OER
Tin Can Stilt Walkers
Young scholars make tin can stilt walkers. In this stilt walkers lesson, students use 48 ounce size cans to make stilt walkers. They practice walking on them to improve their balance in this environmentally friendly art and physical...
Curated OER
Turtle Hurdles
Students explore physical education by researching biology. In this survival techniques lesson, students discuss the methods turtles use to survive dangerous encounters and conduct a sea turtle role play exercise. Students identify the...
Curated OER
Gauss' Law
Students derive the equation of Gauss's law. In this physics lesson, students investigate the factors affecting the strength of the electric field. They perform simulation on Gauss's law.
Curated OER
Fitness plan: number 3
Students monitor their fitness levels for six weeks of their P.E. course through the use of an Excel spreadsheet. They also research the obesity epidemic among youth in the U.S. today, presenting their findings to the class. This...
Curated OER
Heritage: Line Dance is a Pattern!
Line dancing is the repeating of a pattern of steps, done to music. Teach youngsters how to line dance and they won't feel so awkward when they grow up. Let them experiment with creating their own patterns and teaching their classmates....
Journey Through the Universe
A Scale Model Solar System
Between the time scientists discovered Pluto and reclassified it as a dwarf planet, it did not even make one full revolution around the sun. In two activities, scholars investigate scale models and their properties. Pupils find that it...
Lerner Publishing
Living or Nonliving
It's alive! Or is it? Through a series of shared readings, whole class activities, and independent exercises children explore the difference between living and non-living things, creating a pair of printable books...
NOAA
The Oceanographic Yo-yo
How does chemistry help deep-sea explorers? Part four of a five-part series of lessons from aboard the Okeanos Explorer introduces middle school scientists to technologies used in ocean exploration. Groups work together to analyze data...
NASA
Gravitational Waves
Young scientists participate in a hands-on experiment to explore Einstein's theory of relativity in a creative manner. They investigate various waves and compare their characteristics as they discuss how each wave is created....
Curated OER
Is There Room for Everybody?
Third graders examine the capacity of animals able to live in one habitat. In this habitat lesson, 3rd graders play a game that shows the food chain and the interactions between animals in an area. Students discover that food is a major...
Park City Historical Society & Museum
Mining and Milling: The Story of Park City
Study the chemistry of mining! Through nine lessons in the unit, learners explore different concepts related to mining. Their study ranges from rock and mineral analysis to the environmental impact of dynamite and the chemical reaction...
Cornell University
Exploring Rocks and Minerals
Investigate the properties of rocks and minerals through a rockin' hands-on activity. Learners test rocks for various properties and, using a guide, attempt to identify different samples. They use various properties including hardness,...
Teach Engineering
Physics Tug of War
Slide books with a little assistance from Newton. Using books, groups create a demonstration of Newton's Second Law of motion. Pupils compare the distance traveled by one and two books when they apply a force to them.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Lego Atoms and Molecules: Chemical Reactions
Show young chemists what a chemical reaction looks like with two parts of a hands-on experiment. First, learners conduct a wet lab where they observe the reactants (baking soda and calcium chloride, with phenolsulfonphthalein)...
It's About Time
Accidents
Did you know that cars weren't designed for passenger safety until the 1960s? The lesson starts with a quick quiz on automobile safety. Then, scholars evaluate three cars for their safety features. This is the third in a set of nine...
American Chemical Society
Using the Properties of Materials to Improve a Model Boat
Work together to stay afloat. Using a paper boat, pupils connect properties of materials to their usefulness. They test different paper to determine how many pennies each boat will hold and learn that combining materials with different...
Curated OER
Physical Changes and the Water Cycle- Three
Third graders take note of the changes in the water level in a cup of water that is left out. Using a model of the water that depicts a lake and landscape that is being heated by a heat lamp, the students observe precipitation, and...
Curated OER
ChromaCool!
Fifth graders watch a video about physical and chemical changes. In groups, they participate in a variety of activities involving color. They write their observations in a journal. To end the lesson, they use a checklist to classify...
Curated OER
Wind Power for Educators
Students explore wind power as a renewable resource. In this wind power instructional activity students build models of wind turbines and experiment with different changes to see if it increases efficiency.
Curated OER
Colonial Life
Fifth graders explore American colonial life. In this interdisciplinary history and science lesson, 5th graders participate in several hands-on activities that require them to make colonial products that involve physical or chemical...
Curated OER
Time Travel
Students investigate the concept of time travel and quantum physics. They complete a Webquest, read excerpts from the book, 'The Time Machine,' play an online time traveler game, and read and evaluate newspaper articles about time.
Curated OER
What's Happening in My World?
Students look for examples of chemical and physical changes in the world around them and complete "What's Happening in My World" worksheet.