Students investigate the concept of water permeability in order to help find the best material to line a canal. The goal is to find a material that does not allow water to escape. They also conduct an experiment and record the observations.

Students investigate the similarities and differences in soils from different states with an analysis of its physical and chemical properties.

Students investigate and record data about sedimentation rates. They make a sedimentation bottle using aquarium gravel, sand and potting soil. They discuss the sedimentation rates that they see in their bottles.

Students examine various scenarios about pollution around bays and discuss their reactions to them. Among the situations they investigate are construction site soil washing into a tributary, oil from motor boats leaking into water, and...

Middle schoolers investigate the concept of erosion by water in a problem solving activity. In small groups, they are assigned either sand, potting soil or rocks to construct a mountain that will hold up to a sprinkler can of water...

Students investigate how many seasons it would take for wind to disperse seeds one mile downwind from an initial growth of one spotted knapweed plant. They construct and use a wind tunnel as part of their experiment and graph their results.

Students investigate the chemistry of coal. This lesson serves as a review of conservation of mass, simple reactions and equation balancing. During the lesson, students research chemical components of coal, as well as environmental...

Students examine ecosystems that covered Illinois 200 years ago, investigate some living and non-living components of ecosystems, identify components of prairie system, create food webs, and observe human effects on environment. Lessons...

Learners investigate the school campus area in order to plan the best spot for a class garden. They create a map of the school and research the different types of soil that exist in order to find the best spot. The class takes the...

Learners participate in an online lesson to investigate the effects of cooling and heating on water.

Students ask questions that can be investigated scientifically. They determine how to plan a fair test by changing one factor while keeping other factors the same, to use measurements to draw conclusions and use scientific knowledge to...

Students investigate the water cycle and evaporation. They study the porosity and permeability of groundwater, and the capillary action in soil in this unit.

Students identify and explain the parts of a flower and their role in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed dispersal, and germination. Students recap the following information: that plants need light, warmth,...

Young scholars identify the changing states of water, water vapor and ice in the water cycle They investigate how each of these stages can be reversible. Students complete a worksheet describing the water cycle.

Learners investigate the decomposition process and the parameters which influence the rate at which it occurs. They design a "controlled" experiment by comparing decomposition rates between two compost piles. Analysis questions include...

Students investigate the concept of how people are dependent upon natural resources and how they can apply them to be maximized in usefulness. The students are encouraged to develop an appreciation for the environment. They conduct a...

Young scholars view a video on a culture and list what would be preserved over time.  In this investigative lesson plan students study preservation and what gets preserved in different cultures. 

What does it mean to grow? To germinate? For the plan detailed here, class members investigate the growth process of an oak tree while focusing on the beginning stages of planting and germination. They plant seeds and record observations...

Students compare the absorbency of a regular diaper and a swim diaper in fresh water and salt water. In this absorbency lesson plan, students mass the diapers and place them in water and determine the change in mass. They do the same...

Young scholars investigate the life cycle of ants, ladybugs, and butterflies. They list the four stages of the butterfly life cycle, define symmetry and observe how ants make homes in dirt.

Students examine how a bill becomes a law in the US Congress. They investigate legislation about global warming. They determine the role of engineers as they educate Congress, the public and other government institutions about global...

Fourth graders create a model of the formation of Indiana by glaciers. Working in groups with appropriate materials, they create a model documenting how glaciers moved through the land and formed the geological structure and land masses...

Students study the relationship between the types of trees, soil, and organisms. They investigate the complex interactions and cycles at work in the forest and understand the factors that contribute to a healthy, sustainable forest.

Fourth graders explore how the landscape of the planet can be changed by different elements of wind, water, ice and chemicals through hands-on activities. They examine pictures of areas around town and discuss anything they think is out...