Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Nano Interactions

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Tiny particles can provide big learning opportunities! Middle school scientists explore the world of nanoparticles through reading, discussion, and experiment. Collaborative groups first apply nanotechnology to determine water...
Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Polymers: Making Silly Putty

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Putty is proof that learning can be fun! Share the wonderful world of polymers with your class through an experiment. Young scientists create their own silly putty, then examine its properties.
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Energy Flow

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Budding scientists work collaboratively to reenact energy flow in a food chain. Scholars take on roles such as producer and consumer and perform tasks that symbolize energy flow in order to provide evidence of how much energy passes...
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

That’s An Otter Story

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scientists discover how sea otters' habitats have changed due to human impact. Through conversation, video observation, and story reading, scholars identify how human interactions change a specific ecosystem in both positive and...
Lesson Plan
Science 4 Inquiry

Monster Mash-Up of Genetics

For Teachers 6th - 8th
It's alive! Young mad scientists create monsters as they explore the probabilities of genetic traits during a well-structured inquiry lesson. Pairs travel from station to station, rolling the dice and adding traits to their creations as...
Lesson Plan
Science 4 Inquiry

The Yin and Yang of Photosynthesis: Day vs. Night

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Floating fragments of elodea can grow even without roots. Young scientists use eldoea plants to observe the oxygen production from photosynthesis. They study the difference between having access to high amounts of light and low amounts...
Lesson Plan
Science 4 Inquiry

Body in Balance

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
The human body maintains homeostasis through the interconnection of multiple systems. Young scientists match these connections and discuss how they relate to each other. They apply their knowledge to solve the mystery of a treasure hunter.
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Science 4 Inquiry

Introducing the Types of Energy

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Young scientists explore many different types of energy including light, heat, nuclear, sound, potential, and more. They match the types of energy and identify when energy transfers from one type to another.
Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Synthesis and Characterization of CdSe Quantum Dots

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Does the size of a sample change the physical properties of that substance? It turns out it can! Young scientists combine physics and chemistry to synthesize CdSe quantum dots and record their color properties. Learners should...
Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

An Easy (Bake) Approach to an Edible NanoLab

For Teachers 6th - 8th
You can make it if you bake it! Young scientists model electronic chip fabrication with an easy bake oven. They create a design to embed in their brownie "chips" and compare their models to wafer production in basic nanotechnology.
Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Can We Absorb Nanoparticle Pollutants?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Just because we can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there! A growing concern for environmental scientists is toxic nanoparticles in our air and water. Young scholars conduct an experiment to demonstrate how these particles can cross our...
Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Jell-O® Waveguide and Power Loss

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Jell-O® can help model the transmission of light through fiber optic cables. Young scientists use the jiggly dessert to make a waveguide to transmit a laser beam from one point to another. Their models help them learn the function...
Lesson Plan
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US Institute of Peace

Perspectives on Peace

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Is peace simply the absence of war, or is there more to the story? Young social scientists define peace in the second installment of a 15-part series. Groups work together to explore cultural concepts of peace and the peacemaking process...
Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

How Can Nanoparticles Move from Land to Ocean?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Investigate the migration of the nanoparticle from land to water! A lab investigation asks budding scientists to simulate runoff. Testing water samples before and after the simulation leads individuals to make conclusions about pollution...
Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

The Effects of Colloidal Silver on Microbial Growth: Investigating Snake Oil Science

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Can your classes solve the problem of the smelly sweat sock? Young scientists complete a lab investigation that begins by using electrochemistry to generate colloidal silver. They use their solutions to test the rate of microbial growth...
Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Save the Dinosaurs with Copper and Zinc!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Create a coat of armor for dinosaur volunteers. Young scientists explore the oxidation-reduction reaction facilitated by electric current. The result of the reaction is a dinosaur coated in copper and zinc, which leads to an...
Lesson Plan
PBS

NOVA Cloud Lab Lesson Plan

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
A sign that washed away from Hurricane Sandy in 2012 beached itself 3,595 miles away in France. This artifact and others from around the world help scientists understand water currents and the far-reaching impact of hurricanes. Scholars...
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US Institute of Peace

Maintaining Trusting Relationships

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What role does trust play in diffusing a tense situation? Young social scientists explore trust on a personal and global level during a lesson plan on peace and conflict. After participating in a trust sit, participants work in groups to...
Lesson Plan
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Can Small Pollutants Harm Aquatic Organisms?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Nanoparticles have toxic effects on plant and animal life—even though you can't see them. The second instructional activity of a two-part series has young scientists conduct an experiment that exposes plant and animals to nanoparticle...
Lesson Plan
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Human Skin Color: Evidence for Selection

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Skin color is controlled by at least six genes. Young scientists learn about skin colors through a documentary. They discuss the topics of pigment, natural selection, and vitamin D absorption. They apply their knowledge to higher order...
Lesson Plan
Kenan Fellows

Density

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Most scholars associate density with floating, but how do scientists determine the exact density of an unknown liquid? The third lesson in a seven-part series challenges scholars to find the mass and volume of two unknown liquids. Each...
Interactive
PBS

Analyzing Light Curves of Transiting Exoplanets

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Scientists detected exoplanets by measuring how the brightness of stars changed over time. Young astronomers interpret and analyze the same data that led to exoplanet discoveries. They learn to apply light curve graphs and connect the...
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California Academy of Science

Fresh Solutions: Design Thinking Challenge

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
How do people transport fresh water long distances to ensure everyone has access to it? The final activity in the 10-part Fresh Solutions unit encourages individuals to design their own solution, or solutions, to that very problem....
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California Academy of Science

Rapid Brainstorming: How Can We Conserve Our Water Resources?

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
Water covers around 75 percent of the earth, yet humans struggle to find enough fresh water to live. The fourth of 10 lessons focusing on Fresh Solutions requires brainstorming. Young scientists consider various problems related to fresh...

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