University of Connecticut
Building Your Own Biosphere
On September 26, 1991, four women and four men entered the scientific experiment, Biosphere 2; the doors were sealed for two years in order to study the interactions of a biosphere. In the activity, scholars explore biospheres by...
Florida International University
The Good, the Bad and the Nasty Tasting
Examine the benefits of chemical defense mechanisms. Organisms in oceans use chemicals to ward off predators. Duplicate this adaptation using a hands-on experiment in which you ward off your predators (your pupils) with some...
Curated OER
Household Conservation/Efficiency
Hook your class up to an online home energy usage calculator so that they can estimate the amount used per month by their families. Then give them Watt meters with which they will measure the power consumption of several small...
University of Minnesota
Manduca sexta: Caterpillar Dissection
Caterpillars have an amazing, yet tough job to perform in their short lives — eat much, avoid predators, and try not to let all those comments about being the unattractive stage of the life cycle get to them. How do they handle it all?...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
How Dry am I? Exploring Biomimicry and Nanotechnology
Help your classes feel like they can walk on water! An engaging inquiry-based lesson has young scholars experiment with different surface coatings. They make observations about their properties and how they relate to the surface tension...
Curated OER
Making Oxygen
Use demonstrations to enlighten learners on oxygen's role in combustion. Use potatoes and hydrogen peroxide to increase oxygen concentration in a jar, then stick a glowing splint and a burning wad of steel wool into the newly formed...
Science Geek
The Ideal Gas Law
When doing a gas lab, you might feel under pressure. A short presentation discusses the Ideal Gas Law. It begins with the units for each variable, then describes the behavior of real gases. The lesson concludes with a comparison of...
Adrian College
The Universe
Young scientists create a simulation of Hubble's law. Introducing the Big Bang Theory using balloons and a simple lab worksheet, scholars complete a data table and perform analysis.
Colorado State University
Why Does it Get Colder on a Clear Night than a Cloudy Night?
Clouds are nature's insulator! A lab investigation asks learners to use an infrared thermometer to measure differences in infrared temperatures. They find that pointing the thermometer at a cloud has a much different result than pointing...
Royal Society of Chemistry
Halide Ion Tests
Young chemists love it when colorful solid products appear in a reaction vessel! Scholars discover the products that form during halide ion tests through a hands-on activity. Users go online and apply chemistry knowledge and reasoning...
Magic of Physics
Unit Converter I
Talk about a cool tool! Convert between units with the click of a mouse using a handy online resource. Enter the starting measurement and units for quantities such as torque, speed, and inertia, then sit back and relax while the computer...
Pingry School
Effect of Solutes on Boiling Point
Anyone that lives around snow knows that adding salts to water increases its melting point. Are there solutes that affect the boiling point as well? A scientific experiment has learners add different solutes to water and then...
Polar Trec
Do You See What Icy?
Here is a lesson that kicks off with a question. "How does ice floating on the ocean act as it melts?" As learners investigate this natural phenomenon, they'll discover that it has a lot to do with temperature, salinity, and the effect...
Chymist
Esters: An Introduction to Organic Chemistry Reactions
Scratch and sniff an introduction to organic chemical reactions. A creative lesson has individuals study the esters commonly used in scratch-and-sniff stickers and advertisements. Following the lab procedure, scholars create the organic...
Royal Society of Chemistry
Polymers—Gifted and Talented Chemistry
Polymers are an important part of our day-to-day lives, but how much do your pupils know about them? Learn the basics and beyond in a series of activities designed to build skills in observation, planning, organic chemistry, and bonding.
Curated OER
Teen Driving: Skills, Responsibilities and Reactions
As an introduction to the skills required for and responsibilities of driving, pre-teens and teens engage in a series of activities, chart their response times, and analyze how variables effect these reaction times. Class...
Curated OER
Describing a Chemical Reaction: Playing with Copper
Three experiments involving pennies help young chemists see the chemical reactions between copper and other elements. The first experiment is rhetorical (it prompts students to leave a bright penny out for a year) but the second two...
Curated OER
Applied Science - Science and Math (Post Lab)
Students explore science. In this create science lesson, students come up with their own science experiment. They use their basic knowledge of hypothesis and procedure to come up with an experiment. This lesson includes background...
Curated OER
Science Lesson Plans
Students conduct a variety of exploration activities on various science topics. In this science instructional activity outline, students design a cell encapsulation to hold a specific type of medicine. They give examples of physical and...
Curated OER
Science All Around You
Students visit and explore a Hands On Science Center (HOSC). They participate in a variety of self-guided table exercises and observe as scientists demonstrate various scientific principles.
Curated OER
Applied Science - Physics Pos Lab (Air Pressure)
Students examine physics. In this air movement lesson plan, students conduct an experiment that shows how air moves based on the pressure it's under. They watch the teacher complete the procedure and then try it on their own in a small...
Curated OER
Scientific Method "Lab Writeup"
Pupils analyze and experience the scientific method. They discuss the various steps of the method, conduct various experiments, and write a three-paragraph essay regarding their conclusion.
Curated OER
Oat Seed Lab: A Model Scientific Experiment
Students investigate seed germination. In this lesson plan on scientific prediction, students conduct a scientific experiment using oat seeds.
Curated OER
Magnetic Experiment
Third graders experiment with magnets. In this magnet experiment lesson, 3rd graders explore magnetic attraction and repulsion. Students rotate through four stations and investigate the properties of magnets.