I have developed lessons designed primarily for middle and high school students in science. These labs have been classroom tested for many years. Awards 2007-2005 Professional Learning Grant from the Waltham Chamber of Commerce 2001, and my name is on Mars 2001 Mars Rover for my contributions to NASA educational system.
I have developed lessons designed primarily for middle and high school students in science. These labs have been classroom tested for many years. Awards 2007-2005 Professional Learning Grant from the Waltham Chamber of Commerce 2001, and my name is on Mars 2001 Mars Rover for my contributions to NASA educational system.
This activity has been a class favorite for many years as students get an opportunity to create their own Superhero(or villain) with the use of genotypes, Punnett Squares, and probability. Students will determine the phenotypes and genotypes of their parent heroes, and create Punnett Squares,
Once students determine the traits of their super baby, they can begin working on their baby announcement which consists of a labeled poster of their superchild with the inherited traits and an announcement to introduce the superchild and their traits to the world.
Learning Standards:
Performance Expectation: HS-LS3-2: Make and defend a claim based on evidence that inheritable genetic variations may result from (1) new genetic combinations through meiosis, (2) viable errors occurring during replication, and/or (3) mutations caused by environmental factors.
Disciplinary Core Idea: LS3.B: Variations of Traits: In sexual reproduction, chromosomes can sometimes swap sections during the process of meiosis (cell division), thereby creating new genetic combinations and thus more genetic variation. Although DNS replication is tightly regulated and remarkably accurate, errors do occur and result in mutations, which are also a source of genetic variation. Environmental factors can also cause mutations in genes, and viable mutations are inherited.
Written in word so you can easily make changes for your class!
Protect the egg!!! **
The first lesson aims to inspire your students through an exciting STEM challenge: they will design and construct a car for the grumpy Humpy Dumpty! Their designs must adhere to Newton’s Three Laws of Motion. Students will thoroughly enjoy exploring how mass and force influence motion in this captivating and informative STEM project.
Using Newton’s Laws of Motion, Engineering Design Processes, students will design, build and test a car made of materials selected by you to protect their egg when the car crashes into the wall!
Racing to Measure
If you send a toy car down a ramp at what ramp angle will the car travel the farthest when it hits the ground? Use your protractor and your tape measure to find out.
Start by setting up a series of ramps at different angles. Make sure each ramp is securely positioned to ensure accurate and repeatable results. Measure and record the angle of each ramp using your protractor.
Next, release the toy car from the top of each ramp and let it travel down and off the end. Use your tape measure to record the distance the car travels from the end of the ramp to the point where it first contacts the ground. Repeat this process several times for each angle to ensure consistency and reliability in your measurements.
Analyze your data to determine which ramp angle allowed the toy car to travel the farthest distance. You may find that there is an optimal angle that provides the best balance of speed and trajectory for maximum travel distance. This experiment will help you understand the principles of physics, such as gravity, friction, and motion, that influence the car’s performance.
Your middle school students will be excited to learn how genetic mutations can make the difference if a species lives or becomes extinct. This is an activity which has been classroom tested for many years.
Great as an introduction or conclusion lab in genetics. You can also teach this lab in your unit of evolution.
Students will discover how often mutations will not help an organism survive. They will work in teams to overcome challenges presented in this activity.
A quick fun lab to teach students about the speed of falling objects. Perfect for a physics class. There is no prep or clean up involved. Students will understand gravity after performing this lab.
Teach physical and chemical change thru the science of “steganography” in this easy-to-implement yet highly engaging lab. No chemistry experience is required. However, this lab is a great addition to working with your history department to make the Revolutionary War come alive. George Washington used this technique to send coded messages throughout the war. Students will discover that the juice of lemons contains carbon which will enable them to write a secret message in the same manner as the Continental Army did in the 1770s.
MATERIALS
½ Lemon
Saucer
Water
Teaspoon
Cotton swab
White paper
Lamp (any heat source)
This is a fun lab in which students will have a hands-on approach to learning the flower parts.
