Curated OER
Yeast Cells and their Environment
Students study the scientific method and explore how to design an experiment. In this investigative instructional activity students explore and hypothesis an experiment then carry it out to find the results.
Curated OER
A "Real" Picuture of a Scientist
Middle schoolers share their own stereotypes when they talk about scientists. In groups, they draw a picture of a scientist where they are working and the tools they most commonly used. Using the internet, they discover how archeolgists...
Curated OER
Mystery Spill
Young scholars investigate the cause of birds dying in Monterey Bay. In this scientific research lesson, students use various resources, scientific investigations, and vector analysis to solve an environmental mystery.
Curated OER
How Strong is the Solution
Students investigate the strength of solutions. For this scientific inquiry lesson plan, students examine various solutions of food color and water as they discover the concentration of the solutions by adding bleach to clear the color.
Curated OER
Discover Science
Students practice scientific research skills. In this lesson about science, students gain experience with the following skills: comparison, observation, identification, and data gathering. Students will go from station to station and...
Curated OER
Playing With Science
Young scientists investigate the scientific concepts and principles that help make common toys such as hula hoops, yo-yos, slinkies, and silly putty work. As a class, they read "Backyard Rocket Science, Served Wet" to get a look behind...
NASA
Pop Can Hero Engine
Hang a soda can from a string and watch it spin by the force created by water streaming out of slanted holes. This plan provides background information, detailed materials and procedures, discussion questions, a lab worksheet, and...
Curated OER
Changing Planet: Black Carbon - a Dusty Situation
Introduce your young meteorologists to black carbon produced by the burning of fossil fuels by showing the video, "Changing Planet: Black Carbon." Viewers discover that deposition of this carbon on polar ice impacts the absorption of...
Curated OER
Top Quark Lab
Students find the mass of the top quark. In this physics lesson, students create a vector diagram from a given set of data. They discuss their calculations and findings in class.
Curated OER
How Do Scientists Research For Lab Activities?
Students explore the nature of scientific knowledge. They will also explore how to develop a lab plan to explain the structures of molecules and atoms. Research is essential to the success of the lab using necessary educational software.
Curated OER
Mineral Lab
Eighth graders examine the physical properties of different minerals. For this earth science lesson, 8th graders explain the uses of minerals in their daily lives. They complete the mineral identification table during the lesson.
Curated OER
"Go-Car" Lab
Students construct a car based on directions given. For this physics lesson, students calculate average speed using distance and time information. They collect data and create a graph of distance vs. time.
Curated OER
Salty Sea Water
Learners conduct an experiment to find out if there is salt in the ocean. In this scientific inquiry lesson, students pour a cup of salt water onto an aluminum plate and observe the changes over a few days. Learners complete an included...
Curated OER
Designing a Real Life Ecosystem!
Students research abiotic and biotic factors concerning the concept of an ecosystem. Record and analyze data collected. Write a lab report in proper and scientific format with thinking and analytical skills. Work as a cooperative team.
Curated OER
Scientific Inquiry: Periodic Motion
Students construct their own pendulum. In this physics lesson, students design an experiment to find the factors affecting its period. They formulate a conclusion based on experimental data.
Curated OER
Real-World Projects: Challenges from the Polymer Industry
Two scenarios are presented for chemistry detectives to decipher. Both require the use of an infrared spectrometer and focus on the examination of polymer materials. In the first, lumps in polyethylene bottles are analyzed. In the...
Curated OER
Pollution or Prevention?
Students examine potential contamination on the environment due to products and by-products of a new industrial process. Students conduct a lab that explores the economic differences between choices of pollution cleanup and prevention.
Curated OER
Bacterial Transformation: Laboratory Experiment
Students participate in a group lab in which they complete the process of bacterial transformation. If lab procedures are followed correctly, Students see their results in a few days...bacteria glowing green.
Texas State University
Earth: Deposition and Lithification
Geology geniuses analyze sediment samples with a hand lens and sort according to physical characteristics. They also learn about the processes of cementation, compaction, and lithification within the rock cycle. The lesson plan is...
NASA
The Invisible Sun: How Hot Is It?
It's getting hot in here! The first in a series of six lessons has learners model nuclear fusion with a simple lab investigation. Groups collect data and analyze results, comparing their models to the actual process along the way.
Curated OER
Semipermeable Membranes and Bioaccumulation
Beginning biologists place a drop of food coloring into water of differing temperatures to observe the effect on the diffusion rate. They remove the shells from raw eggs and then experiment with osmosis over the remaining membranes....
NASA
Supernova Chemistry
By measuring the wavelength, frequency, and intensity of electromagnetic radiation, scientists determine the temperature, density, and composition of far away items. Scholars rotate through ten lab stations using a spectroscope at each...
Curated OER
Digestion & Nutrition: a Case Study
Students explore digestion/nutrition and utilize scientific investigation skills. They complete meal logs for several days and graph their results. After analyzing their data, they write formal lab reports.
University of Georgia
Density and Texture of Soil
All soil is not created equal! A lab activity asks learners to collect and analyze soil. Specific calculations determine the amount of sand, silt, and clay in a sample and allow individuals to identify the soil texture.