The threat posed by super volcanoes is explored in a short video that reviews the destruction caused by Mount Tambora in 1815 and by Peru's Huaynaputina in 1600. Think it can't happen again? The narrator contends that the explosive...

Help young scientists connect with nature and learn about trees with a fun life science lesson. Heading out into the school yard, children choose a tree to adopt, taking measurements, writing descriptions, and drawing sketches of it in...

Extend learning through summer with these activity ideas! Individuals can choose one or all nine of the activities, which range from a summer reading goal to an examination of local insects (with accompanying story prompt). See the...

Young scientists explore the world of entomology. They focus on the life cycle of butterflies and moths. They utilize the entire school year in order to see how butterfly eggs turn into the chrysallis, then into a butterfly, who then...

This particular lesson was written by the National Earth Science Teachers Association, but density is a concept that you can teach at the beginning of the school year in your life, physical, or earth science classes. It would be fun to...

How do lighting types affect energy efficiency? Explore different types of lighting and the energy they use. Pupils learn about types of lights and calculate the energy used during a typical school year. They discover that being...

Passing a copper wire coil through a magnetic field influences another coil to also sway. It is with this demonstration that you can teach your physical science fans about electromagnetism. Note that the assembly requires about an hour,...

If you are looking for how to introduce elementary environmentalists to the process of composting, here is a comprehensive outline for making it happen. The plan is to set this up at the beginning of a school year in order to observe the...

Students observe and count bird sightings around their schoolyard throughout the school year.

Students study an erosion problem which existed on the school playground from as many points of view as possible. The ultimate aim is to suggest and encourage implementation of a plan to prevent further damage to the playground.

How much energy does it take to light a room? Class members calculate the total wattage it takes to light the classroom. Through calculations, responsible scientists determine the cost of energy for the year, then figure out...

A scenario and background information are provided for two different open-ended experiments that experienced chemistry classes can perform toward the end of the school year. In the first, they design a method for testing flakes of paint...

An evaporation investigation! This collection of slides walks future scientists through the process of setting up an experiment on how to speed up evaporation. The experiment is simple enough to use at the beginning of the school...

Students survey what composting is. They observe the benefits of composting over the course of the school year by making your own composters and gardens. Group members compare two different compost piles, make conclusions about...

Students research about the process of composting. Students apply their research by creating a compost pile at school that will be maintained once or twice a month for the remainder of the school year.

Before iPhones and calendars, how did humans determine the seasons of the year? Middle school scientists discover how to use shadows to determine the time of year in an enlightening interactive. Pupils manipulate the sun and examine the...

The arctic seas contain currents that are both warm (with high salinity) and cold (relatively fresh water) that circulate throughout the year. Through discussion, a lab, and a web quest, participants explore the impacts of melting and...

Students work in cooperative learning groups and respond to cases involving ethical choices by students and teachers in science classrooms. They create and submit additional cases and questions for use throughout the school year.

This quiz just looks neat! It has two cell diagrams for biology class members to label. They also describe the function of each organelle. A prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell are displayed for them to compare, and then they fill in the...

Students will construct models to demonstrate their understanding of shadows. Many questions and suggestions for variants on the activities are presented to allow you to tailor this lesson to your particular needs. It is best to make the...

Groundwater is an essential natural resource, not to mention a fascinating topic to study. Here is a series of twelve amazing lessons on the water source and how we use it in our daily lives. Concepts require higher math and physics...

As to be expected from the American Chemical Society Olympiad Examinations Task Force, this 60-question test tops the charts in terms of excellence. It consists entirely of multiple choice questions designed to assess a year's worth of...

Sixty multiple-choice questions test on a variety of first year chemistry subjects. In order to succeed, exam takers must be competent with properties of elements, stoichiometry problems, gas laws, bond dissociation, and types of...