Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water's Edge Café

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students observe water birds feeding at a local wetland, record what they see, and construct an appropriate menu for a "Waterfowl Cafe." They also play a "flocking" game.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Transportation and Environment

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students make an eco-friendly vehicle to help make transportation better for the environment. In this transportation lesson, students learn how transportation inventions are bad for the environment. They then see how engineers have tried...
Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Introducing Ecosystem Services

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
Purifying air and water, providing soil in which to grow crops, and moving water through its natural cycle are all services an ecosystem provides that benefit humans. Lesson four in a series lets learners explore and discuss the value of...
Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Introducing Ecosystem Services

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
Ecosystems provide many things humans not only use but also need in order to survive. The last activity in the series of seven introduces scholars to the idea of ecosystem services, that ecosystems provide humans with many things we...
PPT
Curated OER

Control of Prokaryotic (Bacterial) Genes

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
A nicely formatted set of slides that logically follow and define the structure and function of the genes in Bacteria. The repressor proteins and other gene regulators are listed and diagrams support the explanations of their function on...
PPT
Curated OER

DNA Replication

For Teachers 10th - 12th
An excellent review of the very specific stages of mitosis, the detailed slides start with explanations of the directionality of DNA and then develop the concept of daughter strands. The intricate diagrams are intended for experienced...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Go To Sleep, Gecko!

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders examine the interdependence of organisms using the book "Go To Sleep, Gecko!" They examine a variety of food chains, listen to the book, and answer story comprehension questions. Students then conduct research on food...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dead Zones: Why Are the Waters Dying?

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Students investigate the effects of pollution on marine ecosystems. They read and discuss an article, identify the effects of pollution on marine life, conduct research on local nutrient pollution, and conduct local water quality studies.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Make a Solar Sill

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students design a solar still and purify water.  In this earth process and design lesson, students observe how the heat of the sun helps to purify water. Students analyze why this could be helpful on a desert island.  Students...
Activity
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Teach Engineering

Design Inspired by Nature

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Let nature guide your engineering designs. By taking apart a flower, pupils learn about reverse engineering. They use the results to brainstorm designs for new products or ideas. This is the seventh installment of a nine-part Life...
Activity
Teach Engineering

Tippy Tap Plus Piping

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Getting water to a tap requires an understanding the fundamentals of fluid flow. Groups design, build, and test a piping system to get water from the source — a five gallon bucket — to a tippy tap. The objective is to be able to...
Activity
Teach Engineering

Egg Drop

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Don't drop the ball on the resource ... drop an egg instead! A teacher-led demonstration has the class consider how to drop eggs into glasses when a tray is in the way. Hint: If you've ever seen a magician pull a tablecloth off a table,...
Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Insulation Materials Investigation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Don't melt away! Pairs investigate different insulation materials to determine which one is better than the others. Using a low-temp heat plate, the teams insulate an ice cube from the heat source with a variety of substances. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

When A Car Coughs. . .

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Budding scientists collect and compare particulate exhaust from four different vehicles. They discuss how cars contribute to air quality. To get the most mileage out of this resource, have learners complete the optional step 5, in which...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Innovation for Good

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Many historical innovations were created for the common good. Get your students ready for life as a critical thinker with this lesson which defines the differences between innovation and invention. They will conduct Internet research,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Starting an Indoor Container Garden from Seed

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers create an indoor container garden. In this container garden lesson, students explore seed germination. Middle schoolers discuss edible seeds.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life in the Crystal Palace

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Marine biologists research sea ice communities. Assign some groups to construct paper models of sea ice communities in winter, and some to construct models of them in summer. The instructional activity is simplistic, but the Internet...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Faux Fossil Fun

For Teachers K - 8th
Elementary schoolers investigate how fossils are created by reproducing the process of creating an impression and filling it with a hardening material. The art lessons from this source are just fantastic! The lesson plan is well-written...
Lesson Plan
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Montana State University

Everest Extremes: Biodiversity

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
How many animals can live in a climate as cold as Mount Everest's? Find out with a science activity all about biodiversity. Activities include research, presentations, group work, coloring maps, and a simulation of a food web.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sleuth Rays

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students conduct a close examination of the atom's electrons, and discover how to theorize the energy levels, observe the brightness of light, classify colors, and measure temperature.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rock Eaters of the Gulf of Alaska

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students compare and contrast the processes of photosynthesis and chemosynthesis. They identify and describe sources of energy used by various organisms for chemosynthesis.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heat from Light

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders explore solar energy. In this science lesson, 2nd graders use hand lenses to see that light energy can be converted to heat energy.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Don't Marry the Mole!

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders examine the power of solar energy. In groups, they create their own pizza box solar oven to discover the power of the sun and how it is a source for heat and light. To end the lesson, they use the internet to examine...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gamma Ray Bursts

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students study an article on Gamma Rays.  In this investigative lesson students study the energy and wavelengths of gamma rays and the theories behind them.