Students observe falling objects. They discover the rate of falling is based on air resistance and not the weight of the objects. They discuss how engineers use this type of information to design aerodynamic shapes.

Students participate in a mock investigation in which they must interview and record data given by 3 people ("witnesses") in an effort to triangulate the location of a meteorite.

In this watershed worksheet, students read through related definitions and complete 17 short answer questions about deposition and erosion in the Hudson River.

High schoolers keep detailed weather records during the fall migration. If they are also Observing Fall Migrants, they will be able to compare weather conditions on days that they do and do not see monarchs. Having a class record of...

If you want more pumpkin seeds, you should get a bigger pumpkin—right? Young harvesters use estimation skills to make a hypothesis about how many seeds they will find in a pumpkin before examining the real number inside.

Students learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students see how gliders coast by exploring the way different paper objects fall to the ground.

Sixth graders conduct a controlled investigation to determine the length of the sun's shadow on a fixed object (i.e., flagpole, telephone pole, etc.) over a three-day period (one day in the fall, one in the winter, and one in the...

Learners learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students test whether gravity makes heavier things fall faster than lighter ones.

Students, through hands on games and activities, discover how bats live and how bats benefit ecosystems. They play a game designed to show them how echolocation works and another to show how mother bats locate their young through their...

Seventh graders research recycling activities at schools across the country using e-mail. They research the waste management and recycling program at their school and problem solve to create an environmentally sound program for the future.

Learners perform activities to discover if one eye is better than two. They test their sense of sight with both monocular and binocular vision. Students drop a penny and see if it lands in the cup of water. They rely on their sense of...

Students construct a helmet to protect their heads from falling objects. In this constructing lesson plan, students design this helmet with the lowest cost possible.

Students play the role of science detectives in an activity used to introduce the scientific method and the concept that blood is not identical and is identified by surface markers. Students must identify an unknown sample of "blood" by...

Middle school environmental science classes research the threatened, endangered, and extinct organisms listed for their state. They design and construct a poster of the information gleaned and write an essay about how they might be able...

Pupils observe the migration of monarch butterflies. They collect data regarding the number of monarchs they see, the location, the butterflies' behavior, the temperature and the date and time. Then they send their data to a university...

Pupils examine the purpose of a color key and use a color key to help them read a map.

In this science learning exercise, students draw lines to match 13 words pertaining to forces of nature to their definitions in another column. Example: tornado, tide, erosion, pressure.

Students identify the 5 stages in the life cycle of a pumpkin. They create a model showing the correct order of pumpkin life stages. They explain a pumpkin's life cycle to a partner, using their model.

Learners construct a model of the hydrologic cycle, and observe that water is an element of a cycle in the natural environment. They explain how the hydrologic cycle works and why it is important, and compare the hydrologic cycle to...

Students investigate issues of degradation and weathering of polymeric materials during their useful life. They evaluate photodegradable plastics and their viability as an environmental solution for litter and investigate the qualitative...

Make electromagnetic eddy currents evident with this demonstration. You will need to gather a few materials from the local hardware store and a strong neodymium magnet, but the visual value is well worthwhile.

Students investigate why green leaves change colors in the fall. They press leaves and write a poem, create a chlorophyll leaf print, take a nature walk, and create a leaf shape poster.

Fourth graders compare and contrast gliding flight and true flight. They investigate the basic principles of aeronautics. The class participates in activities to observe lift and the effect of air. Students design and fly their own...

Root vegetables inspire the series of activities included here. Class members participate in activities related to language arts, social studies, science, visual art, and math. At first, the long list might feel overwhelming; however,...