The best thing about dragonflies is that they make great topics for informational texts. Get those readers excited with a fun and interesting insect-related text passage that can help them increase their comprehension skills. As children...

Plasma is the most common phase of matter in our universe. Scholars explore the change of energy as molecules change phases of matter. They rotate through stations, graphing the changes in energy level.

In this instructional activity on the life cycle of the butterfly, learners look at 4 pictures representing the life cycle stages, and choose words from a word box that match each picture. Students then number the pictures in the correct...

Young scholars explore mechanical and chemical weathering at stations. They articulate some mechanisms of chemical and mechanical weathering through exploration in a lab. Students stations describe how chemical weathering differs from...

In this drinking water worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle given 23 clues about drinking water purification, water content, contaminants, and softeners.

Students explore the effect of environmental factors on ecosystems.  For this wildlife and ecology lesson, students identify and describe the stages in a frog's life cycle. Students participate in a simulation demonstrating the...

Students create a compost cake. In this gardening and decomposition science lesson, students review and describe the "nutrient cycle." Students create a compost pile, measure and record the dimensions and temperature of the pile, and...

Students define words relating to water and its use in Nebraska. They listen to the story, Snail Girl Brings Water, list the water words from the story, and create a class dictionary.

Third graders examine life in a terrarium and relate it to life in a larger environment. In this terrarium lesson, 3rd graders examine how living and non-living things work together by examining the changes in a terrarium. They make...

Students are introduced to the water cycle. They help draw a picture of a lake ecosystem, adding human impacts that affect water quality. Students help fill in the components of a drawing of a water system. At the end of the lesson plan...

In this life cycles worksheet, students compare the life cycles of 2 different species and answer short answer questions about them. Students can choose the species to compare and then answer 6 questions.

In this science worksheet, students examine the hydrological cycle through the coloring of the picture that graphically organizes the concept.

First graders observe water changing states from a solid to a liquid to a gas. They predict what they think happen to ice cubes as they sit out. They paint water with paintbrushes outside the classroom in the sun and watch the water...

Students explore the differences in sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks. They discuss the rock cycle of the different formations. Students discuss how rock is formed into different shapes. They explore, predict, and create each...

Third graders compare what occurs in terrariums to the water cycle on the earth and in it's atmosphere. They create a story as evidence of their knowledge of the water cycle.

In this science worksheet, students focus on the role of water in the environment and its many uses. They answer questions in the multiple choice and short answer form.

Seventh graders investigate the life cycle of the mosquito. In this life cycle lesson, 7th graders gain knowledge about the diseases mosquitos carry. Students breed mosquitos and investigate their eggs. Students collect and record...

Students identify ways to conserve water. For this environmental lesson, students use a water use checklist to identify how much water they use in one day. Students analyze the data and brainstorm ways to conserve water.

Students investigate the necessity of water for the survival of plants, animals, and people. They explore the affect that water has on human and natural environments through literature, field trips, and discussions.

Students discuss the importance of taking care of their water supply so not only they can use it but generations in the future. In groups, they examine a real pollution scenario in which a sewer overflowed into the ground water. They use...

Small but mighty! Learners explore the role of microbes in a healthy ecosystem. An engaging lesson asks pupils to design an aquaponics system that demonstrates that healthy microbes are necessary to maintain the ecosystem.

Responsible farming is important for maintaining natural resources. Eager scientists complete a WebQuest to explore what happens to nitrogen when it enters the soil. They learn about the chemical makeup of nitrogen-based molecules...

Why do scientists rely on drawings rather than just photographs of their research studies? The activity introduces drawings of microscopic organisms and the importance of accuracy. Young artists draw organisms and learn why focus and...

Climate models mathematically represent the interactions of the atmosphere, oceans, land, sun, surface, and ice. Part two in the series of four lessons looks at the role greenhouse gases play in keeping Earth warm and has participants...