Activity
NASA

How to Do a Science Fair Project

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Build problem-solving skills with science! Step-by-step videos walk investigators through each stage of completing a science fair project. Scientists learn to formulate a testable question, design an experiment, collect data, draw...
Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Human Impacts on Biodiversity

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Have you always wanted to take your science class on an amazing field trip they will never forget? Now you can! Observe the wildlife in an African savanna through trail cameras with a five-part data analysis activity. Learners analyze...
Activity
Royal Society of Chemistry

A Cartesian Diver—Classic Chemistry Experiments

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
Sometimes the simplest experiments leave the biggest impression! Introduce young chemists to the Cartesian Diver by having them make one of their own. Use the Diver to further their study of liquids and gases, as well as compression.
Activity
Serendip

Carbohydrate Consumption, Athletic Performance and Health – Using Science Process Skills to Understand the Evidence

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Should athletes carb load before an event or consume carbohydrates during the competition? Scholars discuss how to set up a hypothesis and experiment to answer a question relating carbohydrates and athletic performance. Then, they read...
Activity
Discovery Education

Perfectly Decomposed!

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
We all know someone who won't eat the banana with a brown spot, the grape with a dimple, and the apple with a bruise. Scholars use different fruits to explore what happens when fruits really start to decompose. They set up an experiment...
Activity
Cornell University

Sun or Water? or Both?

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Over the course of 10 days, young scientists observe their cups of seed and soil—one that gets sun and water and one that gets no sun and only water. Then they reflect on the results of the experiment to determine if their hypothesis was...
Activity
Discovery Education

Cool It!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Adjust the melting time of ice without varying the temperature! Learners experiment with different materials to decide how the materials affect the rate an ice cube melts. They then connect their findings to the conductivity of each...
Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Classroom Activities: Mirror-Tracing Activity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
What does it take to train your brain? Learners explore the question as they experiment with their own memory and motor skills. They attempt to trace an object using a mirror and then score their results over several trials. They then...
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Teach Engineering

Ice, Ice, PV!

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Knowing the temperature coefficient allows for the calculation of voltage output at any temperature. Groups conduct an experiment to determine the effects of temperature on the power output of a solar panel. The teams alter the...
Activity
National Christmas Tree Association

Merry Christmas, Geraldine

For Teachers K - 6th
If you're reading the story "Merry Christmas, Geraldine" by Holly Keller, this is a fantastic cross-curricular resource to use. Complete with activities for language arts, science, social studies, art, and math, you'll get the most out...
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PBS

Scale City — Inverse Proportions and Shadows in the Real World

For Teachers 6th - 7th Standards
Bring the resource out from the shadows. Viewers of a short video learn about drive-in theaters and how operators project images onto a large screen. They then perform an experiment to determine the relationship between the distance of...
Lesson Plan
Foundation for Water & Energy Education

How Can Work Be Done with Water Power? Activity A

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Environmentally friendly engineering teams construct a water wheel and experiment with its speed and the resulting amount of weight it can lift. Consider following this activity with two more of the same title by the same publisher when...
Activity
GLOBE Program

Calculating Relative Air Mass

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Combine math and science with fun in the sun! Scientists build a solar gnomon using reusable materials to calculate relative air mass. Mathematicians measure the pole's shadow and use the data to solve for relative air mass....
Activity
PBS

Parachute Parade

For Students 3rd - 7th
Sail to the ground with a parachute activity! Kids construct parachutes out of household items and a toy figure, after brainstorming the best way to reduce drag. Once they test their parachutes, they can adjust their projects to...
Activity
Discovery Education

Stomp Rockets

For Teachers K - 8th
Watch the excitement grow as learners experiment with homemade rockets. Pupils create their own rockets from a soda bottle and experiment with launch angles. They discover the launch angle has a significant effect on the distance the...
Activity
Teach Engineering

Ramp and Review (for High School)

For Teachers 9th - 11th Standards
Rolling for momentum. As part of a study of mechanical energy, momentum, and friction, class members experiment rolling a ball down an incline and having it collide with a cup. Groups take multiple measurements and perform...
Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Lab 2: Nanocatalysts Clean Your Car Emissions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Surface area certainly surfaces as a variable for chemical reaction rates. Scholars perform an experiment to discover how the size of catalysts affect the rate of a chemical reaction. They record their results in tables and graphs to...
Lesson Plan
Foundation for Water & Energy Education

How is Flowing Water an Energy Source? Activity A

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Here is a fun little exploration of the potential energy potential of falling water. Learners drop water from various heights using a straw, and they analyze the diameter of the splash. Pair this with two more activities of the same...
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Teach Engineering

Better By Design

For Teachers 5th - 7th Standards
Which modification is the best? Using the scientific method, pairs determine the effects of each control surface on the distance of a glider's flight. The activity, section 16 in a 22-part unit on aviation, allows pupils to gain a better...
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Teach Engineering

Corn for Fuel?!

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Can corn power the world? Young scientists learn about how corn and other plants can provide renewable biofuels in the second of nine lessons. They set up an experiment to investigate how different variables affect plant growth. All of...
Lesson Plan
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Illustrative Mathematics

Tilt of Earth's Axis and the Four Seasons

For Teachers 9th - 11th Standards
Geometry meets earth science as high schoolers investigate the cause and features of the four seasons. The effects of Earth's axis tilt features prominently, along with both the rotation of the earth about the axis and its orbit...
Activity
Curated OER

Benham's Disk

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Seeing is believing! Or is it? With this simple experiment, young scientists can explore the concept of visual perception. Attach Benham's disk to a rotating appliance such as a hand drill; As it spins, the black lines appear to be...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Class Trip

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Mrs. Moore's class is trying to earn money for a trip to the science museum, but how much more do they need? Solve this problem with your own class as they develop their ability to model real-life situations algebraically. As an added...
Activity
Teach Engineering

Maximum Mentos Fountain

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
A messy fountain is potentially an energy experiment in disguise. Groups investigate the variables in creating a fountain from soda and Mentos. The last activity in a six-part series on energy has the class observe the fountain in terms...