Curated OER
Pulse
Students determine a baseline pulse rate then chart the changes in rate with exercise. They describe the changes and develop a rationale for their observations. The task assesses students' abilities to make simple observations, determine...
Curated OER
Measurement: Length, volume, and temperature
Students determine the temperature of the water in a cup, measure the length of a piece of cardboard, and measure out an appropriate volume of water. This task assesses student's abilities to perform measurement and reporting skills.
Curated OER
Keep Cool
Students design an experiment to determine which type of container would be best to use to keep drinks cool on a hot day. Students test paper cups, styrofoam cups, and metal cans by filling them with ice water and they use a thermometer...
Curated OER
Plant Motion: The Untold Secrets
Students identify and categorize knowledge needed to design an experiment. They observe, recognize and describe the motion viewed. They document any changes caused by various solutions.
Curated OER
Gallery Walk Questions about Energy and Material Cycles
Students state the physical, chemical or biological processes associated with these environments: Pelagic ocean zone, California coat Cave, Indiana Barrier island beach, North Carolina Sand dune, Dunes National Park, Colorado Wetland and...
Curated OER
The Great Fossil Find - Reconstructing the Pieces
Students go on an imaginary fossil hunt. They follow a script read by the teacher, students "find" (remove from envelope) paper "fossils" of some unknown creature. They attempt to reconstruct fossil pieces into an animal.
Curated OER
Web of Predators and Prey
Middle schoolers investigate the food chain by researching the Internet. In this ecosystem instructional activity, students view the video "Competitor and Predator" and read a book from the series "The Magic School Bus."...
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Acceleration
Take a look at acceleration within the context of automotive technology. They vary the mass on a toy car and run it down a ramp, exploring Newton's second law of motion. Though this is a classic lab activity, you will appreciate the...
Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement (COSEE)
Plankton to Penguins: Antarctic Food Web
A well-written lesson plan, second in a series of four, gets high schoolers exploring how the Antarctic food web is impacted by climate change and the associated melting of polar ice sheets. It begins with a PowerPoint presentation about...
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Gas Laws in Action - Propane
Using helium as an example of propane, physical science middle schoolers experiment with and graph the relationship between temperature and volume in gases. In a whole-class demonstration, they show how molecules behave under different...
Curated OER
A Scientific Approach to Teaching about Evolution
Students examine fossils and analyzing their significance in relation to theories of evolution. Hand-outs are provided. This lesson could be supplementary to a broader unit on evolution or geology.
Curated OER
Rx Rainforest:
Students identify plant diversity in the rainforest and the role that animals and habitats play in scientific research. They differentiate between natural habitat and laboratory research and work collaboratively to produce a video news...
Curated OER
Using Spectrophotometers to Examine Photosynthetic Rates
Students examine how photosynthetic rates can change by using different qualities of light. They practice using spectrophotometer and the scientific method to detect the absorbance values in light treatments.
Curated OER
A QUESTION
Students engage in scientifically oriented questions. They give priority to evidence, draw conclusions/formulate explanations and connect/evaluate explanations with scientific knowledge. Students communicate and justify proposed...
Curated OER
Understanding Science Vocabulary And Categorization
Students explore and examine scientific language and categorization as related to commonly known plants and animals. They hypothesize about a specific plant or animal, how it was scientifically named, what concepts and vocabulary is...
Curated OER
Earthquakes
Eighth graders demonstrate the mathematical components of a scientific problem as well as illustrate how real world problems can be solved using math. They demonstrate math skills such as rate calculation, graphing, and linear equations.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Landforms Acrostic Poetry
Fourth graders apply scientific information about various landforms. They use the information to write and word process acrostic poems which they illustrate with clip art or pictures from magazines.
Curated OER
Popcorn!
Second graders pop popcorn as a way to experience the scientific process. They form a hypothesis, carry out an experiment and explain their findings.
Curated OER
Significant Science: Statistics for Planet Earth
Ninth graders discover how statistics are used to interpret results of scientific experiments. Students write hypotheses and test the hypotheses by collecting data and organizing the data. Students graph their data to produce a visual....
Curated OER
Cytoplasmic Streaming
Students prepare successful wet mount slide of Elodea. They determine and identify environmental conditions that induce cytoplasmic streaming. They determine the positive aspects of cytoplasmic streaming. They illustrate knowledge and...
Curated OER
Population Density
Middle schoolers use the scientific method to conduct an experiment and use varied methods to gather background information. They correctly use lab equipment and prepare tables and graphs that organize, conclude, and present their...
Curated OER
The Beet Goes On
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,...
Curated OER
Plant Puzzlers
Learners determine how to sort data when presented with data cards about plants. This game requires students to make inferences about why plants might live in a particular environment and how physical characteristics influence survival...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Classification
Young scholars examine why scientists classify living organisms. They list and classify items they buy at the grocery store, sort and classify leaves, explore various websites, and write a biography of Carolus Linnaeus.