Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Nuts for Peanuts: Peanut Plants, Peanut Timeline, and Peanut-s-timation!

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Young scholars complete a timeline. In this peanuts lesson, students read A Short Peanut History and use this resource to make a timeline of the history of the peanut. Young scholars can grow peanuts in the classroom or make various...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Pollution in Our Watershed

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
The concept of a how pesticides and other chemicals pass through a watershed can be difficult for younger learners to grasp without a concrete example. In the activity here, some blank paper, markers, and a spray bottle are all you need...
Lesson Plan
Garden Earth Naturalist Club

Parts of a Flower! Flower Dissection

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Sometimes the best way to learn about plants is to see the different parts of a plant yourself. Groups of learners dissect flowers to answer questions about what they observe and what they wonder about their flower.
Lesson Plan
University of Southern California

Design and Test an Air Lift Siphon

For Students 6th - 12th
Build an air lift siphon using your mad physics skills! Learners first investigate the importance of circulating water in aquaponics systems. They then use density to their advantage as they engineer an air lift siphon
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

What Would Happen?

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st Standards
Nothing says classroom fun like an invertebrate and a magnifying glass! Snails, earthworms, and roly-poly bugs become the center of attention as pint-sized investigators hone their inquiry and observation skills. They are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Home Living / Daily Living: Importance of Keeping a Healthy Body Weight

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Prepare your special education class for a healthy life. They visit with a nutritionist, practice simple exercises, and discuss healthy food choices. They then make goals for weight loss and management. Additional supporting activity...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Everything's Connected

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Learners explore how trash decomposes. In this ecosystem lesson, students discuss new vocabulary words, such as producers and consumers, and think critically to answer how landfills work.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bioplastics

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars define bioplastics and identify its uses.  In this bioplastics lesson, students compare and contrast styrofoam to starch peanuts after careful examination.  Young scholars understand what biodegradeable means.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Beach Life: Clam Dissection

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Young scholars investigate clams. In this clam life lesson, students conduct an experiment where they dissect clams. Young scholars compare anatomies of humans and clams. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

pH and Red Cabbage Juice

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students review properties of materials and define what pH tells them about matter.  In this pH levels lesson, students determine whether materials are acids or bases using indicator substances.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

DIY Lava Lamp

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students examine lava lamps and what causes them to work.  In this density lesson students make a lava lamp and write the scientific explanation of what happens.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mini-Ponds

For Teachers 7th - 9th
In this mini pond worksheet, students create a mini-pond ecosystem with soil, water, and plant life. Students let their ecosystem sit for a day and they observe a sample the next day. Students identify all the pond water microorganisms...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Human Organism

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students identify their feelings and learn constructive ways of handling conflict. In this human mental health instructional activity, students identify their feelings, learn how to tell others about their feelings, and learn how to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Farming 1: Farming Machines

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders explore different farm machines. In this farm lesson, 2nd graders discover the importance of farmers, and crops. Students discuss healthy eating and how crops are packaged. Students read books about farms and how bread is...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Whales

For Teachers 1st
First graders investigate two different types of whales; toothed and baleen. They describe what the different types of whale eat. They listen to a cassette of Dyan Sheldon's, The Whale Song before making stick puppets to dramatize the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Heart Stopper

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Use the pump from a spray bottle to drive a model of the heart in action! In addition to modeling the function of the heart and blood vessels, aspiring anatomists also simulate arterial blockage. They compare the effects of increased...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Volcano Contour Models Activity and Tracing the Highs and Lows in San Francisco

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Pupils investigate how to draw topographic contours and read topographic maps.They examine the topography of San Francisco and contrast the elevation of different points within San Francisco.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Soil Nutrients - Phosphorus Lab Lesson Plan

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students list sources of phosphorus in soil. They explain how phosphorus is removed from the soil and used by plants. Students list the symptoms of insufficient or excess phosphorus. Students perform experiments to examine the effect of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Inviting Butterflies to the Schoolyard

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Pupils create a butterfly garden. In this butterfly garden lesson, students plot a garden with plant species that will attract butterflies. Pupils learn about the specific plants and items that will help butterflies use the garden.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who Lives with Mallard?

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students color a picture of the habitat featuring mallard and other creatures, some of whom might be camouflaged or half-hidden. They discuss other forms of animal adaptation.
Lesson Plan
Biology Corner

Cell Theory Rap

For Teachers 7th - 12th
All that this will link you to is a rap about cell theory and organelles. Use it as an example for a creative assignment in your biology class. Divide the class into groups and assign them a topic for which they write and perform a skit,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding Waves

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Pupils examine the physical properties of waves to explore the word crest and trough. They use toys to study waves in air, water and light.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bird Seed Mining

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students search through the seed mixture and separate out our "mine" beads, sunflower seeds, and other grain products, making piles of each. students count up the number of gold, silver, and blue beads, and sunflower seeds from their piles
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reef Sharks!

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students visit an ocean aquarium exhibit where they can observe Black tip reef sharks. They observe the shark's behavior and read any information exhibited on the walls. They complete a worksheet based on information collected.