Curated OER
Time and Cycles - Dendrochronology
Students investigate the lives of trees by examining ring cycles. For this plant life lesson, students identify the field of study known as dendrochronology and discover its history. Students investigate a simulated tree ring...
Curated OER
Sampling Rocks
Students will collect and analyze a sample of rocks from the schoolyard. They will array the collected rocks by characteristics such as size, weight, and color, to see if any generalizations can be made about the types of rocks that can...
E-learning for Kids
E Learning for Kids: Science: Denmark: What Are Light and Darkness?
In this module, students learn about the different sources of light, what causes darkness, and about shadows.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Patricia Burchat Sheds Light on Dark Matter
Watch as physicist, Patricia Burchat, discusses two basic ingredients of our universe, dark matter and dark energy, and the effects they have in the expanding universe. [17:09]
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: How Bright Is Your Glow Stick? Measure It!
Objects that glow in the dark hold a special place in the imagination of both children and adults. The lights go out at night, but these odd things refuse to disappear. Where does the light come from? Do they work in any climate? In this...
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Scientific American: Hot Times in Alaska: Light Absorption
Investigate the science behind global warming with these classroom activities. Compare light and dark objects to see how they respond to light absorption and heat generation, and describe the albedo values of various materials.
BSCS Science Learning
Bscs: Globe at Night Dark Skies
In this inquiry, students predict the best place to stargaze in Arizona based on the brightness of the night sky. Students are introduced to the concept of light pollution and Globe at Night, a global citizen science project in which...
BSCS Science Learning
Bscs: Globe at Night Dark Skies
In this inquiry, students predict the best place to stargaze in Arizona based on the brightness of the night sky. Students are introduced to the concept of light pollution and Globe at Night, a global citizen science project in which...
E-learning for Kids
E Learning for Kids: Science: North Sea: Why Do We Need Light?
Frederik is doing experiments about light to find out how it helps people to see things.
The Wonder of Science
The Wonder of Science: 1 Ps4 2: Illumination and Darkness
This NSTA vetted source includes resources to allow students to make observations that prove objects in darkness need light to be illuminated. Included are assessment ideas, videos, examples, lesson plans, and photos of student work.
Science is Fun
Science Is Fun: Making Things Glow in the Dark
Try this experiment to learn how to make things glow under a black light, why this happens, and some applications of this phenomenon.
CommonLit
Common Lit: "A Teen & a Trolley Reveal Society's Dark Side" by Bethany Brookshire
In 2015, a high school senior named Tiffany Sun conducted a social science experiment and presented her results at the Intel Science Talent Search in Washington, D.C. The results of her experiment shed light on an age-old question: are...
Science Struck
Science Struck: Make Glowing Water Without a Black Light
Presents three easy experiments where you can make water glow in the dark.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Igneous Rocks
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Presents igneous rocks, which form from magma, and the two types: dense, dark mafic and less dense, light felsic. Also covers Bowen's Reaction Series.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Give and Take
An activity for students to explore how dark-colored materials absorb and emit more energy vs. light-colored material.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Where Is the Player?
Examine how multiple light sources produce shadows of differing darkness and length. Move a player (with four light sources) around the field until your image matches the five other images on the page so you can identify where the player...
California Institute of Technology
Spitzer Science Center: Brief History of the Universe
Beginning with an image termed the "Brief History of the Universe" this site examines (briefly, as noted) a timeline of the universe as dictated by the image. The timeline includes information on the big bang theory, the dark ages, the...
Texas A&M University
Peer Curricula: Story Time: Melvin Calvin
A biography of Melvin Calvin, the chemist who figured out how photosynthesis works. The emphasis of this biography is on his early life, the development of his interest in science, and his education.
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Bill Nye: Baseball Moon
Bill Nye explains the phases of the moon with an experiment using a baseball, a lamp on a table, a dark room, and a stool or chair that swivels. As the person moves around, the changes in reflected light show the phases of the moon. The...
Louisiana Department of Education
Louisiana Doe: Louisiana Believes: English Language Arts: Grade 9: Romeo and Juliet
Young scholars explore how patterns and contrasts in language (diction, imagery, figurative language) reveal central ideas in texts and develop various motifs (light vs. dark, dreams vs. reality, high vs. low, etc.) in Romeo and Juliet....
Curated OER
Web Gallery of Art: "From Darkness, the Light"
An image of ""From Darkness, the Light". Allegory of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences", created by Johann Ender in 1831 (Oil on canvas, 350 x 250 cm).
Other
Skyline College: Phototrophs: Algae and Cyanobacteria
A lab activity where pond water samples are collected to observe the requirements for the growth of phototrophic organisms. To observe these requirements samples are separated into different variable groups. One group is incubated in the...
Curated OER
Science Kids: Science Images: Coal
A close up photo that shows in detail the make up of a lump of coal. It's dark, sooty surface contrasts against the clean, light background.