It's time to get moving! The 13th lesson in a 14-part unit on electricity and magnetism explores the relationship between electricity and mechanical energy. Budding scientists build motors and experiment with different components to...

Design a mission over the rainbow. Small groups spend several weeks together determining a mission related to spectroscopy. The teams build spectrographs and analyze the design to determine whether it will carry out the mission. At the...

Use spectral knowledge to make discoveries on a distant moon. Small groups gather information from images of one of Saturn's moons. The moon orbits within the E-ring made up of mainly water ice. Using information about the composition of...

Transform the classroom with energy. Pupils learn about different types of energy and practice identifying the types in the first instructional activity of six in a solar versus wind energy unit. The class sees examples of how one type...

Knead a resource on electric circuits? A fun activity teaches future scientists about conductors and insulators. They prepare conducting and insulating dough and use them to make creatures that light up.

Don't leave your classes in the dark! An inquiry-based lesson has young researchers analyze the light intensity before, during, and after a solar eclipse. They use their data to make inferences about the solar energy available during...

Learners identify ways that light can travel and why. In groups, they develop an experiment to show that light can travel because it is a form of energy. They use this information and apply it to other forms of energy to end the...

Young scholars identify the types of light on the visible spectrum. They identify relationships between angles and mirrors. They state how they use light in their everyday lives.

Students discover the life cycle of butterfly by observing its growth from egg to caterpillar and the formation of its chrysalis. Students conduct an experiment in which they design housing for the chrysalises which are either in full...

Students study the movement of light. In this light lesson, students work in groups to participate in a light and shadow walk around their neighborhood. Students brainstorm rules for light movement and watch videos about light travel,...

High schoolers connect starch to sugar as the storage form of energy. They find that no starch is produced in the plant without light. Students perform the old favorite of looking at starch deposition in geranium leaves using Lugol's...

Seventh graders experiment with white light, plane mirrors, and curved mirrors in order to demonstrate the physical principles of living systems. In this physical principles lesson plan, 7th graders take 3 days to discover what happens...

Students develop and test a unique, personally-relevant hypothesis about the consequences of exposure to UV radiation based units on a living organism, common baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae).

Students investigate the cause and effect of skin cancer. They complete worksheets, view presentations and discuss the various types of ultraviolet rays and their impact on human health.

Students study the elements of color in paint and light. In this color science activity, students discuss colors in their world, white light, and rainbows. Students mix three primary paint colors to make various secondary colors....

Students compare and contrast different types of light on the electromagnetic spectrum.  In this investigative instructional activity students create a photographic image that demonstrates the infrared, ultraviolet and polarization...

First graders complete sunlight and solar effects activities to learn about light and its power. In this solar activity instructional activity, 1st graders complete a sunscreen test activity, a light test, a black light test, a cloudy...

Learners explain that photosynthesis is a process that plants use to convert light energy into glucose. They summarize photosynthesis as a chemical process in which the plant uses carbon dioxide and water to form glucose and oxygen.

Students explore the process of photosynthesis by identifying chloroplasts and chlorophyll pigments. In a demonstration, they observe a demonstration connecting pigments with sunlight conversion into energy. Using paper chromatography,...

Students study the Aurora Borealis lights known commonly as the Northern and Southern lights. In this space science lesson, students study pictures of the Auroras for Jupiter and Saturn. Students visit the given website for an...

Students read background information about the Aurora Borealis and complete a science experiment based on the lights. In this Aurora Borealis instructional activity, students read information about the formation and background of the...

Students explore light. For this properties of light lesson, students define the terms refract, reflect, and diffract after listening to the teacher's description. Students listen to the book Light Magic and observe a spoon in a glass of...

For this electricity and energy worksheet, students fill in a crossword puzzle as they figure out the answers to 11 clues involving science terminology.

Fifth graders conclude that each color of the spectrum has a different amount of thermal energy by measuring temperature with a thermometer. They infer that there is an invisible band of the spectrum by measuring temperature beyond the...