Curated OER
The Sum of All Thrills
Learners make a bungee cord. In this potential and kinetic energy lesson, students work in groups to create a bungee cord for an egg. Learners evaluate and test their cord. After performing the experiment the students answer...
Curated OER
Sound Vibrations
Students play their own straw kazoos and understand that vibrations are responsible for the sounds we hear. Additionally, they learn that sound vibrations can travel through different mediums. Students experience vibrations through...
Curated OER
What is the Best Insulator: Air, Styrofoam, Foil, or Cotton?
Students investigate the properties of insulators by attempting to keep a cup of water from freezing, and once it is frozen, to keep it from melting. They conduct the experiment, record and analyze the results, and answer discussion...
Curated OER
Density Rainbow and the Great Viscosity Race
Students explore the densities and viscosities of fluids as they create a colorful 'rainbow' using household liquids. While letting the fluids in the rainbow settle, students conduct 'The Great Viscosity Race,' another short experiment...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Who Sank the Boat?
Fifth graders experiment with student-made aluminum boats to test for buoyancy. They design a boat and determine how many marbles it takes to sink it while recording their data in a spreadsheet. They design a graph using the data and...
Curated OER
Beans and Birds: A Natural Selection Simulation
High schoolers solve the following problem concerning the evolution of seed color in pinto bean plants: "How does natural selection change the frequency of genes or traits over many generations?" They use the constructivist approach to...
Curated OER
Water Resources Engineering
Students illustrate the chemical differences between surface and tap-water. They investigate the common chemical and physical parameters relevant for water quality and gain hands on experience with water quality testing.
They enhance...
Curated OER
The Copper Basin Problem
Students view a video about how human actions impact the environment. They design a set of experiments to address some of the problems and issues raised by the video.
Curated OER
Food Safety Lab
Students use the scientific method to investigate the role of temperature in microbial growth. In this food preservation instructional activity, students set up an experiment with fruit in room temperature and in a refrigerator. They...
Curated OER
What Do Plants Need?
Students experiment with plants. In this plant lesson, students research the needs of plants. Students determine if all plants have the same requirements for growth. In small groups, students experiment with different plants.
Curated OER
Newton Gets Me Moving
Fourth graders experiment with Newton's three laws of motion. In this motion instructional activity, 4th graders explore the three laws of motion and then work in small groups collaborating while experimenting with these laws....
Curated OER
Understanding And Measuring Matter
First graders observe ice melting and water evaporating. They experiment with sugar and water and read the poem "Matter Really Matters." They define vocabulary words and sing a matter song.
Curated OER
Ring Around the Rosie
Students examine the concept of angular momentum and its correlation to mass, velocity, and radius. They listen to a teacher-led lecture, conduct an experiment with rotational inertia, angular momentum, and rotation speed by making...
Curated OER
Bird Eggs
Learners perform an experiment with different types of bird eggs to determine what factors make them strong and able to stay on a cliff without rolling off.
Curated OER
Who Takes Care of the Maya Forest Corridor?
First graders study the animals in the Maya Forest Reserve. In this conservation instructional activity, 1st graders create a graph to compare the environment of animals to their own. They design a 3D model of these two environments.
Curated OER
Amazon Rainforest Conservation, Brazil
Students explore rain forests. In this rain forest lesson plan, students participate in a "BioBlitz" of their schoolyard, observing and recording every living thing in a designated area. Students visit websites about rain...
Curated OER
Magnetorheological Fluids
Students conduct a series of experiments on magnetorheological fluids. In this physics lesson, students explain how these fluids behave in varying magnetic field strength. They give practical applications of magnetorheological fluids.
Curated OER
Newton's Laws
Students experiment with and analyze moving objects and explain their motion in relation to Newton's Laws of Motion. Students then work with partners to design and construct cars that are powered by balloons.
Curated OER
Mapping Constellations
Students become familiar with constellations. In this space science lesson plan, the teacher introduces constellations by showing students the star patterns and reading myths. Students, observe the stars nightly, then choose one...
Curated OER
Simple Machines, Odd Machines
Students recognize and identify common objects that can be used as a lever. In this simple machines instructional activity, students experiment with materials to design and construct a machine that uses a lever. Students also design and...
Curated OER
Your Beating Heart - Circulatory System
Students illustrate a schematic circulatory system of a human body including heart, lungs, arteries, veins and capillaries. Next, students conduct an experiment to increase understanding of the relationship between heart rate/pulse and...
Curated OER
GENTLE JAWS?
Students experiment with carrying eggs to simulate a mother crocodile's gentle grip as she carries her eggs/young. They compare different modern tools to the jaws of a crocodile.
Curated OER
Physics Park
Young scholars research and design a playground for a park or school in their community. They explore the physics concepts that are present in the design and, if applicable promote their ideas to city or school officials.
Curated OER
Stop Heat from Escaping
Students explore the uses of insulation and describe how insulation helps to conserve energy. They work in groups and use plastic, wool, paper and aluminum to experiment with the heat-retaining properties of various materials.