Curated OER
Wipe Out
Learners examine the flow of water. They observe and test the properties of water by using sticks in flowing water. The lesson has streaming video, resource links to access, and a good hands-on activity that is clearly described in the...
Curated OER
How Does the Air Get Polluted?
Students listen to or read a story that introduces awareness of environmental issues and in particular pollution.
Curated OER
Air Pressure
Learners participate in a series of demonstrations about Bernoulli's principle. They explain how air pressure varies with air speed. They write a detailed lab report about the activity. This is a great way to explore this concept.
Curated OER
Can Young Children Distinguish Between Living and Non-living Things?
What does it mean to be living? Help your young scientists identify living and non-living things as a result of their learning through discovery. Observation of and interaction with a set of natural phenomena in their community will make...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Mixtures and Nanotechnology
What does size have to do with it? Learners analyze different mixtures, both homogeneous and heterogeneous, to discover the properties related to the size of their particles. The activity connects these properties to those of...
Curated OER
Amounts of Dissolved Oxygen in Various Bodies of Water
Students test water to determine the dissolved oxygen content while displaying the proper use of testing instruments while visiting water testing sites. They determine if the amount of dissolved oxygen is appropriate for the tested...
Curated OER
Structure and Function of the Cell/Introduction to the Cell
So, this is not technically a learning exercise, but rather a chapter of reading material, pictures, and diagrams introducing young biologists to the cell. Cell theory, diversity, size, and shape are described. The internal organization...
Curated OER
Moebius Strips
Students make Moebius strips and use them to demonstrate the interconnectedness of an environment. They explore the natural cycles (water, oxygen/carbon dioxide, carbon, nitrogen) within the environment. They describe how the cycles are...
Teach Engineering
Food Chains and Food Webs - Balance within Natural Systems
Feast on an informative resource. Scholars learn about food chains and food webs and how these interactions give information about the natural community. A PowerPoint presentation provides information about this concept.
Curated OER
Waves
An incredibly colorful PowerPoint presents all the facts and definitions about waves that you could need for beginning physical scientists. There are several useful links to online animations of wave action. This may have been produced...
Curated OER
The Same, But Different Part II
Learners characterize a physical change as something that changes to a different size, but retains its basic substance. They measure volumes using milliliters, and perform an experiment that proves that gases expand when hot and contract...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Synthesis and Characterization of CdSe Quantum Dots
Does the size of a sample change the physical properties of that substance? It turns out it can! Young scientists combine physics and chemistry to synthesize CdSe quantum dots and record their color properties. Learners should...
Curated OER
Ecosystems
A critical look into the structure and function of ecosystems is here for young learners as a series of lessons and worksheet activities. Topics covered include land-based and marine ecosystems, connections to the water cycle, food...
Curated OER
Polymers all Over the Place
Students investigate properties of common molecules. In this chemistry lesson, students construct polymer models to gain a better understanding of the properties of polymers.
Curated OER
Exploring Buoyancy
Students use materials found at a resource table to design simple devices that will house instruments to take water samples from a tub of water. They design 3 instruments, each varying in density so that one will float, one will hover...
Science Friday
Colorful Chromosomes
Everything is in the genes. Individuals observe 14 different traits of themselves. Using pipe cleaners and beads, the learners create models of a chromosome representing their traits. The class then compares and contrasts everyone's...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Float or Sink?
Experiment with mass and density as scholars figure out what makes things float or sink. First, they watch a podcast introducing these concepts. Be sure to use the comprehension question to test their understanding. Young scientists...
Curated OER
Plants and Animals
Seventh graders discover the interconnectedness of plants and animals in ecosystems. In groups, they create a food web and discuss the problems when one link of the chain is broken. To end the lesson, they set up a balanced environment...
Curated OER
Fingerprinting Lab
High schoolers recover latent prints by iodine fuming, cyanoacrylate fuming, and dusting with powder, after a lecture/discussion on fingerprinting techniques. They each provide a fingerprint for identification by another student. A...
Urbana School District
Gravitation
Introduction your class to famous astronomers with a presentation that also covers Newton's Laws of Gravitation, Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion, both uniform and nonuniform gravitational fields, and how to calculate the gravitational...
Columbus City Schools
Magnificent Mendeleev: An Elemental Tale
Discover how the periodic table tells the story of its elements. Learners begin by studying the makeup of several mixtures. Their analysis leads to a discussion of elements and the periodic table. As they dig deeper, they understand the...
Bowels Physics
Newton's First Law
Force acts on objects in mysterious ways ... until now! A comprehensive presentation explains the balance of forces acting on objects. Learners draw free body diagrams to show these invisible forces and make force calculations.
PBS
Lesson Plan: “Seeing the Way: A Brief History of Cataract Surgery”
After looking at the history of cataract surgery techniques, your high schoolers will have a new perspective on medical and scientific advances. Kids alternate between watching short video clips, class discussion, and computer research....
Curated OER
Water and Polymers
Students conduct qualitative and quantitative investigations based on the interaction between water and various polymers. They determine the percent moisture contained in various plastics along with a qualitative procedure to determine...