National Wildlife Federation
Wherefore Art Thou, Albedo?
In the sixth lesson in a series of 21, scholars use NASA data to graph and interpret albedo seasonally and over the course of multiple years. This allows learners to compare albedo trends to changes in sea ice with connections to the...
Serendip
Using Models to Understand Photosynthesis
Is your class in the dark about photosynthesis? Shed some sunlight on an important biological process with a thoughtful activity. After answering questions to help determine their level of knowledge, learners work with chemical equations...
American Museum of Natural History
What Do You Know About the Universe?
The universe is full of a mystic matter people cannot see. Pupils respond to 10 questions about the stuff in the universe. Most of the questions involve the big bang theory and dark matter. Learners find out how astronomers have found...
Curated OER
Bioluminescence 2009: Living Light on the Deep Sea Floor Expedition - Now You See Me, Now You Don't
Students examine bioluminescence and camouflage of deep sea creatures. For this deep sea creatures lesson, students investigate the visible and near-visible light spectrum. They work in small groups to complete a light, color, and...
Curated OER
Light, Colors, and Vision
Third graders experience optic illusions by creating flipbooks. In this optics lesson, 3rd graders view a demonstration of the workings of rods and cones using a camera. They are shown an optical illusion and work to create their own...
Wild BC
The Greenhouse Effect: The Role of CO2
Though this is meant to be second in a two-part lesson, the two are not dependent on each other. Pupils play the roles of visible light rays, light or dark surfaces, and carbon dioxide molecules. They interact and react according to...
Curated OER
Light and Shadows
Students explore shadows. In this shadow and light lesson, students predict what will happen to a shadow when the light source is dimmed. Students participate in a whiteboard interactive lesson.
Curated OER
The Radish Experiment
First graders grow radishes. In this Science lesson, 1st graders observe the growth of radishes in both the light and dark. Students discuss what plants need to live.
Curated OER
Fourth Grade Science
In this science learning exercise, 4th graders answer multiple choice questions about natural objects, rainfall, the solar system, and more. Students complete 25 questions.
Curated OER
Light and Color
Students will see how different colors of lights mix. In this light and color lesson, students watch as flashlights of different colors are shined individually, then together. Students observe that the light travels in straight lines and...
American Museum of Natural History
What is Astronomy?
Go study the universe. Pupils learn seven aspects about astronomy and astronomers. They begin to learn about constellations; distance and motion between objects; gravity; the electromagnetic spectrum; dark matter and energy; and teams of...
Curated OER
Day and Night
Expand your third graders' universe with a science activity about Earth's rotation. They read a short explanation about the direction of sunlight, then draw an arrow to indicate which way the sun is pointed at an illustration of the...
Curated OER
Light Stick Chemistry
In groups of three with the lights off and the shades drawn, investigators place inactivated light sticks, in three beakers: one filled with ice water, another with lukewarm water, and the other with room temperature water. They wait...
Curated OER
Heating and Cooling a Really Large Lizard
Remind your middle school scientists how fox ear size varies depending on the climate they live in; large ears allow heat loss while small ears keep heat in. Discuss how a cold-blooded animal might try to regulate body temperature. Then...
Science Matters
Up and Down Fault Blocks
The Sierra Mountains in Nevada and the Tetons in Wyoming originally formed as fault block mountains. In order to visualize these fault blocks, pupils use construction paper to create layers of earth. They cut the paper models and form...
Curated OER
Black & White Drama
Young scholars explore Ansel Adams's dramatic black and white mountain landscape photographs. They identify common geographic elements and animals indigenous to the Sierra Nevada and create original art in black and white to depict light...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Understanding Variation
Does where we live influence how our bodies express genetic traits? Explore variation in human skin color with an activity that incorporate video and hands-on learning. Individuals model the relationship between phenotypes and genotypes,...
Curated OER
Blueprint Paper
Young scholars investigate chemical reactions involved in making a blueprint. For this blueprint paper lesson plan, students expose blueprint paper with writing that has been soaked in a solution of potassium ferricyanide and iron (III)...
Curated OER
The Science Behind Glow-in-the-Dark Toys
In this glow-in-the-dark learning exercise, students read about substances that phosphor and their characteristics. Students also read about photo luminescence and glow-in-the-dark toys. They answer 6 questions about the light emitted by...
Curated OER
Properties of Light
In this light spectrum instructional activity, students will read a diagram and a chart listing information about the different types of light rays from Gamma rays to radio waves. Then students will write a short essay about a new...
Curated OER
Internet Quest: Bottled Light
Students conduct research. In this lighting lesson, students define bottled lights. Students research and answer questions about buying bottled light, create a poster to increase the sales of bottled light, write a sales pitch for...
Curated OER
The Long and Short of It- Shadows
Students trace shadows. In this light and shadows activity, students conduct an experiment to determine what a shadow is and what is necessary to make a shadow. Students observe how shadows change as well as write and draw shadows in...
Curated OER
Dark Skies: Volcanic Contribution to Climate Change
Students examine how volcanic eruptions affect global climate. They listen to first-hand accounts of the effects of a large volcanic eruption and illustrate a landscape to show understanding. They experiment with the loss of light and...
Curated OER
Classification and Identification
Learners, after exploring and analyzing diagrammatic and taxonomic keys and their association to marine sciences, identify and classify objects and organisms based on visual attributes/characteristics. They research and create their own...