Students explore seed dispersal by designing their own wind dispersed seed structure. Using one piece of paper and a box fan, they construct a seed dispersal structure, record the distance their seed travels, and answer discussion...

Pupils study the sun and how solar energy works. To learn about renewable energy, they complete a lab activity using a pizza box as a solar heater. Quite clever!

Eighth graders take field trips to prairies, streams and forests in Illinois. During the field trip, they complete a worksheet to observe what they see and discuss it when they get back to school. They share their experiences through...

Students explain the function of the hydrologic cycle and demonstrate how transpiration rates can be experimentally changed.

Fifth graders perform experiments to determine the identity of an unknown gas sample. In this chemistry lesson, 5th graders fill balloons with air, oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. They use mass and reactivity to identify the gases.

Eighth graders are introduced to the concept of conservation. As a class, they brainstorm ways in which they can or already have helped the environment. Using the internet, they research key individuals and organizations that help the...

Young scholars conduct experiments to discover the various ratios of oil to popcorn kernels. They determine which amount of oil produced the most popped kernels.

Middle schoolers explore the five food groups and design a graphic organizer to organize the data researched. A one day food diary kept by students assists them in self-monitoring and self-evaluation of their eating habits.

Students define conservation, exploitation and preservation, identify legislation related to conservation and environmental issues, and identify leaders and organizations that were key to the conservation and environmental movements.

Students examine the physical properties of waves to explore the word crest and trough. They use toys to study waves in air, water and light.

Eighth graders discuss the responsibilities of businesses to protect local wetlands. In groups, they participate in numerous activities and create a model of a wetland to discover how it functions. They are given a quiz to end the lesson.

Learners discover how to apply the steps of the inquiry process through the study of bacteria. Working in groups of four, they cooperatively read an article about bacteria and complete a graphic organizer. Group members share with others...

This six-week unit encompasses all subjects with a focus study on world history and the development of ancient civilizations. As gifted and talented students dive into the interesting yet challenging topic of Egypt, they...

Students comprehend the four parameters of water quality. They perform tests for salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH and clarity or turbidity. Students comprehend why scientists and environmental managers monitor water uality and aquatic...

Students study the basics of aquaculture and how to successfully raise aquatic plants and animals.  In this water instructional activity students perform water quality tests on fish tanks, record and graph their results. 

Seventh graders examine the dangers of smoking. In this life science lesson, 7th graders survey their schoolmates about the factors that would influence them to smoke. They present their findings in class by creating a presentation.

Sixth graders study the formation of convective storms and test mock hailstones. they graph and analyze collected data.

Students participate in an inkblot test to discuss how what they see is different than their classmates. After viewing various artifacts, they write down what they believe the object is and then they are placed into a group to discuss...

Sixth graders test the ph levels of water from three different water environments within the Neponset River Watershed. They discuss the three different water environments, take pH measurements of the three samples, and predict which...

Learners examine how candles work and how scientific theories are developed and tested. Students propose hypotheses about what is burning in a candle then perform tests in order to develop their scientific theory. After a teacher...

Pupils prepare a type of biodegradable plastic. They design method(s) to compare its properties with some common plastics that are readily available in the market. They later advance to identifying variables in an experiment and fair test.

Ninth graders take soil samples and perform tests on these samples.

Students discover the background and properties of minerals. They examine fluorite and record data after testing it. They use the internet to help them discover information about minerals.

Students test commercial sunscreens or sunglasses for accuracy of their Sun Protection Factor. They devise a method for testing UV beads with a visual clues which they publish as research. They investigate occupations such as...