Students design and build a small glider. They see how the flight of a bird is similar to the flight of a sailplane. They explain how birds get their thrust and how they control their direction of flight.

Learners use the Internet to discover the physics behind Maglev technology. They examine properties of magnets at Canada's Science and Technology museum. They participate in tutorials in which they can observe how different objects work.

Sixth graders build a speaker as they investigate the roles of electricity and magnetism. They discover the properties of magnets, create an electromagnet, and determine the direction of a magnetic field. They show cause and effect...

Fourth graders describe the various kinds of soils and how plants and animals are affected by them. They describe the baic needs of plants, scoring at least a 3 or 4 on a 4-point rubic. Students are able to predict and/or infer what...

In this density of materials worksheet, students examine ways to sort a dump truck of recycled materials using the density of the material types. Students write a letter to the city council to describe their method of sorting.

Students investigate how Newton's Third Law affects vehicle design. In this Newton's Third Law lesson, students use a web site to research Newton, his third law, and how to design a vehicle that uses a balloon for power. They sketch and...

Students explore water located near where they live. In this map skills maritime lesson plan, students use Google Maps to find their school and the body of water closest to them. Students research the body of water and answer questions...

Learners explore farming by creating visual demonstrations. In this agriculture lesson, students read assigned text about a farmer's duty and identify the events that have taken place in the history of agriculture. Learners collaborate...

In this physics review worksheet, students compare experimental variable, simple machines, and Newton's Laws. Students calculate kinetic energy, work, power, speed, and velocity. Students review conduction, convection, and radiation....

In this simple machines worksheet, students read about various types of simple machines. They then use what they learned to answer 17 questions. The answers are on the last page.

In this Plinian eruptions worksheet, learners read about the types of volcanic eruptions and about Gaius Plinius Secundus who the Plinian eruption was named after. Students answer four critical thinking questions about volcanic eruptions.

In this circuits worksheet, students are given 15 different scenarios to troubleshoot using the scientific method. Topics include electrical lights, "network" power cabling, gas pipelines and stereo systems.

In this temperatures instructional activity, learners view a spreadsheet of the high temperatures of the states and change the data on it using spreadsheet tools. Students complete 4 tasks.

Students create a book for small children. In this literary lesson plan, students examine the qualities in children's literature that capture the attention of the child. They then work in small groups to create a book to share with...

Students complete a webquest to find Earth's relationship to the sun.  In this webquest lesson, students complete tasks to understand the effect of the sun on weather and time. Students create a multimedia presentation as an...

Young scholars explore how rechargeable batteries work by conducting a series of experiments. In this physics lesson plan, students discuss the benefits of using rechargeable batteries over disposable ones. They build their own battery...

Students, in groups, research the issues of the rainforest considering the opinions of many people who have interests in the rain forest and then present their findings to the class.

Students work together to gather information about the EPA's Superfund program. They discuss how to improve human health and the environment. They discover how hazardous wastes are characterized and cleaned up.

Learners sample a site with low human impact, one with moderate human impact, and a third with high human impact. Students chart the data for each site and then compare the sites and discuss.

Students spend this lesson discovering how electricity makes the appliances in their kitchen operate. In groups, they explain how energy is being converted in a microwave oven and practice giving others directions to how to use them. ...

Students view pictures of a variety of animals. They examine the animals' teeth and discuss the differences in them. They experiment with staple removers (carnivore teeth) and two flat rocks (herbivore teeth) and determine which are most...

Students use pictures of animals to make a classification system. In this classification lesson plan, students are given pictures of different animals. They create a classification system for the animals and identify what they have in...

Fifth graders explore how a plane can stay aloft. For this engineless airplane flying lesson, 5th graders experiment to find how the design of a plane and Bernoulli's principle keep planes in the air. Student's create a plane and answer...

Students discuss global warming. In this global warming lesson, students read an article about global warming and list five things they learned. Students work in small groups to compare what they wrote. Students illustrate one of the...