Lesson Plan
University of Minnesota

Neuropathfinding: Kinesthetic Model

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Playing follow the leader has never been so interesting! Get the class up and moving while they take on the roles of nervous system components. Through trial and error, they learn the importance of the "pioneer" growth cone that leads...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Magic School Bus Makes a Stink

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students discover the secret to what makes things smell through their own investigations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

My Senses Tell Me...

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore how to use their sense to draw conclusions. In this human biology lesson, students use their senses to observe various objects in learning centers. The centers include tasting salt, touching sandpaper, hearing bells...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Smelly Balloons

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers investigate the concept of diffusion through a membrane. They do this through the conduction of a simple experiment. Students make observations while determining if the smell of different chemicals seeps through the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dispersement of Particles: Diffusion and Osmosis

For Teachers K - 8th
Students explore the dispersement of particles. In this science lesson plan, students describe the many ways in which particles move and transfer from one source to other areas.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Salmon Homing Instincts

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students identify the stages of the salmon life cycle. In this fish lesson, students experience first hand what it would be like to be a returning salmon attempting to identify a home stream by smell.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What About Cantaloupes?

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders investigate the physical properties of cantaloupe using their senses. In this life science lesson, 2nd graders estimate the weight of their sample. They get it's actual weight and compare it with their estimate.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson Plan Seven: Sensorama

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students identify five senses, and use their senses of touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste to distinguish different objects, sounds, smells and tastes, and write their answers in the booklet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Magic School Bus Goes Upstream

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. For this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students travel upstream to discover how, like salmon, a homey smell can lead them, too.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Esters: The Secret of Natural and Synthetic Fragrances

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate esters, make an ester and detect esters in natural foods and plants. In this esters lesson plan, students detect smells of hidden objects, produce an ester using peas, brown sugar and apple and demonstrate how to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Dirty Water Project

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars investigate different methods (aeration and filtering) for removing pollutants from water. They design and build their own water filters. Students identify the pollutants in a water sample using sight and smell, explore...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Activity Plan Mixed Ages: Pineapple Investigations

For Teachers Pre-K - K
Students use all of their senses to explore a fresh, delicious pineapple. In this early childhood lesson plan, students engage in activities that encourage sensory exploration, problem solving, creative-thinking, language skills, and the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to Gases

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students are introduced to gases. In this science lesson plan, students demonstrate that gases are a state of matter, generate a number of gases, discover some properties of gases, compare some of the properties of different gases, and...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Observing Decomposition

For Students 9th - 12th
In this science worksheet, students focus upon the concept of decomposition and collect data in order to make interpretations or observations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Coming To Our Senses

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students participate in a hands-on experiment that illustrates how taste and smell are related. They create their own experiments to help them explore all five senses and the relationships between them.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Plants Spice Up Our Lives

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders study plants. For this biology lesson plan, 3rd graders label and identify parts of plants, identify spices obtained from plants, and determine what part of a plant a spice comes from by using taste, touch, smell and sight.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Our Senses

For Teachers 1st
First graders explore the five senses. In this five senses lesson, 1st graders use digital cameras to take pictures of things in nature they can hear, smell, see, taste or touch. Students create a slideshow and present to the...
Lab Resource
Creative Chemistry

Oxidation of Ethanol to Ethanoic Acid

For Students 9th - 12th
Learners covert ethanol to ethanoic acid using a condenser for this oxidation reaction worksheet. They test the smell of the final product, add sodium carbonate, and test the product with indicator paper. They explain their observations...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students conduct a series of investigations on the unique properties of water. In this general science lesson plan, students explain what causes water's surface tension. They explain the different stages in the water cycle.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Minerals of The Earth's Crust

For Students 6th - 8th
In this earth science worksheet, students find the vocabulary words related to minerals by unscrambling the letters. They also complete other word puzzles.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

This Can't be a Plant

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students grow mold. In this science experiment lesson plan, students grow mold on different pieces of bread by adjusting the moisture, temperature, and light. They record the results to see which grows the most mold. 
Worksheet
Curated OER

Observing The Sky

For Students 6th - 8th
In this space science worksheet, students find the words that are related to the observations made of constellations and other related puzzles.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oceans

For Teachers K
Students become aware of the differences between ocean water and lake water by smelling, tasting and seeing. They distinguish between land and bodies of water on a globe and gain increased awareness of oceans and life.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

There are Microbes in my Food!

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders produce yogurt in the classroom as an example of the use of microbes in food production, and record observations in science journals.