Curated OER
Biodegradable Plastics
Students 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...
Curated OER
Seeds and Similarities
Students use the scientific inquiry method to identify the changes in a plant's life cycle. In groups, they plant different types of plants and use a chart to compare and contrast their growth rates. They share their conclusions with...
Curated OER
What was Newton's Idea of Science?
Students form logical foundations for analysis of observations. They improve analytic reading abilities through practice. Students investigate the foundations of scientific thought processes and how to apply them.
Curated OER
Groundwater Realities
Students review the components of the scientific inquiry method. In groups, they use the internet to research the sustainability of water resources in their community. They examine an environmental impact study, answer questions and...
Curated OER
Investigating the Biosphere with Planetary Models
Students model the biosphere and manipulate variables affecting change and plan their experiments with the help of others. They describe their question, hypothesis, and methods of investigation.
Curated OER
Save Your Change
Students solve problems involving exponential, logarithmic, and scientific notations. Using calculators, students explore investment problems. They use a formula and logarithms to determine the years to earn a particular income, figure...
Curated OER
Testing the Hypothesis
Middle schoolers create and conduct various experiments to determine the origin of a family artifact, and then determine whether their results were successful. Students summarize their results and evaluate whether their hypotheses were...
Curated OER
Lab Experiments in Nutrition
Looking for authentic hands-on nutritional experiments? High schoolers will perform experiments to test for the presence of vitamin C in several solutions as well as the effect of caffeine on Daphnia. They will also consider the...
Curated OER
Investigating the Effect of Minerals on Plant Growth
How do different minerals affect the growth of plants? Budding botanists find out in a multi-week experiment that has them using solutions with specific mineral deficiencies. While there is a lot of preparation for the investigation,...
Curated OER
Walking Magic
Students conduct experiment with water striders by placing the insect in two different solutions and discuss their observations. They discover that weight and surface area are important factors in their experiment.
Kenan Fellows
Determining Stream Health by the Diversity and Types of Benthic Organisms
How diverse are the benthic organisms found in local streams? Using the information learned in previous lessons on identification of macroinvertebrates and on calculating stream index values, groups determine the health of local...
Curated OER
Energy Saving activities Lighting
Eighth graders study how light emits energy. In this energy savings lesson, 8th graders conduct two experiments to find ways to save energy. In one experiment students measure the light in each classroom and make recommendations for...
Curated OER
Who Done It?
Pick and choose which activities to include in this crime scene investigation. Junior detectives can examine fingerprints, DNA, blood samples, or bone structure. The plan suggests you have teams solve a mystery, but it does not...
Curated OER
With Liberty & Top Soil for All
Middle schoolers compare the basic needs of plants to the basic needs of democracy. In this democracy comparison lesson, students complete a worksheet on what happens to a plant that's not nourished. Middle schoolers draw a correlation...
Curated OER
"Graphing Your Motion"
Students study the concepts of motion, velocity, and acceleration through graphing their own movement using LoggerPro. They explain the difference between speed and velocity using the weather vane example. They discover the difference...
Curated OER
Protect the Skin You're in
Students explore the importance of sun safety in relationship to skin cancer prevention. They test the effectiveness of various sunscreens and administer and analyze a simple survey to their peers. In addition, they implement a public...
Center Science Education
Investigating the Climate
What do graphs of atmospheric gases over time show us? Do they indicate that carbon sources and carbon sinks are not in balance? Up-and-coming meteorologists watch video clips, read information, and analyze data from the HIPPO...
Curated OER
Ecology
Learners explore, experience and experiment identifying the human impact on the environment of vegetative differences within the same biome. They assess what causes deserts, rain forests, savannahs, tundras and saguaros and how these...
Virginia Department of Education
Work and Power
Assist your class with correctly calculating the values for force, work, and power as they determine the amount various activities require. They gather data and participate in a group discussion to compare results upon conclusion of the...
NASA
Developing an Investigation
Watch as your class makes the transition from pupils to researchers! A well-designed lesson has scholars pick a solar wind characteristic to research. They then collect and analyze official data from the LANL website. This is the...
Curated OER
D Block Elements: Complex Ions and Oxidation States
Students investigate transition metals and their oxidation states. In this complex ion and oxidation states lesson plan, students use 6 transition metals and mix them with ligand solutions and oxidizing agents separately. They test their...
Virginia Department of Education
Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum
Lead your class in a fun-filled team activity that encourages collaboration while learning important concepts. Pupils actively participate in a discussion on the experimental design and the role of mirrors. They perform group activities...
Curated OER
What's The Big Deal About Accutane?
Young scholars take on the role of epidemiologists. They investigate an "outbreak" in serious birth defects that occur in infants born to teenage girls. students discover a link between the use of the acne drug called Accutane and birth...
Virginia Department of Education
Heat and Thermal Energy Transfer
How does radiation affect our daily lives? Answer that question and others with a lesson that discusses radiation and its use in thermal energy transfer through electromagnetic waves. Pupils investigate vaporization and...