Third graders research rice fields. In this rice fields instructional activity, 3rd graders discuss how fields contribute to the environment by providing an important food source for birds. They find the benefits of rice fields to water...

Don't twist and turn looking for a resource. The first installment of a six-part series teaches young engineers about the five fundamental forces of compression, tension, shear, bending, and torsion. These forces help explain different...

Students complete a variety of activities related to the physical characteristics of minerals. They classify and group candy, classify rocks and complete a Pet River Rock worksheet. Students try to guess which rock goes with each...

Fifth graders examine and participate in the process of classifying rocks. In small groups, they sort the rocks into two categories and complete a Venn diagram. Next, they select three rocks, and complete a worksheet that is in the...

Learners create haiku poems. In this poetry lesson, students listen to the sound of the ocean from an audio file and write a haiku poem about oceans.

Young scholars using scientific inquiry will observe and record in daily journals their findings on cotton seeds. They measure, graph, and then communicate their discoveries about plants to each other.

Students perform experiments to determine the nutritional needs and physical space requirements for slime mold to survive. After formulating hypotheses, they seal the petri dishes and set up the experiment along with two controls. ...

Students explore the importance of fruits and vegetables in our diets. In this science lesson, students discuss various types of fruits and vegetables. Students play the good health=good diet game. Students discuss types of fruits and...

Students discover how sedimentary rocks form. They identify different examples of sedimentary rocks. They also discover what types of rocks are in Illinois soil.

Students identify native and invasive trees. In this ecology instructional activity, students survey trees in their schoolyard and identify the species. Students adopt a native tree sprout and record the growth in a journal.

Students investigate how permeable different materials are. In this physics lesson, students determine what affects permeability and how permeability relates to oil production.

Students explore how the number and types of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on the resources available and on abiotic factors, such as quantities of light and water, a range of temperatures, soil composition. They are...

Seventh graders participate in an experiment in which they calculate the time of decomposition of different materials. In groups, they fill bags with different materials and cover them in soil. After six months, they create a line graph...

Students read a thermometer accurately, collect and record data, and generate a graph based on data. They learn what independent and dependent variables are. They analyze data and make conclusions concerning how soil coverings affect...

Students use a digital atlas to explore areas in the Western United States that depend heavily upon water. They explore the type of soil and the farming that is compatible with the soil. As a class, students explore Idaho's economic...

Students form groups to conduct an experiment. They plant seedlings to test the effects of sunlight, water and soil, on the growth of seedlings.

Students design and conduct investigations that illustrate the process of decomposition. After a lecture/demo, students simulate the process of soil composting in the classroom. They closely chart the decomposition of their soil.

Students explore genes and the way we age. They assemble a worm collection device called a Baermann Funnel. Students collect Caenorhabditis elegans or other active nematodes from local soil samples. They observe the appearance and...

Pupils explain the values farming and industry have on the economy of Kansas. They research farm equipment uncluding price, types and purpose. They write a report about farm equipment.

Students participate in an experiment in which they test the growth of different types of plants. They discover how growth rates vary using inoculum. They draw pictures and are read books about plants to end the lesson.

Students describe the characteristics of wetlands. They demonstrate their understanding of the importance of wetlands to humans and wildlife and determine they are defined by the presence of water, and specialized soils.

Students identify and interpret that leaves provide food for new trees and plants. Students cut out leaves and glue them on the appropriate number on included worksheet. Students collect different types of leaves and make leaf rubbings....

Young scholars study the site of an archaeological dig site in order to begin looking at how they can be interpreted. They look at a soil profile and respond to a research question that simulates a real site. The other questions are used...

First graders identify vegetables and flowers that can be grown from seed.  In this seed sowing lesson, student learn the correct spacing and planting of various types of seeds. Students label plants.