What's the Matter? (Grades 6-7)

Young scientists get to the heart of the matter as they complete this activity on the properties of solids, liquids, and gases.

An educational lesson plan focuses on the idea of conservation of matter through a demonstration of the water cycle, a discussion of digesting food, and the path of carbon and oxygen atoms as they change form. 

What characterizes a living thing? Scholars explore the concept during a differentiated instruction unit on living things. They perform lab experiments to determine how animals adapt to stimuli, watch videos and learn about...

This space is reserved for matter. After finding the density of a foam ball, young scientists predict the density of a larger ball. When they encounter a discrepant event, they must theorize an explanation. These concepts are linked to...

What is the best way to compare and contrast viewpoints on the same topic? A persuasive writing unit plan addresses targeted skills, vocabulary, instructional strategies, and suggested resources that would be perfect for developing writers.

It's hard to explain stuff you can't see! But, this animated stick-figure drawing describes dark matter and how we know it exists. It likens the galaxy to a merry-go-round, holding the stars on their circular path. The one-minute...

Can animals think? Learners develop their thinking abilities by reading Linden's essay and constructing an evidence-based response. Complete with rubrics and exemplars to evaluate writing, the resource also has suggested pre-, during,...

Learn all about the fourth state of matter: plasma! What is plasma anyway? Plasma is what occurs when matter has been heated to an extreme state. Watch this well done clip and find out how it works, what it is, and how it's used. A great...

Dr. Carlson describes the states of matter with the help of an ice cube, cup of water, and steam. He shows us how energy, such as heat, can change the state of matter. This clip uses scientific experimentation and academic language to...

Take your middle schoolers back to the first Thanksgiving with an engaging cross-curricular unit that ties together topics in social studies and ELA. While learning about he settlement at Plymouth young scholars participate in a series...