Conducting a Scientific Investigation

Your class won't be able to resist this lesson on the path of least resistance, or rather, on conductors and insulators. Using two types of modeling dough, one that conducts and one that insulates, young electrical engineers construct...

Young scientists roll up their sleeves and get a little dirty in this three-day earth science investigation. Following the scientific method, children monitor the growth of algae in pond water samples in order to determine the role that...

Using a cut-out template of a whirligig, emerging engineers experiment with flight behavior. After you teach them the concepts of force, air resistance, and lift, they discuss what variables on the whirligigs might be changed in order to...

What is science and does it always look like the scientific method? The lesson plan follows a scientist as she conducts research to determine if she is doing science. It highlights the importance of creativity, invention, and...

A comprehensive resource gets fourth grade physical scientists making observations about the period of a pendulum and then applying knowledge to a playground swing. Through seven different stations, they will record observations and...

Mt. Rushmore wasn't built in a day, but how long will it stick around? How quickly is it eroding and what causes the fastest weathering? Explore these questions and more in a fun, interactive instructional activity about the earth's...

Students gain an understanding of the real world applications of the scientific method. They design their own experiments to prove or disprove the existence of other modern legends, and they design and carry out an experiment to test a...

Garbage, recycle, compost: Does it really matter where we put our trash once we are done? By making detailed observations over seven weeks, kids will see which materials break down naturally to become a healthy part of the soil, and...

Students conduct a scientific investigation about organic or inorganic waste.  In this organic or inorganic waste lesson, students create a compost heap to determine the difference between inorganic and organic waste. Students record...

Students 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 experiment.