Virginia Department of Education
Heat Transfer and Heat Capacity
It's time to increase the heat! Young chemists demonstrate heat transfer and heat capacity in an activity-packed lab, showing the transitions between solid, liquid, and gaseous phases of materials. Individuals plot data as the...
Cornell University
The Science of Snowflakes
Who can grow the best crystals? Challenge class members to develop strategies for enhancing growth in the crystals. Through a lab investigation, learners study the properties of crystals and test the effectiveness of different...
Carolina K-12
The Twenty-Sixth Amendment and the Power of Youth
Empower teenagers to take political matters into their own hands! After completing an engaging warm-up activity, class members discuss both sides of the youth voting issue, learn about the connection between military history and the...
Curated OER
Project Geode
Young geologists attempt to predict the appearnace of a geode's internal structure based on how it looks from the outside, its mass, and its physical characteristics. In this geologly lesson, learners use scientific equipment to collect...
Curated OER
Melting and Freezing of Water
Students differentiate the three states of matter. In this chemistry instructional activity, students analyze graphs of heating and cooling curve of water. They complete a lab report and discuss results.
Curated OER
Properties of Materials - Part B
Students describe the history of materials. They use the kinetic (particle) theory to explain changes of state in matter and trace the flow of heat during changes of state and chemical changes.
Curated OER
THE WONDERFUL WATER CYCLE
Students are introduced to the processes of evaporation and condensation as they observe physical changes in water. They observe how matter changes from a solid to a liquid state. Students are explained that steam is water in its gaseous...
Curated OER
Introduction to Gases
Students are introduced to gases. In this science lesson plan, students demonstrate that gases are a state of matter, generate a number of gases, discover some properties of gases, compare some of the properties of different gases, and...
Curated OER
Force and Motion - Part 2
Students test different objects such as dominoes, marshmallows, slides, and more to test their force, motion, gravity, friction, and the concept of matter. For this force and motion lesson plan, students understand that the force an...
Curated OER
"Heat Transfer and Ice Cream!"
Students analyze earth science by creating a frozen treat in class. In this heat transfer lesson, students discuss how matter is transformed from solid to liquid and liquid to gas when energy is removed from the equation. Students...
Curated OER
What Can We Do To Change These Materials
First graders perform experiments to investigate property changes that occur in materials or matter. In the science lab, they use heat to explore changes in rice, sand, gelatin, baking soda and more. Learners observe and record the...
Curated OER
Crystals: What Are They and What Holds Them Together
Students are introduced to the characteristics of crystals and what keeps them together. Using the Periodic Table, they examine the various elements and develop a model of an atom. In groups, they place sugar and salt in petri dishes...
Curated OER
Up and Atom
"Up and Atom" is a mini-unit introducing middle-schoolers to the wonders of elements. Participants draw atom models, examine the periodic table, compare samples of metals to nonmetals, identify unknown elements, and more! The beginning...
Curated OER
Exploring a New World
Fifth graders create a PowerPoint presentation about Christopher Columbus. The integration of technology helps them to be engaged in the subject matter. The basis for the information in the presentation is for students to answer some...
Curated OER
Water 1: Water and Ice
Students discover the forms water can take. In this hands-on science lesson, students examine how water can change from a solid to a liquid and then back again.
Cornell University
Glued into Science—Classifying Polymers
Explore the unique characteristics of polymers. A complete lesson begins with a presentation introducing polymers. Following the presentation, young scientists develop a laboratory plan for creating substances using polymers. They...
Curated OER
What Really Matters When it Comes to Sound?
Students conduct experiments to learn about sound wave vibrations in objects and pitch. Students test how varying the volume of water in a vessel changes frequency and pitch.
Curated OER
Science: Identifying Properties of Matter
Students observe a demonstration of the the three forms of matter - air, water, and solids - in plastic bags. After discussing the properties, they transfer them to a Venn diagram. Finally, students identify five items in the classroom...
Curated OER
One Plus One Makes New
Students discover the properties of matter and how they change when composite materials are produced. In this informative instructional activity students write up a question and procedure to an experiment then analyze and draw...
Curated OER
Water and Ice
Students study the liquid and solid states of water. In this water states lesson, students complete three experiments to study water as it cycles from a liquid state to a solid state and back. Students finish with a Venn Diagram...
Curated OER
The Day the Atom Died (Grade K-1)
Students investigate what is wrong with the Rutherford atomic model. In this chemistry lesson, students answer questions about the atomic model after watching a video. They draw conclusions from the video and discuss how the atomic model...
Curated OER
Model Mania
Eighth graders study the conservation of matter. In this chemical reaction lesson plan students examine what happens during a chemical reaction and complete a lab activity.
Curated OER
Shape Matters More!
Students investigate shapes as the area changes while the perimeter remains the same. Students demonstrate the shape/perimeter/area relationship using simulations and physical models.
Curated OER
Matter
Fifth graders investigate the nature of matter and of the scientific processes associated with them in this series of lessons.