Objectives
describe that the flower produces pollen, nectar, and seeds,
describe how the flower attracts insects and other pollinators for reproduction,
All key terms have been listed with a definition
In this lab activity, students will dissect the typical parts of a flower and identify male and female reproductive organs
Low Prep
This lab is a must before your unit on Genetics!
Classroom-tested for many years
Crossword Puzzle
Graphic Organizer for Early finishers
Readings
Materials
Magnifying Glass
Tulips (Flower)
Worksheets
Forceps
Dropper
Pipette
Coverslips
Microscope
Please see the preview and contact me if you have any questions.
Taking measurements, performing dimensional analysis, determining temperature, density, and so on are all things that cannot be done without math
The first section reviews measurements in metric.
Start your year teaching chemistry on the right foot and find out where your students are in their math skills. Everyone knows you can not do chemistry well without a math background. d. The tests have bunnies on them to help students not be so nervous doing math. This lesson contains 2 tests. You can use one before and the other one after
In order to excel in chemistry, you must understand unit conversions, significant figures, summation notations, probability and statistics, exponents and logarithms, proportions, and concentrations. In most cases, these subjects overlap, so they are frequently discussed together
Grab this free lesson to make soap in your classroom
https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6490aefc3b413b66d0ce770b
Are you looking for a way to make science both fun and safe for your students?
This is the most important lesson of the year for high school students. Your kids will love and remember this lesson because instead of just reading and answering questions they will be performing labs to learn the importance of safety in the classroom.
Total Pages 15
Teaching Duration
2 days
https://youtu.be/kzKkk6Dcx0c
This resource was created to help teachers review and teach the Metric system and density. It is a classic lab highly recommended for the start of the school year. Students will be engaged and learn how to use the Metric System
This product contains
Fun no prep lab
10 Metric problems
Answer Key
MATERIALS
Ruler
10 index cards
Balance
Graduate cylinder
Rubber stopper
Water
The metric system is a decimal system based on the meter, liter, and gram as units of length, capacity, and weight or mass. The system was first proposed by the French astronomer and mathematician Gabriel Mouton (1618–94) in 1670 and was standardized in France under the Republican government in the 1790s. Unlike the English system which has multiple units for length (inch, foot, yard, mile), the metric only has one – the meter (m). Similarly, there are four basic metric units: ● Length – meter (m) ● Mass – gram (g) ● Volume – liter (l or L) ● Time – second (s) Base unit values can be modified (made larger or smaller) through the use of prefixes (ex. kilo, 1000; hecto, 100; deka, 10; deci, 0.1; centi, 0.01; milli, 0.001).
https://youtu.be/c8p4BMhb7Js
Taking measurements, performing dimensional analysis, determining temperature, density, and so on are all things that cannot be done without math
The first section reviews measurements in metric.
Start your year teaching chemistry on the right foot and find out where your students are in their math skills. Everyone knows you can not do chemistry well without a math background. d. The tests have bunnies on them to help students not be so nervous doing math. This lesson contains 2 tests. You can use one before and the other one after
In order to excel in chemistry, you must understand unit conversions, significant figures, summation notations, probability and statistics, exponents and logarithms, proportions, and concentrations. In most cases, these subjects overlap, so they are frequently discussed together
https://youtu.be/yajQdRwxCi4
Here is a fun lab to use this popular toy to teach your high school chemistry and physics students thermodynamics in simple yet very important experimental techniques in this lab.
Included is
Explanation of how this bird acts as a heat engine
4 Labs
directions on how to make your own drinking bird
Lab questions with an answer key
Apply the concept of significant figures to limit measurement to the proper number of digits.
Recognize the number of significant figures in a given quantity. Limit mathematical results to the proper number of significant figures.
Are you looking for a fun activity to motivate your high school students to learn significant digits?
Included
Summary of the rules
10 practice problems
3 Engaging Worksheets
A complete answer key is provided
Keep one of the worksheets as a review or a sub plan!
