Curated OER
Catch as Catch Can
Students investigate insects. In this insect analysis instructional activity, students catch insects using nets they make. They identify the insects they catch and create a chart to show the numbers and varieties. This instructional...
Curated OER
Camping Near the Estuary
Young scholars examine the first meeting between the first Spanish settlers and the native groups of the Tijuana estuary. Using a map, they trace various expeditions throughout Goat Canyon and the Spanish migration. After reading text,...
Curated OER
Insect Monitoring
Students participate in an interactive lesson using the scientific method to study biodiversity. In this insect monitoring lesson, students simulate the layers of soil and the insects that would live there. Students design...
National First Ladies' Library
How Do Flowers Get Their Names?
Students study Carolus Linnaeus and his classification system of plants. They examine the origin of both both common and scientific names of flowers. They speculate how their favorite flowers came to be named and brainstorm about the...
Curated OER
You've Got to Be Cool to Make Igneous Rocks
Students describe how igneous rocks are formed, design a classification system to group igneous rocks and develop a controlled experiment to prove that the rate of cooling affects the size of the crystals.
Curated OER
Insect Monitoring
Students practice the scientific method in the classroom, either in preparation or as a substitution for real-world field experience. They examine a simulated biodiversity research situation, using a "mini-plot" or
sampling square...
Curated OER
An Introduction to Sensors
Students research the International System (SI) of units of measurements. They make measurements using the metric system. They study key concepts used in building and use of sensors, how sensors work and their role in measuring...
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics Writing Assignment
Students complete a writing assignment focused on the use of data to support the theory of plate tectonics. They access data using the "Our Dynamic Planet" CDROM, capture images of the data plots, and incorporate them into their writing. T
Curated OER
Creatures of the Skies
Students create a bird identification game. In this classification instructional activity, students work in pairs to collect information about a specific bird. They use a bird field guide to aid in the research. They challenge other...
Curated OER
Assembling a Geologic History
Students combine information from several field labs to construct an overall geologic history of the local region. They are able to use published reports of the geologic history as they compile their own version.
Curated OER
Three States of Matter
Third graders investigate the three states of matter and the properties of materials as they undergo physical changes. They identify examples of each type of matter, role-play atoms in solids, liquids, and gases, and conduct an...
Curated OER
Fluid Thinking About Liquids and Solids
Second graders examine the physical characteristics of the different states of matter. In this chemistry lesson, 2nd graders observe how matter changes from one phase to another. They classify substances according to its type of matter.
Curated OER
World Population Activity I: Excel
Students use Excel to explore population dynamics using the Logistic equation for (S-shaped) population growth. This activity is primarily intended as an introductory tutorial on using Excel.
Curated OER
Allosaur Survival Game
Students uses this game to see how difficult survival is even for a fierce predator, especially when it is young. It stresses: How much energy it takes to keep a large animal alive or a small one growing, The differences in the fauna...
Curated OER
Galaxies Galore, Games and More
Students practice skills used in scientific investigation while studying the three main types of galaxies. Students identify Earth as part of Milky Way galaxy, the parts of galaxies, and the types of galaxies, as well as classify...
Curated OER
Learning in Cockroaches
Students make scientific observations. In this stimulus response lesson, students make observations and collect data to determine if cockroaches can learn. A secondary purpose of this lesson is to provide students with the opportunity to...
Curated OER
Mineral Mixtures
In this science worksheet, students use basic scientific concepts to complete the series of puzzles that are intended to increase science literacy for classifying types of rocks and minerals.
Curated OER
Natural Selection And Evolution
Middle schoolers investigate the concept of evolution and how natural selection is used as an indicator that evolution has happened. They recognize the three effects it has on diversity and how adaptations can develop. Diversity is...
Curated OER
Finding Caterpillars
Young scholars examine how animals protect themselves from predators and camouflage themselves. They participate in a simulation in which they locate red and green yarn "caterpillars," organize their data, and generate a bar graph using...
Curated OER
DNA in the Garden - Families and Friends: Grouping and Sorting
In this grouping and sorting worksheet, students learn about sorting objects and living things into larger and smaller groups. They complete an exercise in which they sort cutlery, and then students answer the 3 questions on the page.
PBS
Predicting/Making a Hypothesis
As an introduction to the hypothesis and testing method of investigation, young history detectives engage in a special investigation of a family artifact. After watching a short video that demonstrates the method, they develop a...
Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany)
EMD PTE
You can't tell by the title, but this is a functional periodic table of elements. Incorporating bright colors, lucid text, and easily operated features, this application serves as a valuable reference tool for your chemistry class.
Curated OER
Making Words
Third graders spell words and define homophone. In this making words lesson, 3rd graders decipher words from letter strips in an effort to identify the "secret word". Students use a set of letters to spell different words.
Curated OER
Follow the Yellow Brick Road
Students watch a portion of "The Wizard of Oz" and discuss how a map could be useful to Dorothy. They identify key components of maps and design a map of their classroom, including a key.