High schoolers read and discuss twin studies to explore the debate of nature vs. nurture. They create a list of characteristics and then look for evidence of whether it is primarily a genetic or environmental characteristic. All of the...

Learners research the damage to the environment by certain plant species. They create an experimental design which they test how these species take over certain habitats. They share their information with the class.

Eighth graders explore figurative language, specifically focusing on similes, metaphors and personification. They work on the web to identify poems that demonstrate simile, metaphor, and personification, then analyze how it enhances...

Students are introduced to how animals (and ourselves) cope with daily life. They discover that living things need certain conditions to survive. Students investigate how living things (including ourselves and a duck) have special...

Twelfth graders use this game to find minerals given rocks and outcrops in a plausible (but not real) geologic setting. They play without outside encouragement for hours as the world is fun to explore and the scoring system encourages...

Young scholars discuss water pollution and the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 after watching a teacher demonstration in which different contaminants are added to tap water. While some contaminants are not harmful to the body, in excess...

Students watch a demonstration using a Slinky during a lecture on basic wave properties. Properties addressed in the demo include wave speed, wave length, amplitude, period, and frequency.

Students investigate Daisyworld, a very simple planet that has only two species of life on its surface - white and black daisies, and bare ground. They construct a Stella model of Daisyworld and perform guided experiments to explore the...

Students model the geologic timescale using distance as a metaphor for time. They write a summary of a major event or fossil organism. and station themselves and their summaries along a path within a gymnasium, and present their...

Students examine the influence of the end wall. They find a basin size and wind speed such that a given wall height is overtopped. Then, increase the wall elevation until overtopping stops. Students explain the difference in results.

Students engage in an interactive Internet lesson covering the reasons and results of earthquakes. After reading eyewitness accounts and viewing animations, they use seismograms to measure and locate the epicenters. In an ongoing study,...

Students participate in a lab activity in which they extract DNA from a strawberry. After mashing the strawberry into an even, smooth puree inside a bag, they add extraction buffer and mix the strawberry with the buffer. They filter...

Learners create a visual presentation of the characteristics of a biome. Working in small groups, students use traditional and online resources to gather data concerning biomes. Learners use their information to create a bulletin board...

Students use what they know about momentum and impulse to construct an effective "air bag" to protect an egg dropped from the top of the football stadium or other tall structure. They complete a final written report of their findings.

Students observe and discuss the change of water to ice and back again. In this water and ice lesson, students observe the change in temperature and what happens when water freezes and turns to ice and vice versa.

Students examine rocks. In this geology lesson, students collect rocks from the schoolyard and classify them by color, weight, and size. Students use a rock guide to identify each of the rocks.

Learners extract the DNA from a strawberry. In this DNA technology lesson, students describe what they think DNA looks like. They use a procedure to isolate and extract the DNA from a strawberry.

Seventh graders explore science topics using a SMART board. In this respiration lesson, 7th graders see how and why cells use cellular respiration. They see a cellular respiration recipe on the SMART board and watch as the cells produce...

Students create a timeline of historical weather events in Bedfordshire, England. In this local weather lesson, students interview elders, research the Internet and newspapers to gather information about weather events of the past. the...

Young scholars build a precipitation gauge. For this weather lesson, students follow step-by-step directions to build a precipitation gauge that can be used to measure snowfall.

Learners explore dinosaurs.  In this dinosaurs lesson, students view a PowerPoint presentation and write 2 or 3 facts about their favorite dinosaur.  Learners sculpt a figure of this dinosaur using modeling clay.  Students...

Students use mushrooms to solve problems. In this environmental lesson, students study how fungi have been used to combat environmental problems. Students design strategies that employ mushrooms to combat other environmental challenges.

Students read a book and have a class discussion about the air around them. In this air lesson plan, students learn about properties of air, and discuss other gases they have observed.

Students complete a guessing game. In this tree products instructional activity, students view various household items and try to determine if they were made from trees. They discuss their findings and then read books about trees.