Curated OER
Traveling Nitrogen
Students act out the cycling of nitrogen through the environment. In this nutrient cycle lesson, students role play as nitrogen atoms traveling through the nitrogen cycle. They travel to stations and roll dice to determine the...
Curated OER
Gettysburg Rocks Recycle to Win
Eighth graders use a geologic cross section to study the rock cycle of the Gettysburg battlefield. In this rock cycle lesson plan, 8th graders connect the rock cycle and continental rifting.
Curated OER
The Bending and Bouncing of Light
Students investigate refraction and reflection of light. In this light lesson, students perform 3 activities to observe light interacting with matter by using a flashlight. They explore refraction using a glass of water and reflection...
Curated OER
Adhesives: Measuring Stickiness
Learners test the stickiness of natural substances. For this adhesion as a property of matter lesson, students build a tool to test the adhesion of natural "glues" such as honey, peanut butter, flour and water paste, and jelly. ...
Science Matters
Crawly Composters
Get your hands dirty with an interactive lesson plan that showcases the process of decomposing and returning nutrients back into the soil. After building a compost pile, pupils regularly observe the...
Curated OER
Water and Ice
Students perform experiments in pairs to visualize the changes in water during freezing and melting. In this properties of water lesson plan, students use their senses and inquiry tools to understand the changes in state of water....
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
The Water Cycle
First graders investigate the different stages of the water cycle. They conduct Internet research and complete a water cycle WebQuest. Students identify what happens at each stage of the water cycle, and write about each stage in their...
Curated OER
Learning Cycle Lesson Plan
students investigate, develop inferences, and identify general descriptions for each of the three states of matter - solid, liquid, and gas. students investigate water, by observing and stating inferences about, the properties of each...
Curated OER
The Water Cycle and Watershed
Students summarize the steps in the water cycle. For this earth science lesson, students create a skit, song or poem showing the various components of the cycle. They identify the different watersheds in their area.
Curated OER
Water Cycle Column
Students use common materials to construct a working model of the water cycle. They then observe and explain evaporation, condensation, precipitation and percolation as aspects of a continuing cycle. Students also complete worksheets and...
Curated OER
Cell Repair and Cell Cycle
Seventh graders explore the cell cycle. They view pictures of different stages of mitosis and explain why cells reproduce. They identify the five phases of mitosis: interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase.
Curated OER
What's the Matter with My Orange?
Students use oranges to informally explore decomposition, dehydration, fermentation, the water cycle, bacteria, yeast, food webs, the needs of living things, and physical vs. chemical change over a period of three or more months.
Curated OER
The Biological Carbon Cycle
Students learn about the biological carbon cycle. In this carbon cycle lesson plan, students access the web site and mouse over the diagrams to follow the carbon cycle. They read about what happens to humans and plants during this cycle.
Curated OER
Water in the Atmosphere
A slide show serves as the backdrop for a lesson on the moisture in Earth's atmosphere. Through it, mini meteorologists learn about the attributes of the atmosphere and actually use data-collecting weather tools to make observations and...
Curated OER
The Water We Drink
Third graders relate that the quality of their drinking water is subject to the condition of the environment and water found in streams and creeks in their community. They track the travel of a wad of paper from a student's desk to a...
MENSA Education & Research Foundation
Ecosystems
Explore the Earth's different ecosystems through four lessons, an assessment, and extension activities. Lessons include informative text and step-by-step instructions to apply knowledge in interactive, and thought provoking ways; such as...
Curated OER
The Living Environment
Learners explore the cycles of an ecosystem. In this environmental science lesson plan, students work in groups to research the nitrogen cycle, the water cycle, or the oxygen-carbon dioxide cycle. Learners prepare a PowerPoint or...
Curated OER
Alternative Energy
Students discover the different alternative fuel sources. In this biology lesson, students identify the different stages of the carbon cycle. They explain the pros and cons of using alternative energy.
Curated OER
Water in Earth's Hydrosphere
Environmentalists test stream water for temperature, pH, and turbidity. Each group shares their information and then the class makes an overall evaluation of the water quality. A slide show sets the backdrop for the teaching portion and...
Cornell University
Atomic Bonding
Explore the connection of surface area to bonding within atoms. Learners complete lab investigations to model changing surface area with different sizes and concentrations of atoms. A flour fireball demonstration follows the labs to...
Melissa Institute for Violence Prevention and Treatment
Concept Muraling
Concept muraling helps learners improve their comprehension of a text by giving them a way to organize their understanding of the key concepts in that text. Introduce readers to this process with a carefully scaffolded instructional...
Curated OER
Evaporation
Students study the evaporation stage of the water cycle. In this water cycle lesson, students participate in an experiment to study the process of evaporation that uses jars and water. Students complete an observation worksheet for...
Curated OER
Water, Water Everywhere
Students explore water. In this water cycle lesson, students conduct a scientific investigation that requires build a terrarium models of the earth. Students record their observations of the changes regarding water in the terrarium.