Go on a moon mining expedition from the safety of your classroom with this space exploration simulation. Using simple models of the moon's surface prepared ahead of time by the teacher, young scientists are challenged with locating and...

How are messages to the right recipient? Introduce the concept of routing Internet traffic by drawing a comparison to sending a letter. Groups use the Internet Simulator program to send messages to others using the same router...

That's not what I said! My message did not arrive in the correct order! Introduce the concept of packets and the transmission control protocol used to send and receive information over the Internet. The class participates in an...

Students simulate coal mining with chocolate chip cookies and toothpicks. They investigate the costs associated with mining coal.

Students are introduced to biodiversiy. They use a simulation of two forests, one planted with only Douglas Fir trees, and one with diverse species of trees. Students also use the simulation of two forests, one a monoculture of only one...

Reduce variability for more accurate statistics. Through simulation, learners examine sample data and calculate a sample mean. They understand that increasing the number of samples creates results that are more representative of the...

Learners participate in a simulation activity where they must decide whether or not to preserve an untouched forest. During the role play, students attend public hearings, discuss the pros and cons of nature development, create...

Through a fishing simulation, environmentalists discover consequences of over fishing. Afterward, they discuss how the activity relates to the impact of real-life commercial fishing. They also consider sustainability in the fishing...

Your routers don't seem to be routing correctly. To figure out why, pupils act like routers, talk to their direct connects in order to determine as much information about the simulated network as possible. As they learn more about...

Scholars explore systems design and its relation to meal picking by using computer simulations to test systems designs. They learn about the Pick-to-Light System and calculate average picking times.

So trendy! Show your class how to identify trends in sales patterns using mathematics. Scholars use a software simulation to collect data on age groups, price, and sales at a fashion store. This data allows individuals to determine the...

In a life or death situation, what resources would you choose to survive—and why? A zombie attack simulation teaches learners the concepts of scarcity and resources in regards to economics. The hands-on activity requires individuals to...

Here is an interesting science lesson/activity which has learners working in groups in order to simulate experiments done at the Jefferson Science Lab. In this one, groups use a pie tin, a Hula Hoops, a marble, and a magic marker to...

Here's a great geology lesson plan for 3rd graders on weathering and erosion of soil. After a class discussion on how nature can "move a mountain," learners take a look at how a modern phenoma called acid rain can also cause weathering...

Students participate in a simulation game in which they realize what it is like to be from another culture. They observe and describe different behaviors. They also examine values from other cultures.

Astronomers practice downloading data from a high-energy satellite and translate the data into colored or shaded pixels. As a hands-on activity, they use pennies to simulate high-energy satellite data and they convert their penny...

Take this simulated archaeological dig one layer at a time with your young pupils to encourage observation, critical thinking, and careful attention. Using a transparent box full of layers of sand and artifacts, pupils examine the...

Investigate the effect of false positives on probability calculation with an activity that asks scholars to collect simulated data generated by a calculator. To finish, participants analyze the probability of certain outcomes which lead...

Groups explore illumination with NASA's Lighting Environment Test Facility (LETF) as a context. Using the TI-Nspire app, groups determine the lux equation that models their simulation. They then use the lux equation to...

How does weather play a role in the lives of land and sea creatures? Find out with a activity focused on habitats and the ways animals from different homes are connected. Here, learners explore how the life of a jaguar and...

You sunk my battleship via the Internet? Groups of three play a modified game of Battleship using the Internet Simulator. Team members determine how to address messages, so each player knows who the message is for, and refine their text...

Ping, ping, ping. The last installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program explores technology use in marine studies, such as sonar. Activity involves simulating sonar techniques to identify a...

Utilize the lesson on utilization. The second installment of a nine-part technology/engineering series teaches scholars about the flow of a balanced assembly line and the definition of utilization. Videos, activities, and simulations...

Use simulations to determine the probabilities of events to make decisions. Class members are presented with several scenarios, some with known probabilities and others without. Groups run simulations to gather data that they then...