Curated OER
The Importance of Detailed Procedures in Science
Students examine the importance of clear communication in scientific exploration. In pairs, they write clear directions for an everyday activity for their partner to read and follow.
Curated OER
Advanced Critical Reading: Biomimetics
Instruct your class on biomimetics while practicing reading comprehension with this instructional activity. Learners read a passage that describes the efforts of scientists, starting with Leonardo da Vinci, to emulate nature to solve...
Curated OER
Cell Me What?
Students compare and contrast the characteristics of robots and cells. In this biology instructional activity, students examine the parts and function of cell organelles. They create a visual representation of their cell/robot analogy.
Curated OER
Normal (dip-slip) Earthquake!
Students label the fault lines and tectonic plate boundaries on the world map. In this earth science lesson, students simulate ocean floor formation using CEENboTs. They explain the causes of earthquakes.
Curated OER
Journey to the Center of a Cell
Ninth graders create a large scale model of a eukaryotic cell. In this biology lesson, 9th graders identify the different parts and function of the cells by using a robot to navigate through the cell models. They create a video tutorial...
Curated OER
What's That?
Meant to be a simulation of a deep-sea exploration, this requires that another lesson be completed first. In that lesson, titled "Animals of the Lost City," marine biology buffs construct murals of benthic communities. In this lesson,...
NASA
Beginning Engineering, Science, and Technology
Space, the Final Frontier. The nine NASA-created challenges in this unit are designed to teach class members the engineering design process. Each challenge comes with teacher and student pages that can be used individually or as a...
Messenger Education
Can You Hear Me Now?—Communicating with Spacecraft
Radio signals transmitted to Pluto take five hours to reach their destination! In these two activities, young scientists explore data communication in space. In activity one, pupils learn how data is gathered and sent back to Earth....
International Technology Education Association
Dampen That Drift!
The spacecraft is drifting too far off course! Two games help explain how a spacecraft can use its thrusters to maintain its position. The games have pupils be the components of vectors in order to create and counteract the disturbances.
Messenger Education
Mission: Possible—How Can We Plan an Exploration of Another World?
An astronaut's spacesuit weighs 280 pounds and takes 45 minutes to put on — that's a serious suit! The second activity of a three-part series allows pupils to see all that goes into space exploration. Through simulations, groups analyze...
Curated OER
Robots
Students explore the two kinds of fluids: liquids and gases. They explain that liquids (water), unlike gases (air), cannot be compressed. This property makes them ideal for hydraulic work applications.
Curated OER
Design Team Challenge
Young scholars work in groups to build a robot. In this robotics lesson, students create an electronic robot and program it to follow directions. They create an obstacle course for the robot to follow and test its performance.
Curated OER
2105
Students read excerpts from Jon Scieszka's novel, 2095, prior to presenting their vision of the future in a creative project accompanied by written explanation. They design a museum exhibit which shows a scene from a science fiction book...
Curated OER
Making Graphs
Young scholars explore statistics by conducting class demographic surveys. In this graph making lesson, students identify the family members of each classmate, pets they own, and favorite activities. Young scholars organize their...
Curated OER
Fun Robot Activities
Students complete a variety of activities that have to do with robots. In this robot lesson plan, students pretend to do tasks blindfolded, look up a chat bot online, list TV shows based on robots, and more.
Curated OER
Exploring the Planets
Learners study robotic spacecrafts that have provided detailed information about the inner and outer planets. In this exploring the planets lesson plan, students use posters and diagrams to study the various robotic spacecraft sent to...
Curated OER
How Do We Explore Strange Environments?
Students identify and label the different parts of a robot, rover, or a spacecraft. They discuss and record all of the features their robot will need to accomplish its mission and be able to explain why they chose these features to...
Curated OER
"Dr. Xargle's Book of Earthlets"
Learners examine the expressive and descriptive language used in the books "Dr. Xargle's Book of Earthlets" and "Planet of the Robots." In pairs they take notes about each other's physical appearance and conduct interviews, identify the...
Curated OER
Rover Races
Students identify the challenges encountered by astronauts in operating a planetary rover. For this space science lesson, students create a rover using their team members. They follow a command sequence from the driver and navigate...
Curated OER
Genetics - Critical Thinking
In this genetics worksheet, students review terms and processes associated with genetics. This worksheet has 2 multiple choice and 21 matching questions.
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Cycles, Systems, and Webs
Fourth graders review the parts of the plant and their functions. In this plant lesson plan, 4th graders recognize that plants must transfer energy to make food. Students understand the interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem.
Curated OER
What Makes Up An Artificial Satellite?
Students discover the components of a satellite using analogies to humans in a class discussion and participate in an activity in which they construct a paper model of a satellites and experiment with different types of attitude control...
Curated OER
Making Changes
Students observe and record the changes they see when adding heat and cold to objects. For this changes lesson plan, students experiment with different objects and see if heat and cold change the makeup of the object. They then record...
Curated OER
3-2-1 Pop!
Young scholars investigate how rocket liftoff demonstrates Newton's Laws of Motion. They participate in a class discussion, and construct a rocket powered by the pressure generated from an antacid tablet reacting with water.