Where in the world is the equator? Explore a world map with your class, coloring in oceans, continents, and rainforests while locating the three major lines of latitude: the equator, Tropic of Cancer, and Tropic of Capricorn. Discuss how...

Using a piece of pink paper as the cytoplasm of an animal cell, beginning biologists color and cut out organelles on the handout to glue onto their cell models. Afterward, they create a list of the structures and describe the function of...

Kids love superheroes, and for this assignment they create a comic about Captain Oxygen! Direct your class to make sure that their knowledge of the respiratory system is displayed through the dialogue. Note that though the publisher has...

A great way to learn about molecular structures is to make a model. Gumdrops and toothpicks are used to construct crystal models. The models are based on theories of crystal shapes that occur because of positive and or negatively charged...

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, you can add art to any lesson! While little learners are discovering why fish have specific body parts such as, scales, fins, and gills, they start making three-dimensional fish forms. Children...

How many rainforests are there, where are they, and do global factors effect their locations? These are great questions that have great answers. Children in grades four through eight use several different maps to determine why...

Nothing says classroom fun like an invertebrate and a magnifying glass! Snails, earthworms, and roly-poly bugs become the center of attention as pint-sized investigators hone their inquiry and observation skills. They are...

Getting kids thinking about climate change now, will hopefully push them into action when they become adults. Young environmentalists discuss the evidence and causes of climate change seen in the state of California. They brainstorm ways...

Bycatch is a sad reality for many sea turtles, dolphins, and sharks; it occurs when they get unintentionally caught in commercial fishing nets. The class plays a game using popcorn and crackers, each child will attempt to catch the...

Prior to class, individuals visit the Department of Energy website to examine the process of refining oil. After discussing what they learned, they find the Gulf of Mexico on a richly illustrated map that specifically indicates...

Point out the Gulf of Mexico and tell your class about the 2010 oil spill. Give each emerging ecologist a large bird feather. Have them make observations about it and then predict what would happen if it were to be placed in oil. Have...

Introuduce your scientists to the differences in air at varying altitudes with a colorful explanatory graph. After some discussion, they view unbelievable footage of mountain-climbing Leo Houlding and a narrative about how he might do...

National Geographic's MapMaker Interactive is a wonderful tool to use when introducing your hydrologists to the water cycle. Show your class Earth's oceans and the movement of water from place to place. Then, using a large colorful...

With a discussion and a brief film, introduce populations. Using paper fish models, your class participates in a simulation in which they survey numbers of fish. As a class, they tally up the different types. The challenge with this...

Coral reefs contain some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. Introduce reef residents to youngsters with a three-minute video. While the content is educational, it is not particularly engaging or clear. You may choose to skip the...

What is all the fuss about genetically modified foods? PBS provides this resource designed to supplement the documentary Food, Inc. to help learners investigate the benefits and controversies of genetically modified foods...

Young hydrologists observe a waterwheel which helps them investigate the transformations of energy that occur when the blades of a hydro-turbine are turning. They work together in pairs and pretend to be engineers who are building a new...

Elementary schoolers identify the three methods of heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation. The lesson is mostly lecture-based. When the teacher has finished the presentation, groups of pupils get into teams and they must...

Twenty-six elements, compounds, and ions are randomly listed for chemistry whizzes to analyze. They are to diagram the Lewis electron dot structure for each, resulting in further insight on the configuration of different molecules. They...

A unique lesson on the solar system, and some of the mathematics associated with it, is here for your high schoolers. Pupils are put into groups of four, and each group is assigned one of the planets from our solar system. They must...

Third graders make alphabet cards that depict the wide variety of life forms found in the Sonoran Desert. A terrific lesson that combines language arts, visual arts, and life science all into one wonderful package. Each of the cards has...

Young scientists explore the world of dinosaurs. They engage in a variety of activities designed to help correct misconceptions about dinosaurs, and which help them to determine which animals are dinosaurs and which are not. There is a...

How is energy transferred within an ecosystem? What would happen to a food web if one of the organisms was removed? Elementary or middle school ecologists examine these questions and more in a comprehensive 5E learning cycle lesson plan....

Young biologists identify parts of the body, sort humans from other animals, and list the difference they see. Learners are split up into groups of three, and each group must find pictures in magazines of humans and other animals. They...