Curated OER
Oceanography Research
Fifth graders locate information on a specific ocean animal using encyclopedias, nonfiction books, SIRS Discoverer, multimedia encyclopedias, and the Internet. They create an acrostic poem about the ocean animal they have been researching.
Curated OER
School Ground Naturalization Project
Students determine the best location for a potential naturalized project for a school ground.
Curated OER
Tri-County Project: Precipitation
Students examine and research the annual rainfall in Nebraska. They create a map of the annual rainfall in Nebraska and use the map to develop explanations of settlement.
Curated OER
"Tri-County" Project--Water Cycle
Learners analyze the parts of the water cycle through research and experimentation. Particular attention is paid to the processes of evaporation and condensation.
Curated OER
Spin, Spin, Spin That Body!: Figure Skating, Physics, Science, Winter Sports, Olympics
Students learn the scientific principles of centripetal force through research and experimentation.
Curated OER
Charlotte and Her Relatives Visit the Classroom: Spider Activities, Experiments and Projects
Students compare and contrast different spider species that they capture and maintain in the classroom for several days. They identify and research the species characteristics and living requirements then conduct an experiment on spider...
Curated OER
Introduction to Science
Seventh graders investigate scientific methods to solve problems. They demonstrate creating data tables and graphs. They study the role of a scientist and the importance of safety in a science lab. They distinguish between an...
Curated OER
Indiana Tornado Project
Students become familiar with the use of GIS for research, natural phenomena in Indiana, and analyzing collected information.
Curated OER
Out There: An Astronomical Project
Fourth graders complete a WebQuest involving astronomy and copyright laws. They conduct Internet research, complete the WebQuest, and design and publish a planet travel brochure.
Curated OER
Hottest, Coldest, Highest, Deepest: Science, 4th Grade
Fourth graders investigate weather patterns in their home state of Utah. After creating KWL charts, they research weather and geographical data to locate the state's extremes. As an extension, 4th graders write and illustrate books about...
Mascil Project
Parachute Food Drop
Drop a perfect project into your lesson plans. Groups use different building materials to create models of parachutes for food drops. After testing out their prototypes, they make improvements to their designs.
Teach Engineering
Engineers Love Pizza, Too!
Help overcome challenges in eating pizza. Scholars work in groups to design a device that assists a physically handicapped person eat pizza. They build a prototype of such a device to test their designs before building. To...
Mascil Project
Packaging
Wrap up an engineering lesson with a worthwhile project. An engineering design task challenges groups to develop a package for a pharmaceutical company given constraints on the volume. Learners then create a presentation to highlight...
Mascil Project
Closed Greenhouses
Controlling the efficiency of a greenhouse is a mathematical task. A collaborative project challenges learners to create an efficiency plan for a closed greenhouse. Using algebraic equations, they consider a set of constraints, design...
National Institute of Open Schooling
Environmental Concerns
Every year, more than 14 billion pounds of garbage is dumped into the oceans of the world, most of which is plastic and toxic to ocean life. Lesson 32 in the series of 36 focuses on environmental concerns, specifically pollution. Under...
Magic of Physics
Loads Lab
Take a load off! Introduce junior engineers to the effects of load on structural design with an easy-to-use interactive. Individuals apply one of many load options, examine its effects, then learn about the safeguards employed during...
Curated OER
Windmill of Your Mind - Distributed Energy Goes to School
Learners research the possibility and feasibility of installing a wind-turbine distributed energy system for their school. They conduct research, watch an online video, analyze the cost of the project and examine the benefits, and write...
Curated OER
For Your Eyes Only
Students complete several activities in a unit related to the eye. In this eye instructional activity, students work in groups to research information about the human eye and create a multimedia presentation. They research anatomy of the...
Curated OER
Biology Biographies
Students create a project about a famous Biologist in order to appreciate the humanity of the people involved in doing science. They create scientist biography "cards" roughly modeled after baseball cards or create a scrapbook of a...
Curated OER
Virtual Geologic Field Trip to Griffith Park
Students explore the geological processes and research methodology involved in the evolution and development of Griffith Park. They justify the selection of a geologic hypothesis based on observations.
Curated OER
Sense of Place: No River Too Wide-Bridges
Fifth graders discover the history of their hometown Des Moines River. In this U.S. Geography lesson students speak with Iowans that tell stories of the settlers and early villages near the Des Moines River. Students document...
Curated OER
Get into the Flow with an Interactive Volcano
Students research the structural elements of a volcano. They make a PowerPoint slide that contains five facts which will be added to a whole class slideshow. They add an interactive table of contents using action buttons.
Curated OER
Honing in on Hummingbirds
Students explore ruby-throated hummingbirds. In this cross-curricular hummingbirds instructional activity, students listen to the book The Mystery of the Missing Hummingbirds and choose related topics to research with a partner....
Curated OER
Sound Waves
Students explore sound. In this "sound" science lesson plan, students define sound and explain how sound travels. Students experiment with paper cups and string to conclude how sound travels. Students research a chosen aspect of sound...