Beauty in the Eye of the Scientist

How does heat move from one item to another, even when the items are in different states of matter? Pupils experiment with adding washers to hot water and adding hot washers to room temperature water to observe the heat transfer. 

Sometimes, despite the best laid plans, the unexpected will occur. Learners witness this firsthand as they carefully design an experiment to determine the time needed for ice to melt in salt water or pure water. They uncover facts not...

Why do some items feel colder when they are the same temperature? How should you keep your soda cold? What makes the wind blow? These are just some of the things middle schoolers discover when completing a lesson plan on...

Race copper and fishing line through a block of ice. After establishing the effect of pressure on melting points, the instructor experiments with two different substances. Ultimately, the better conductor melts the ice faster.

Extend your class's observation skills with a video about additional properties of matter. The video covers the ways an item can be altered, including its hardness, malleability, conductivity, and magnetism as...

Middle schoolers explore the concepts that enable them to design and conduct sound scientific experiments. They critique a faulty experiment and become familiar with some of the criteria of a good experiment. They conduct their own...

When was the last time your class saw a catalyst in action? Chemistry scholars observe an activated complex during an engaging experiment. Through both color change and evolution of a gas, individuals gain insight into the...

Solve the mystery of a declining frog population! Lead your junior ecologists on an investigation that simulates actual events concerning pollution, predation, poaching, and more. Investigators read a story online, then analyze survey...

Don't let your lesson plans go up in smoke—unless they include Boo Bubbles, of course! An engaging laboratory mixes liquid soap and dry ice to create smoky bubbles that burst on impact, making it the perfect way to celebrate Halloween in...

Integrate science and literature by using the scientific method to test the veracity of the floating peach described in Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach. Clips from a Bill Nye: The Science Guy episode about buoyancy frontload...