Learners participate in an activity that replicates the creation of sea floor bathymetry by taking a simplified form of soundings in the classroom. They discuss sea floor mapping technologies, sonar, soundings, and remote sensing,...

Color the town red. Demonstrate the concept of graph theory with a task that involves determining the least number of colors needed to color a map so that neighboring countries are not represented by the same color. Pupils...

What's the least number of colors needed to color a U.S. map? The lesson plan begins by having pupils view a video clip on continuous and discrete phenomenon, then launches into an activity reminiscent of Zeno's paradox. A separate...

Introduce your class to map projections and coordinates, the basics for the work done in a GIS, with an activity that uses Google Earth to challenge learners to think about the earth's shape. 

Introduce gas laws using the popular topic of SCUBA diving. This activity makes a connection between the gas laws and the effect of pressure and temperature changes during diving. Young engineers complete introductory experiments to...

Students research the characteristics of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks using the Internet. They evaluate websites for use before they organize the research information into a table. They use software to complete a concept map.

Students design and test paper airplanes to understand the concept of lift and how it affects flight. This technology-based Science lesson is excellent for use with upper-elementary and middle-level learners and uses spreadsheet software...

How are forces and motion important to a swing set? Scholars explore the concepts of force and motion using swing sets. In preparation for their own STEM design project, individuals take surveys and data from peers, complete labs on...

Students explore reasons for varied salinity in bodies of water. In this geographical inquiry lesson, students use a variety of visual and written information including maps, data tables, and graphs, to form a hypothesis as to why the...

Introduce your class to the concept of finite-state automata with an activity that asks individuals to try to map their way to Treasure Island by taking different routes though an island chain. Each island has two ship sailing...

Students explore the concept of saving files on the computer.  In this computer technology and science lesson plan, students download pictures, facts, and sounds of whales and save them to a disk.  Students then discuss...

Show your class how engineers use graphs to understand large and complex systems. The resource provides the beginnings of graph theory by introducing the class to set theory, graphs, and degree distributions of a graph. 

A comprehensive lesson on acceleration awaits your physicists and engineers! Two YouTube videos pique their interest, then sample F=ma problems are worked and graphed. The highlight of the lesson is the building of a Lou-Vee air car!...

Students, after researching and brainstorming about aquifers and locating aquifer maps of Texas, participate in the building of a model of an aquifer complete with a pumping station. They also answer a variety of questions at the...

Introduce your class to magnetic fields with an activity that demonstrates that a compass is affected by the magnetic field of the earth, unless a closer, stronger magnetic field is present. Pupils can use this fact in the...

Students identify various parts of plants and determine which parts people eat. They conduct a celery stalk experiment in which they determine the value and use of the stem, and how it helps the plant to meet its needs. Students use a...

Middle schoolers observe how math is important in navigation and engineering. They study how surveyors use math and science to calcute, count, measure, label, and indicate distances on a map. They estimate specific distances.

Students examine a coastal ocean. In this physical science/earth science lesson, students generate a list of questions about how researchers study the ocean. In addition, students investigate, through research on the computer, to answer...

Learners explore and study about the five senses. They focus on their sense of smell and interact with certain ingredients, including white vinegar. Each student also helps to create and share a concept map on the sense of smell...

Students explore various kinds of bears and gather information about them.  In this research and habitats lesson, students chart their bear information on large posters with illustrations of their bears. Students map the...

Middle schoolers identify the fault lines and tectonic plates on the map. In this earth science lesson, students simulate landscape formation using robots. They take a quiz at the end of the lesson to demonstrate mastery.

Young scholars use satellite images to analyze development patterns within Baltimore City. They prepare a land cover map for Baltimore indicating the prevalence of impervious surfaces and explore how these patterns affect water pollution.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is one of several garbage patches around the world where garbage accumulates naturally. As part of a GIS unit that combines oceanography, environmental science, and life science, class members investigate...

Students role-play as soldiers rescuing lost mountain climbers. Working in teams, they interpret maps to locate the climbers and use flashlights to send and receive coded messages about the rescue. Their goal is to complete the task in...