Teachers and Parents

Lesson Plans

Zero Waste

(All lesson plans include coverage of National Standards)

  • Lesson 1 – Grades: 3 – 6
    Packaging 101

    Students think outside of the box while they're introduced to the topic of sustainable packaging. They learn the benefits of packaging and the three rules of sustainable living – reduce, reuse and recycle.
  • Lesson 2 – Grades: 3 – 6
    Lunch Weigh In

    Students will find out that lunch is not all sandwiches, apples and chocolate chip cookies. Packaging makes up a large portion of students' lunches. Your students will discover exactly how much.
  • Lesson 3 – Grades: 3 – 6
    Trash Pie

    Students will monitor classroom garbage to find out what makes up most of the waste in the class. They’ll measure the data and create a classroom pie chart to share the trashy results.
  • Lesson 4 – Grades: 3 – 6
    Garbage Gone Wild

    Students learn about the harm that litter can do to the environment. Then they will think of ways that they can help win the battle against loose litter as they fight to save the planet from garbage gone wild.

Download Zero Waste Lesson Plans [Word .doc: 6.30MB]

Download a PDF of all eleven Lesson Plans from Zero Waste, Animal Smarts, and Meals on Mars [PDF: 5.32MB]

Animal Smarts

(All lesson plans include coverage of National Standards)

  • Lesson 1 – Grades: 3 – 6
    World Without Words

    Students learn about the challenges of communicating without using words and practice non-verbal communication skills while explaining to their partner how to put together a unique structure.
  • Lesson 2 – Grades: 3 – 6
    Watch It!

    In this lesson, students watch animal life up close, by either observing classroom pets or by watching animals in a natural environment outside. Students in rural, suburban or urban settings can find animals in their natural environments to observe. Students will find out what we can learn from watching closely.
  • Lesson 3 – Grades: 3 – 6
    Research and Role Play

    Students select an animal to learn more about. After doing research on the Internet, in the school library, or through visits to local zoos or wildlife centers, students will prepare a presentation showcasing an aspect of animal cognition.

Download Animal Smarts Lesson Plans [Word .doc: 5.09MB]

Download a PDF of all eleven Lesson Plans from Zero Waste, Animal Smarts, and Meals on Mars [PDF: 5.32MB]

Meals on Mars

(All lesson plans include coverage of National Standards)

  • Lesson 1– Grades: 3 – 6
    Appeal of the Meal

    In this lesson, students interview each other about what makes certain food appealing to some people and not to others. Students use communication skills during interviews and math skills when they graph the data as bar graphs.
  • Lesson 2 – Grades: 3 – 6
    Taste This!

    This lesson focuses on a simple experiment in which volunteers have to hypothesize about the flavor of juice, which has been colored purple and red. They learn that many senses influence how food actually tastes.
  • Lesson 3 – Grades: 3 – 6
    Menus for Mars

    In this lesson, students play the role of an astronaut and are allowed to sample food in preparation for their upcoming missions. They follow this up by planning their own menus for space.
  • Lesson 4 – Grades: 3 – 6
    Space Shake

    In this lesson, adapted from NASA, students compare different ingredients for making the perfect space shake– one that is both nutritious and delicious.

Download Meals on Mars Lesson Plans [Word .doc: 7.5MB]

Download a PDF of all eleven Lesson Plans from Zero Waste, Animal Smarts, and Meals on Mars [PDF: 5.32MB]

Sensational Sounds

(All lesson plans include coverage of National Standards)

Super Stuff for Sports

(All lesson plans include coverage of National Standards)

Magical Microbes

(All lesson plans include coverage of National Standards)

 

Sports on Mars

(All lesson plans include coverage of National Standards)

Detective Science

(All lesson plans include coverage of National Standards)

  • Lesson 1 – Grades: 2 – 3
    Life Cycles

    Forensic scientists fight crime with science. Forensic entomology is the study of insects in a legal context to determine the time of death. In this lesson, students will compare the life cycles of various living things and think about how they can be used in forensic science.
  • Lesson 2 – Grades: 3 – 4
    Crime Solving Activities

    Forensic science is the study of objects that relate to a crime. Forensic scientists study evidence so that it can be used in a court of law. Forensic scientists observe, classify, compare, use numbers, measure, predict, interpret data, and draw inferences based on evidence. In this lesson, students will use these science inquiry skills.
  • Lesson 3 – Grades: 5 –8
    The Evidence

    Forensic scientists and crime scene investigators must take careful measures to preserve the evidence at a crime scene. This evidence can take on several forms, some expected and others unexpected. The ability to recognize the evidence is crucial; the need to carefully preserve it for proper interpretation means everything.
  • Lesson 4 – Grades: 5 – 8
    The Science In Forensic Science

    Forensic science can be a daunting discipline due to the amount of scientific knowledge one has to acquire to be good at it. Biology and Chemistry are the principal sciences that are most commonly used in solving a crime using forensic science.
  • Lesson 5 – Grades: 5 – 8
    Forensic Science: Try It!

    Forensic science is a varied field that keeps expanding. Analysis, testing, hypothesis, deduction, etc. are all necessary skills. Laboratory skills are extremely important to a forensic scientist. Many tests can be performed to extract as much data out of evidence as possible. This lesson allows the students to complete some of the testing.
  • Lesson 6 – Grades: 5 – 8
    What is Forensic Science: What Do These Scientists Do?

    What exactly is forensic science? This field is often misnamed and misunderstood. What is seen on TV is a conglomeration of a few different vocations mixed with romantic notions. The job of a forensic scientist might not be as hyped up as what we see on TV, however, the importance of the job they perform has become incalculable in the legal world.
  • Lesson 7 – Grades: 9 – 12
    Forensic Science - Try It!

    Forensic science is a varied field that keeps expanding. Analysis, testing, hypothesis, deduction etc. are all necessary skills. Laboratory skills are extremely important to a forensic scientist. Many tests can be performed to extract as much data out of evidence as possible. This lesson allows the students to complete some of the testing.
  • Lesson 8 – Grades: 9 – 12
    What is Forensic Science?

    What exactly is forensic science? This field is often misnamed and misunderstood. What is seen on TV is a conglomeration of a few different vocations mixed with romantic notions. The job of a forensic scientist might not be as hyped up as what we see on TV, however, the importance of the job they perform has become incalculable in the legal world.

Bio Inspired Designs

(All lesson plans include coverage of National Standards)

 

Flavor Science

(All lesson plans include coverage of National Standards)

Water Quality

(All lesson plans include coverage of National Standards)

 

Skateboard Engineering

(All lesson plans include coverage of National Standards)

S.E.T.I.

(All lesson plans include coverage of National Standards)