NASA
Lights on the International Space Station
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...
Curated OER
What Factors Contribute In Attracting Birds To Feeders?
Students develop their own research questions dealing with specific variables provided by the instructor; students conduct bird counts using two kinds of birdseed, and analyze possible effects such as abundance or diversity.
Curated OER
Swinging Pendulum
Learners engage in an activity which demonstrates how potential energy (PE) can be converted to kinetic energy (KE) and back again. Given a pendulum height, students calculate and predict how fast the pendulum will swing by understanding...
Curated OER
Color Burst
Fourth graders explore how colors react in water (chromatography) and other solvents. They observe, investigate, measure, record data and communicate their results in the form of graphs/charts and narration presented to the class....
Curated OER
Musical Form of "The Star-Spangled Banner"
Students use a recording of "The Star Spangled Banner," to identify the AABC form of the anthem and describe the repetitions and contrasts in the piece of music. They memorize the music in eight-measure phrases being aware of the form...
Pyro Innovations
Get into Shape
Shapes are so fun! Little ones explore, identify, and create shapes using tangrams or pattern blocks. The activity is intended to stimulate critical thinking while engaging learners through play and shape identification. Each child will...
Curated OER
How Big is the Playground: Creating a Map
Students create a topographical map of an area outside of the school. In this mapping instructional activity, students compile data on angles, distances, and key landmarks for a predetermined area on the school grounds to create a map...
Rainforest Alliance
Colombia Biodiversity
How diverse is the rainforest? How much more diverse is a rain forest than a temperate forest? Explore these focus questions in a lesson that explores the plants, animals, and insects in forests. After listening to a reading...
Curated OER
Decimals Decide Olympic Champions
The class discovers how a decimal can make all the difference in the Olympics. As they learn about decimal place values, they compare and contrast data and demonstrate decimal values using manipulatives.
NASA
Determining the Nature, Size, and Age of the Universe
Prompt scholars to discover the expansion of the universe themselves. Using photographs of other galaxies, they measure and then graph the size and distance of each. Finally, they draw conclusions and prove the universe is...
Curated OER
Good Vibrations Remote Sensing data Collection: Thermal Emission Spectrometer
The Mars Global Surveyor spent two years creating a mineral map of the planet Mars using thermal emission spectrometry. To help young astronomers understand this remote sensing instrument, have them simulate how data is collected and...
Curated OER
Fatty Acids For Soap Making
Learners titrate a sample of fatty acids with standardized sodium hydroxide solution. From the amount of base needed for neutralization and the mass of sample used for titration, the apparent average molar mass of the sample is...
Curated OER
Similarity and Dilations - Discover Properties of Similar Figures
Learners investigate properties of similar figures. For this properties of similar figures lesson, pupils construct similar figures using Cabri Jr. They dilate their figure to create a similar one, and discuss the relationships between...
Curated OER
World of the Pond
Field trip! The class will review what they know about organisms that dwell in freshwater ponds, then trek down to the old water hole to collect specimens for examination. This includes several web links, useful tips, and an excellent...
Curated OER
Comparing Light Bulbs
An average home produces twice as many emissions as an average car. Teach your class how to reduce energy consumption by replacing standard incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs. Perform an experiment to compare...
Illustrative Mathematics
Bank Shot
Young geometers become pool sharks in this analysis of the angles and lengths of a trick shot. By using angles of incidence and reflection to develop similar triangles, learners plan the exact placement of balls to make the shot....
Statistics Education Web
The United States of Obesity
Mississippi has both the highest obesity and poverty rate in the US. Does the rest of the data show a correlation between the poverty and obesity rate in a state? Learners tackle this question as they practice their skills of regression....
Statistics Education Web
How Wet is the Earth?
Water, water, everywhere? Each pupil first uses an Internet program to select 50 random points on Earth to determine the proportion of its surface covered with water. The class then combines data to determine a more accurate estimate.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Historical Climate Cycles
Scientists use ice core samples to obtain temperatures of the earth from 400,000 years ago! The third of five lessons instructs pupils to interpret historical climate data to see changes over time. In part I, participants interpret...
Curated OER
Exploring Biomes Lesson 4: Mapping Arizona
Once junior ecologists are familiar with Earth's major biomes, they hone in on Arizona's biomes. Using a website about Arizona's natural resources, learners will identify biotic communities. Beautiful maps and worksheets are provided for...
Curated OER
Wildflower Beautification Project
Students, in cooperative groups, design and create a wildflower garden for the community. They write letters to property owners requesting use of their land and then write invitations to their parents and to local, state, and federal...
Curated OER
Can You Name That Shape?
Learners use materials to build, investigate, and draw two-dimensional shapes (polygons). They combine the shapes they have built and draw from the pile to begin a round-robin activity to name and determine the attributes of a selection...
Curated OER
"Polly"gon Pockets
Explore polygons with your elementary learners. Divide the class in 12 to configure the polygon puzzle before them. They list the attributes of each type of polygon they see, and if there's time, they jump on the interactive website...
Curated OER
Is Portland, Oregon Experiencing Global Warming?
Students use data to determine if the climate in Portland has changed over the years. In this weather lesson students complete line graphs and study long wave radiation.