University of Minnesota
Chemotaxis Using C. elegans
Have you ever wondered what roundworms are like? Or what they don't like? Explore the sensory preferences of C. elegans through this controlled chemotaxis experiment. Biology class members brainstorm what substances might attract—or...
Curated OER
Bubbles
Students experiment bubbles. In this scientific method lesson, students identify variables used in proper experiment design. Students conduct experiments with different brands of dish-washing detergent to determine which brand makes the...
Serendip
Carbohydrate Consumption, Athletic Performance and Health – Using Science Process Skills to Understand the Evidence
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...
Cornell University
Catapults
Ready, aim, fire! Launch to a new level of understanding as scholars build and test their own catapults. Learners explore lever design and how adjusting the fulcrum changes the outcome.
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Nanotechnology Invention and Design: Phase Changes, Energy, and Crystals
What does it take to be considered a smart material? Learners investigate the properties of Nitinol, a smart material, through a hands-on lab activity. They examine the crystal lattice structure and the conditions required for Nitinol to...
Curated OER
Tie Dye
High schoolers practice writing research proposals to test the color fastness of a dye once it has been exposed to a t-shirt. Each proposal needs details of experimental design, length of treatment, and means of cleaning the shirt. All...
Curated OER
Curricular Correlations
Here is a terrific way to teach your oceanographers about the effects that the ocean have on the weather and climate found throughout the world. In it, pupils engage in a science experiment designed to emulate how the ocean affects...
Curated OER
Designer Seeds
Students enjoy the challenge of the seed structure design component of this activity and become very competitive as they seek to create a seed that travel farthest.
Serendip
Photosynthesis Investigation
Can scientists increase the rate of photosynthesis to help clean the air? Scholars complete an experiment determining net photosynthesis. Then, they apply knowledge from the activity to design their own investigations of the factors that...
Curated OER
What Makes a Seed Breathe Faster?
Here's a five-star lesson plan in which inquisitors conduct sophisticated experimentation with cellular respiration in plant seeds. Placing seeds in a closed system they measure the amount carbon dioxide produced and relate it to...
Curated OER
One Sweet Experiment
This resource is designed to be used as a lab sheet when experimenting with the dissolution of sugar in water. It's very nice in that it follows the scientific method of experimentation. There are places for the definition of the...
Curated OER
Beach Cleanup at a Local Beach
Students participate in an environmental clean-up activity. In this environmental lesson, students travel to a local beach. Working in small teams, students collect trash from the local beach. Returning to school, students sort the trash...
Curated OER
Designing the Experiment and Answering the Question
Students investigate scientific methods by analyzing an article from the Natural Inquirer. In this data analysis lesson, students read an article from the magazine and discuss at least 2 scientific methods that could be used to...
Curated OER
Paper Airplane Science
Fifth graders recognize the need to follow the scientific method carefully and be aware of variables in experiments. In this airplane instructional activity, 5th graders design and test an airplane, and complete a data sheet....
Curated OER
Inquiry in Science Using an Animal Behavior Model
Learners observe a planaria without a microscope and with a stereoscopic microscope. They draw the planaria and describe its motion and eating habits. Students research planarias various body systems and behavior. They design an...
Curated OER
Testing a New Drug 1
Students act as chief research scientists with the responsibility of testing a new drug. Students design a controlled experiment to test a hypothetical experimental drug. Students write a clear, concise, and detailed plan to present to a...
Curated OER
Friction of a Block Weight
Fifth graders hypothesize and design an experiment to study the relationship between a block weight and the number of washers it takes to pull a block across various surfaces. Students graph results and apply their findings to a...
Curated OER
Aluminum Foil Boats
Pupils design a boat of aluminum foil and calculate the density of the boat. Washers are added to the boat until it sinks. Students then redesign boat to hold more washers and recalculate the new density.
Virginia Department of Education
Scientific Inquiry: Measurement/Data
While pupils design their own lab experiments, they will not form a new species. Scholars take their materials and design an experiment regarding reaction rates.
Curated OER
Investigate Science Using Crayfish
Young scientists discover the importance of scientific investigation by observing live crayfish. They carefully observe the patterns of crayfish in different environments. Then they discuss their conclusions and define what all living...
Curated OER
Designer Colors, an Inquiry Approach to Flame Testing
Learners investigate the spectroscopic colors unique to elements, and to use this information to create a specific color. They follow a detailed schematic to produce a spectroscpoe to be used in the testing.
Teach Engineering
Will It Fly?
Go fly a kite, then fly a plane! The 19th part of a 22-part unit on aviation looks at the way kites and gliders help aid in the understanding of flight. Pupils discuss how engineers used kites to influence airplane designs.
American Museum of Natural History
Train of Thought
Hop aboard the train of thought. A remote learning resource has learners consider thought experiments to consider scientific theories. It provides two examples, one on orbiting bodies and the other on the speed of light, for them to work...
Mr. E. Science
The Scientific Method
The scientific method is key to implementing tests and experiments. From stating the problem to arriving at the conclusion, every scientist in the class learns the value of the method through an educational slide show presentation.