Students investigate the concept of homology. They are particularly interested in finding information about developmental homology. Students design a new animal correcting obvious mistakes on a worksheet provided by the teacher. They...

First graders investigate the organism known as a snail. They use snails to make observations of the body structure and the basic needs. The class is shown a chart and the teacher uses questions to induce student thinking. Then they...

Second graders answer the question "What is a sound system?" They investigate sound systems and explain how sound is produced. Students visit the sound museum and at each station they predict how sound is made. They construct a simple...

Students investigate the history of interactions with the environment in the 1800s. They conduct research looking for possible negative influences upon the environment. The information is used to conduct a class discussion about the...

Students identify reasons diseases become epidemic and list them in web format. They explore additional questins to to better investigate the time periods mentioned: 14th century, America at contact and the Age of Industry.

Middle schoolers investigate how levers can be used to lift objects. They participate in hands-on activities to explore the distance a load is lifted when comparing the amount the lever arm was pushed down. Students discover the how...

Learners investigate weather and how to forecast it. They discuss the three types of clouds and the kind of weather they bring. After setting up a database, they reearch weather-related websites to check cloud conditions and weather...

Students investigate the meaning of c2 in E=mc2 by measuring the energy delivered by an object falling at different velocities. They state that kinetic energy is the energy of an object in motion. Students illustrate how kinetic energy...

Students participate in a quiz about light, colors and wavelength.  In this investigative lesson students use the Internet to take a quiz on light. 

Students investigate the important components for a healthy trout habitat. For this fish habitat lesson, students discuss how the aquarium will simulate a trout's environment in nature. Students complete a trout information sheet to set...

High schoolers explore ozone levels. They measure the concentrations of ground-level ozone in the atmosphere. Students observe changes in the concentrations of ozone over time. High schoolers complete a data sheet to record ozone...

Students use Robolab sensors and software to design an experiment that incorporates the use of temperature probes. They conduct the experiment, complete a lab sheet, evaluate the results and then consider if their hypothesis requires...

Students investigate the average sizes for males and females. They discuss averages in relation to the amount of material needed to make underwear. In teams, they create a data table of small, medium, and large sizes and calculate the...

Students study energy sources to learn about fossil fuels and environmental concerns. For this energy sources lesson, students watch demonstrations for various energy examples. Students find hidden pennies, make a bar graph on their...

Eighth graders record the temperature change of the beakers. In this general science instructional activity, 8th graders create their own data table for recording observations. They discuss experimental results and cite real life...

Students discover that seaweed/algae is a small part of the resources the oceans provide. By investigating common household products, students discover that human senses are not enough to detect the presence of seaweed/algae in food.

Students investigate the properties of oil and water by making marbleized paper. They examine fish species by making Japanese fish prints and 3-D cardboard fish. They create posters that present messages about conserving our waterways.

Students investigate hydrothermal vents by observing a simple model designed to show that hot water rises when it's heated. First, students listen as the teacher explains hydrothermal fluids and vents. Students watch as the teacher...

The purpose of this lesson involves reviewing nomenclature and molecular formulas as well as introducing naming molecular compounds and identifying acids. The pupils investigate and understand how conservation of energy and matter is...

Students investigate the concept of how natural disasters effect the environment. They conduct research using a variety of resources. They are given a scenario that needs a defensive speech. Students take a position and defend it by...

High schoolers investigate the universe through the eyes of the Hubble space telescope. They conduct research from looking at the universe that is simulated with a digital projector. The images are projected onto the wall in a simulation...

Students examine a PBS special about howler monkeys as an introduction to scientific forensic investigative methods. In groups, they conduct a host of experiments containing clues which point to discovery. By challenging assumptions,...

Pupils investigate the relationship between current and voltage in a series circuit. In this physics instructional activity, students measure the current across each light bulb. They predict what happens to the circuit if one bulb is...

Students create a KWL chart about gravity. In this astronomy class, students investigate the nature of gravity. They discuss common misconceptions and address them.