Class members look at two historical earthquakes: San Francisco, California, and Kobe, Japan. Pairs compare the two earthquakes and their impacts, then determine how engineers may use the information gleaned from previous earthquakes to...

Pairs research building design in earthquake-prone areas and use computer simulations to see the effects of earthquakes on buildings. They sketch and explain a building design that would withstand a strong earthquake.

Class members research the theory of continental drift, examine evidence of plate tectonics, connect this information to engineering, then write an essay on whether they support the theory of continental drift.

Using the Internet, pupils research what causes earthquakes, how scientists measure them, their locations, and their effects.

Pairs research current earthquakes to see if there are any patterns. They determine the mean, median, and mode of the earthquake data, along with the maximum and minimum. Using that information, they make earthquake predictions for a year.

Pairs use an online simulation to determine the epicenter and magnitude of an earthquake. Using actual data about the earthquake's maximum S wave amplitudes, they then determine the magnitude.

The Inquiry in Action: Fifth Grade Curriculum set contains five chapters, comprised of 16 lessons, activity sheets, videos, and other resources to help explain science concepts to young learners. In Chapter 1 - Matter is Made of Tiny...

Inquiry in Action: Fifth Grade Chapter 5 - Engineering Design is comprised of a single project-based assessment. The assessment helps highlight the importance of prior knowledge as individuals design a floatation device for a cell phone....

Chapter 4 in the Inquiry in Action series for fifth graders consists of a single, hands-on lesson. To verify that mass remains the same, learners measure the mass of substances before and after melting, dissolving, and undergoing a...

Fifth-graders experiment with substances that can mix, react, and combine to form new substances using hands-on lessons. In the first lesson, pupils observe how different substances react to form different amounts of gas, leading to a...

The five lessons in Chapter 2 ask fifth graders to use their observation skills to identify substances. They dissolve known and unknown substances to determine the identity of the mystery substances. Next, learners investigate the...

Four lesson plans investigate all phases of matter and provide pupils with hands-on experiences that demonstrate that all matter is made of tiny particles. First, scholars explore solutes and solvents. Using candies and water, they...

Twenty-one Inquiry-based lessons provide young scientists with an opportunity to experiment with a variety of chemical reactions. Classroom investigators make observations, develop basic lab skills, and follow step-by-step instructions...

To understand what makes it rain, young meteorologists use tiny drops of water on a laminated drawing of a cloud. To investigate why puddles dry up, they make a one-drop puddle on their hand and observe the water evaporate. Scholars also...

The six-unit modules in the Inquiry in Action curriculum set is designed for second graders. With hands-on instructional activities and experiments, young scholars investigate the properties of materials, liquids, and dissolving is a...

Inquiry in Action: Second Grade Chapter 6 – Atoms begins with young experimenters using Snap Cubes to model a larger object created from smaller parts. Then, investigators view an interactive video describing the chemical structure of...

The first of two lessons in the Inquiry in Action: Second Grade Chapter 5 - Heating and Cooling unit is a hands-on instructional activity that allows learners to experiment with melting and freezing butter to observe changes as substance...

Chapter four in the Inquiry in Action module has learners explore what objects sink and float in water. In the inquiry-based lesson plan, young scientists conduct experiments to find similarities between float materials and those that sink.

Inquiry in Action: Second Grade Chapter 3 - Dissolving is a Property presents a hands-on instructional activity that has learners explore the dissolving properties of candies in water. They complete an activity guide to record...

A lesson in Inquiry in Action: Second Grade Chapter 2 looks at the properties of liquids. Learners conduct different property tests on water, mineral oil, and corn syrup using a student activity guide. They record their results and use...

Four lessons comprise the first chapter in the Inquiry in Action Unit module. Sorting objects by properties is an instructional activity in justification. Second graders examine the properties of specific items and use them to classify...

Four units make up the Vaccine Makers Project. The Human Immune System unit module, the first in the curriculum set, teaches young scientists how viruses attack and reproduce and how the immune system works to protect the body. The...

High schoolers arm themselves with information about infectious diseases and how they spread to boost disease prevention. Scholars research the causes, prevention techniques and identify high-risk groups especially vulnerable to...

The two lessons in Biomedical Research and Animals ask scholars to use various resources to research questions about animal research. Teams investigate one disease to find out how a vaccine was developed, how animals played a role in the...