Students examine physical and chemical properties of plastics, interfaces of plastics, and forms of plastics. In three lab activities, students discover the two characteristic responses of plastics to heating, thermoplastic or...

Students participate in a lab activity in which they examine a simple energy transformation system. Students test the rebound of elastomers, produce rebound data, and determine the kinetic energy transformed by the impact of a free...

Young scholars determine how evidence gained from a simulated test for the presence of pesticide residues can be used to determine risk. They use peas to simulate pesticide residue testing.

Students examine the concepts of micelles, polarity, solubility, and properties of detergent in an experiment with milk, water, and food coloring. Students complete a Take-Home Challenge in which they experiment with the behavior of food...

Students are introduced to the mole concept using a discovery-based method. Lesson includes activities with candy that allow students to discover the rules for mole-item, item-mole, mole-mass, and mass-mole conversions.

Learners research what laws relate to cell phones. They interview local law enforcement personnel to find out if cell phones have caused accidents. Students survey classmates to determine how many talk on their phones when driving. They...

Students research the police ticketing of teens in their city or county. They determine if the police are targeting teens and why. Students explore other ways the community tries to ensure safer teen drivers. They survey teens in school....

Students examine the effect of temperature on how often crickets chirp. In groups, they complete the experiment and answer lab discussion questions. They create a graph of temperatures and the amount of chirps and discuss the results.

Students use a model experiment to complete an experiment on yeast. In groups, they identify the independent and dependent variables and use the scientific method to complete the activity. They record their observations and discuss them...

Sixth graders study heat, temperature, and heat transfer. Using probeware, the teacher demonstrates boiling points. Students participate in experiments and record the beginning and ending temperatures and mass of objects. After...

Students demonstrate the effects of a storm surge on coastal areas.  In this storm surge lesson students simulate the force of a hurricane. 

Students study diffusion and how it applies to the human body.  In this diffusion instructional activity students complete a lab activity and discuss what they learned. 

Eighth graders work together in groups to introduce themselves to the six types of simple machines. They are to record what the machine does, its mechanical advantage and identify real world situations in which they are used. They...

Students examine the case of a map making expedition. In groups, they read a case study on "The Lost Gorge" in the Finger Lakes region of New York state. They examine maps and determine where the error in the map-making occured to end...

Students experiment to determine the effect of light on cyanobacteria movement. They graph the data of the experiment for further analysis. They watch a time-lapse video of cyanobacteria motility at a NASA website.

Sixth graders simulate the creation of impact craters on Mars.Through the creation of model surfaces, the effects of an impacting object's mass, velocity and size are determined, and the features of the resulting crater are identified.