Tech Museum of Innovation
Seed Dispersal
Engineering challenges are not just man-made ... nature has its own set of them. A hands-on STEM activity has groups designing a seed dispersal system. Each group can only use one sheet of paper — a tough task!
Curated OER
Deformed Frogs! - The Parasite Hypothesis
This project provides students the opportunity to investigate parasites as a possible cause of the observed frog deformities. It asks students to view web-based evidence and interpret whether it supports the parasite hypothesis. Students...
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Clouds and Rain
Students study how clouds form, what different types there are and what rain is. In this atmospheric lesson students make a cloud and create evaporation.
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Plotting Data on a Graph
Students investigate graphing. For this graphing lesson, students survey the class and create graphs to reflect the data collected.
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The Power of Atmospheric Pressure Process
Students are introduced to the basic principles of atmospheric pressure. After watching demonstrations, they discover the capability of air pressure and how it affects weather. In groups, they use an inquiry template to solve different...
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Droughts
Students discuss a natural disaster. In this droughts lesson plan, students discover how droughts occur and how they affect the society dealing with one. They discuss how the population of Australia deals with droughts and work on...
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Sky and Cloud Windows
Students monitor the weather, clouds, and sky. In this weather lesson, students create a sky and cloud window to focus their sky observations. They write observations in a notebook and include the date, time, cloud cover, types of...
University of Wisconsin
A Rain Garden Year
Pupils become plants in an interpretive play that depicts what happens throughout the seasons in a rain garden. As you narrate, students bloom, flower, and go to seed accordingly. The lesson plan is first in a series of lessons written...
Brain Targeted Teaching
Tuck Everlasting Novel Study
The broad ideas included here provide clear ideas on how to use brain-targeted learning, what activities work best with Tuck Everlasting, how to apply the knowledge gained from their reading, and ideas for evaluation. Not teaching...
Curated OER
Nature Walk
Students participate in a mini field trip around the neighborhood to observe nature and changes that are occurring during fall. They collect leaves of various colors, shapes and sizes on their trip. Upon return to the classroom, they...
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Sink/Float Discovery bottle
Investigate which items float and which ones sink using this resource. Learners participate in an activity in which they investigate this phenomena. Then they describe the experimental process, and learn how to display their results.
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Compost Lesson
If you are looking for how to introduce elementary environmentalists to the process of composting, here is a comprehensive outline for making it happen. The plan is to set this up at the beginning of a school year in order to observe the...
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Ziplock Chemistry
Students investigate various chemical reactions when creating mixtures in ziplock baggies. In this chemistry lesson, students will recognize various chemical reactions and cite evidence. Safety and assessment strategies are included in...
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The Salt Water Connection
Students investigate the various factors that influence the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay, California. They watch a video about Monterey Bay and take notes, and conduct research and write a report about a specific organism living in...
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Mosquito Bytes
Students investigate mosquitoes. For this mosquito bytes lesson, students consider reasons why mosquitoes transfer disease and ways to combat them. Students read an article, discuss, and complete a quiz.
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Population Growth
Young scholars grow duckweed, observe what happens when an organism population is allowed to grow without predation or competition, view videos about invasive species, and develop a proposal for controlling the growth of an invasive...
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Can You See the Light?
Students investigate the transmission of light energy. In this light energy activity, students observe bubbles using different colored filters and record their observations. They also look at a light source through various materials and...
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The Artemia Hatchery
Learners, in groups, develop their hatcheries, working cooperatively in its design and construction. The lessons begin with the introduction to Artemia as a primary food source of many aquaculture species during their larval stages.
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Observation and Stimulation of bioluminescence and chemiluminescence
Students are introduced to chemical reactions, reaction rates, chemiluminescence, fluorescence and bioluminescence. They use glow sticks are used to demonstrate the effect of temperature on the rates of chemical reactions. Pupils recall...
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Habitat Art: Florida Panthers
Students discover the lifestyles of a Florida Panther by investigating its habitat. In this wild animal lesson, students utilize the Internet to research the habits of a Panther and what their habitat is. Students create an...
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Exploring Forest Objects
Students explore the forest. In this ecosystems lesson plan, students rotate through sensory activity centers, brainstorm, and read about temperate forests.
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A Symphony of Decomposers
Students discover decomposition. In this environmental lesson, students explore different types of decomposers and their role within the ecosystem. Students also discover how waste interferes with the decomposition process.
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WET Science Lesson #3: Comparison of Aquatic and Terrestrial Plants
Elementary life science explorers compare and contrast aquatic and terrestrial plants (elodea and soybeans) in a Venn diagram. Some background information is provided to support direct instruction, and general instructions are provided...
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Sacred Places
Young scholars examine places considered sacred in both India and the U.S. They read and discuss a website on the Ganges River, discuss places considered sacred in the U.S., and write an essay comparing/contrasting personal sacred places...