Curated OER
Take a Deep Breath: Air Today, Air Tomorrow
This is the introductory lesson in a series about air quality. Why is it so important that we breathe clean air? How can we make sure we're keeping our air clean? A discussion is the central idea of the lesson, and example questions are...
Project Noah
Writing Goes Wild
Young scientists develop their observation and writing skills as they craft and then post a detailed description of a plant or animal they have spotted and photographed.
Scholastic
Study Jams! Mosses and Ferns
Mosses and ferns are some of the world's oldest types of plants. Here is a quality 10-slide presentation set to gentle background music for beginning botanists to view and enjoy. Accompanying captions explain that these are both...
Scholastic
Study Jams! The Nervous System
Get your class thinking with animations of neurons in action and explanations of how stimuli is transported and processed. This film makes an ideal introduction or review of the nervous system. The parts of the brain and what they...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Gravity & Inertia
Is it possible to defy gravity? Not really. With force and inertia, we can act against it for a little while, but, eventually, gravitational force will pull us back to Earth. The relationships among mass, force, and inertia are all...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Severe Storms
Tornadoes and hurricanes and blizzards, oh my! Severe storms are always occurring somewhere on the planet. By reading through these slides, learners discover the characteristics of each type. Have them do this as homework and then take...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Animal Cells
Using stunning computer imagery, this resource introduces life science learners to cells. It zeros in on the animal cell and the function of its more prominent organelles. Additional support is offered in the form of a self-assessment...
Curated OER
Technology for Studying Comets
Young scholars design an Aerogel model to capture clay particles. In this space science instructional activity, students discover what happens to comets as they hit a surface. They explain how the Aerogel technology would help scientists...
Curated OER
Autism
Students with autism increase their knowledge about autism, communication, life skills, and goal setting. They read selections from authors who have written about their experiences with autism.
Scholastic
Study Jams! Muscular System
A professionally created set of slides strengthens viewers' knowledge of the muscular system. Some slides display microscope enlargements of muscle fibers and neurons, while others are beautifully detailed graphic images. The difference...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Minerals
All that glitters is not gold! In this nine-slide show, your mineralogists gain insight on the formation and properties of the building blocks of rocks. Beautiful and sparkling photographs make the presentation pleasing to the eye, and...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Waves & Currents
Ocean lovers hang ten as they watch this film about waves and currents. What causes waves? What is a current? Learn this and more from Sam as he explains why RJ was struggling to surf the gnarly waves. Have your class watch this at home...
Curated OER
Sharks ~ Taking a Bite Out of the Myth
The first thing to know about this lesson is that the commercial fisheries data for the activity no longer seems to be available. That being said, there are fascinating links to other websites, some about the comparative odds of being...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Lithosphere, Hydrosphere & Atmosphere
Three of Earth's spheres are introduced to your earth scientists: lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. Each are described with text, while a combination of photographs and computer images are displayed. One of the best ways to use...
Curated OER
Teaching Science Process Skills
Teaching science process skills is a vital part of helping students become good scientists.
Curated OER
Polar Bear Literacy Activity
Students generate vocabulary words synonymous or related to "noise." In this literacy lesson, students listen to the book Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do You Hear? by Bill Martin and Eric Carle and discuss the meaning of vocabulary words...
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Are Your Computers Wasting Energy?
After reading about the amount of energy that is used to power a personal computer, learners take a look at their own computer use and therefore, their energy consumption. They do this through a series of questions and computations on...
Curated OER
Scientific Methods and Inquiry Skills
Fifth graders conduct a mystery bag experiment and use the scientific method and inquiry skills to solve the mystery. They discuss how to make scientific "guesses," and in small groups use their five senses to try and figure out what...
Curated OER
Preschoolers and Science Skills
You can encourage critical thinking and problem solving by allowing young children to participate in hands-on science activities.
PBS
Stories of Painkiller Addiction: Contemplating Nature vs. Nurture
Does having an addict in your family make it more likely to become one yourself? Explore the genetic risk factors, as well as the prominent environmental influences, for substance addiction in a instructional activity that encourages...
DiscoverE
Product Dissection
Sometimes, taking things apart is more fun than putting things together. Groups of learners participate in a reverse engineering activity. They dissect a device of their choosing to see how it works—great hands-on learning from the...
Rainforest Alliance
Get in Touch with Nature
Take a trip to the Colombian rainforest through the sense of touch. Here, class members discover what's inside a mystery box: wood, cinnamon, Brazil nuts, a banana, and orange. Then, the class takes a trip outside for a tree rubbing...
Serendip
Molecular Biology Vocabulary Review Game
Getting bored with the typical review strategies? Why not turn it into a game! Learners practice their DNA vocabulary by trying to get their partner to guess the word they're describing. To complicate things a bit, there are words that...
Perkins School for the Blind
Introduction to Scientific Inquiry
Every great scientist knows that the process of inquiry is a very important skill. Provide your learners with visual impairments with an opportunity to explore objects scientifically. They examine several pieces of fruit and generate...