Chymist
Energy of a Peanut
Are you nuts? An engaging experiment burns nuts to find their kilocalories. Young chemists analyze at least two different types of nuts with their experimental results versus what is on the package. The resource offers a great lab...
Green Learning
Build Your Own Solar Oven
This is not exactly a lesson plan, but rather a six-page document detailing how to build a solar oven. A bit of background information, materials list, diagrams and photos, and clearly-written procedures are all included. There are no...
Curated OER
Metals and Non-Metals
A table of the physical properties of metals and non-metals opens this high-school chemistry handout. Also covered are the chemical properties of metals and non-metals, reactivity, and fossil fuels. There are no specific questions to...
Curated OER
Whales and Fish: Creatures of the Deep
Practice comparing and contrasting details in informational text with a reading passage about whales. It explains the ways that fish and whales are similar, as well as the ways they are different, and specific characteristics of various...
Curated OER
Rocks: Mineral Mixtures
A 22-slide set provides pretty much everything you need to teach the rock cycle except the actual specimens. All of the slides contain graphics or photographs to help describe the process, and most even have links to educational videos....
Chymist
How Do We Affect the Quality of Our Atmosphere
Explore the makeup of the earth's atmosphere. Using the set of specific experiments, pupils examine the main elements and compounds present in the atmosphere. Their study extends to investigate the effects of atmospheric...
Curated OER
TO CONSERVE OR NOT TO CONSERVE
Students explore how energy is wasted at home and at work and develop a program to save energy in a specific area.
Virginia Department of Education
Macromolecules
Finally, a chance for the class to play with their food! Allow pupils to simulate stomach acid with common foods, and introduce specific macromolecules into the mixture to explore characteristics of carbohydrates, lipids,...
NOAA
Climate Is Our Friend…Isn’t It?: Make an Extinction Polyhedron
Climate affects populations in different ways. Scholars research extinct organisms and mass extinctions in part three of the 10-installment Discover Your Changing World series. They create graphic organizers, then fill in the...
Curated OER
Liquid Logic: Experiments in Viscosity
Middle schoolers examine specific characteristics of liquids through a hands-on lab activity. An experiment with teacher prepared viscosity tubes is conducted in which liquid identities are predicted based on data. A hypothesis is...
Curated OER
Introducing The Gulf Stream
Sixth graders research the average temperatures of different places on Earth. In this earth science lesson, 6th graders explain how the sun's heat cause ocean movement. They discuss how temperature change affects the weather we experience.
University of Southern California
Wave Erosion Lab
Using a stream table, erosion enthusiasts examine how the density of sediment and how the slope of land contribute to the amount moved by waves. You will not be able to use this entire resource as is; there are teachers' names and...
University of Wisconsin
Rain Garden Maintenance
Maintaining a garden is an ongoing responsibility. This resource follows a series of activities in a unit that resulted in the planting of a rain garden. What you will find here are general instructions for watering, weeding, pruning,...
Curated OER
Measuring Temperatures
Fourth graders participate in a teacher-led discussion about temperature--hot and cold. Each group of students is assigned specific materials for their lab experiment. They record temperatures measured in their journals and then plot...
Curated OER
Graph the Results: Applesauce Taste Test
Students work together to make applesauce following specific directions. They taste each applesauce and graph the results based on the taste test. They also use the internet to create an online graph.
Curated OER
Rover Landing Design Challenge
Students examine the concepts of forces and motion. They work together to design protective devices for their egg rovers as they are dropped from a specific height. They record their observations and discuss.
Curated OER
Hydrocarbons
In this hydrocarbon activity, students answer 13 questions about different types of organic molecules categorized as hydrocarbons. They explain the different hydrocarbons, they draw structural diagrams for different hydrocarbons and they...
Curated OER
Water Properties of the Great Salt Lake
Fourth graders examine the ecosystem of the Great Salt Lake in this two-part lesson, completing a KWL chart before and after the field trip to the site. While there, they draw and write about their observations. To test for buoyancy,...
Curated OER
Hot Cans and Cold Cans
Students investigate the physics of heating and cooling through conduction, convection, and radiation. Working in groups, they determine the best way to cool a can of water and warm a can of water. Temperature is taken at five minute...
Curated OER
What The Peanuts Say: Catabolism and Calories
Students investigate the energy released by a peanut and a piece of a walnut. In this catabolism and calories lesson plan, students burn a peanut and a piece of a walnut and measure the temperature of the water before burning and after...
Curated OER
Evaporation
Fourth graders study the water cycle and the different processes involved, specifically evaporation. They explore the processes of evaporation through hands-on collaborative activities and relate learning to life through...
Curated OER
Fahrenheit Follies
Second graders analyze the effects of sunlight on a glass of water by using the thermometer to measure its temperature. They predict and measure the difference between water outside in the sun and shade and inside. They role-play a game...
Curated OER
Origins: Earth Is Born
Students develop a timeline of all the major events involved in the formation of the Earth and the emergence of humans. In groups, they focus on a specific topic by watching a PBS program and taking notes. After the video, they list...
Curated OER
Contact Angle. Interfacial Tension and Wetting
Students determine the contact angle of water on different surfaces. In this physics lesson, students calculate their percent error using a mathematical formula. They explain the advantages of using non-wetting surface for certain...