Sixth graders conduct a variety of assessments at a local stream to determine if it is a suitable habitat for salmon. They measure temperature, tubidity, dissolved oxygen, pH levels, bacteria and nutrients. In this unit, 6th graders work...

Third graders are introduced to the topic of matter. As a class, they brainstorm what they already know about matter and its properties. After completing a worksheet, they participate in an experiment in which they observe matter in...

Students discover how salt water makes a pencil float better than freshwater by measuring and comparing the lengths of the portion of the pencil that floats above the water surface. They then determine if an unknown water sample is...

Fourth graders rank balls by size from smallest to largest and from lightest to heaviest and then by how much they made the water rise. They then discuss why certain balls make the water rise higher than do other balls.

Students observ the cooling and warming of room temperature, hot, and ice cold cans of water by measuring the change in temperature over time. They then attempt to develop explanations for the observations made and apply their findings...

Learners role several balls of different weights down a ramp and into a paper cup and record how far each ball made the paper cup move. They then answer questions that help them analyze their results and reinforce the idea that energy...

Students investigate the motion of a swinging pendulum. They experiment with a pendulum to find out why it might swing at different speeds at different times.

Students observe that colored markers are a mixture of many different colors by performing a chromatography experiment. They make observations, record information, and make generalized inferences from their observations.

Young scholars observe the motion of both a pendulum and a spring pendulum . They then explain the differences and the similarities between the two types of motions.

Students compare the price and quality of different kinds of plastic kitchen wraps and then rank them from best to worst. They take into account how well it comes out of the roll, if it seals well, it is tangles, how much weight it...

Learners examine the properties of a liquid that contains water and food coloring and a liquid that contains water, food coloring and a liquid detergent. They interpret their data, describe properties, and make reasonable explanations...

Students design a chart to use to record the weather for five days. They then build an anemometer to record wind speed and discover why they are used for this purpose.

Students listen to Chapter I, Chapter II, Chapter III, and Chapter IV of "The Forgetful Pony". They observe different stages of development of mealworms. The student sequences pictures to show the life cycle and draws the developmental...

Eighth graders investigate the founding and history of Sluice Boxes State Park. They use both primary and secondary resources to collect data. The focus is upon the use of native plants to make medicines. They write reports about several...

Students explore how density changes. Students read an article on density. They observe a ball and ring demonstration and discuss the outcome. Students draw models of the demonstration and explain what happened.

Students make the most of the season's first snowfall with a snowflake study. They create original snowflakes from paper, collect authentic snowflakes on paper, and examine and compare the snowflakes.

Students make a mold using Plaster of Paris and then make a cast using that same mold. They pick a fossil and describe how it looks. They write a fictionalized story about its life, or burial. (

Fifth graders analyze the necessity of classification. They distinguish between living and nonliving things in our world and recognize the six life functions of living things by identifying 15 classroom objects.

Fifth graders investigate the relation between vibrations and pitch. They observe and discuss an experiment involving a bicycle and a piece of cardboard in the spokes, listen to a comb with cardboard, and listen to various sounds and...

Students explore the classification system of organisms: taxonomy. They examine prepared slides of Protozoans and record information on a Taxonomy Recording Sheet. Two additional classifying activities are also included in this lesson.

Third graders investigate the anatomy of the brine shrimp. They construct a model of the shrimp to demonstrate the anatomical parts of the shrimp. Students research the different factors that contribute to shrimp survival. Then they...

Learners explore the energy changes from a liquid to a solid. They model the arrangement of a solid and the change in states due to changes in energy using desks and chairs. Assessment questions are provided in lesson plan.

Students explore forensic science and its uses in criminal investigations. They solve a fictional crime by identifying and analyzing the fingerprints, strand of hair, and thread samples for evidence. After completing charts for each,...

Students are asked: Are there animals that don't move during their lives. They are asked what is an animal? Students discuss what animals need to survive. They are taught the trends in animal evolution. Students discuss the three...