Total Pages
6 pages
Answer Key
Included
Teaching Duration
2 hours
Are you looking for a fun way to motivate your students to learn about concave/convex lenses and how they work? This is an important concept for both Astronomy and Biology.
This product can be used as Observations Stations where they have 15 minutes to experiment before they move to the next table.I have also taught this lesson as a lab one day for a week.They both work equally well and help to keep your students on task.
Materials
6 Magnifying Glasses
Piece of white paper
Window
Rolled piece of paper
Very sharp knives such as box cutter
Tennis Ball
The plastic container is just slightly larger than the ball
Distilled water (from grocery stores or pharmacies)
Flat page with printed words such as a piece of newspaper or a page cut from a magazine.
Plastic wrap
Large metal spoon
The lamp with the shade removed shows just the bare bulb.
2 Lens from a par of drugstore reading glasses (+1.00, +1.25 or +1.50 strength)
Painter’s tape or masking tape
1 Sheet of white copy paper
Tape measure
Magnifying glass
Small rectangular mirror
Sheets of paper
Colored marker pens
Magnifying Glass
Piece of white paper
Window
1 sheet of white copy paper
Tape measure
Description
Are you teaching your students the planet’s size, density, and tO distance from the sun? This interesting hands-on project will motivate your students to learn and apply math concepts to science.
This product contains
Directed Reading
2 Mini Labs
Lab A Compare the size of planets to the size of certain objects in the real world
Lab B Pennies and Coke Cans (One of my all-time favorite activities)
Walking to the Rocky Planets (Get your students outside, active, and review math skills)
MATERIALS
Permanent marker
11 clean empty 12-ounce (340g) aluminum soda cans
Masking tape or duct tape
1,100 pennies ($11 in pennies coins
1 Full, unopened can of the same liquid
Permanent marker
11 clean empty 12-ounce (340g) aluminum soda cans
Masking tape or duct tape
1,100 pennies ($11 in pennies coins
1 Full, unopened can of the same liquid
1-meter stick
1 yogurt cup
1 large nail
1 small nail
Total Pages
15 pages
Grade 8 STEM labs
Are you having trouble explaining the phases of the Moon?
PRODUCTS CONTAINS
Moon Observations Sheets
Directions to find an estimate of the Moon’s angular height
Two Classroom Labs
Tables of names of Full Moons of the AbenakiNortheast, Maine, and the early English Settlers . Students can see what was important to each settlement . Great lesson to combine history and science.
In the labs, your students will understand the reason why we do not ever see the Dark Side of the moon The earth’s position relative to the moon is demonstrated. This lab has been classroom-tested for over 40 with several teachers. There is a very easy setup and no mess to clean afterward.
MATERIALS
Sheet of newspaper
Cup with handle
Ball or balloon wrapped in aluminum foil (the Moon)
Flashlight (the Sun)
Darkened Room
Friend
In my years of teaching, I have found be the best labs to explain to middle school students the motions of the moon around the Earth. Included is a student worksheet to make sure that your pupils do not leave without an understanding of this concept.
Total Pages
12 pages
Answer Key
Included
Teaching Duration
1 Week
https://youtube.com/shorts/RvZXELdSQJY?si=6VKU4MYVBceTJkCp
Description
Are you having a hard time teaching your students about the constellations in the night sky? Here is your answer. Classroom-tested for many years. Students have informed me years later that they still look at the night sky.
Complete discussion questions with answers to engage your students!
Objectives
Become familiar with the constellations visible in the Northern Hemisphere
Observe the constellations visible on a particular night.
Your students will learn how to make an astrolabe and star charts.
Included also 3 labs.
Detailed instructions on how to make star grazing safe.
2 Graphic organizers which students can complete for extra credit or keep as emergency sub plans.
Materials
Large Index Card
Protractor
String 30 cm
Large Metal Hex Nut
Tape
Plastic Drinking Straw
Magnetic compass
Drawing compass
Construction paper
Colored pencils
Protractor
Metric ruler
Tennis ball
Basket Ball or soccer ball
Bunsen burner
Googles
Picture Wire
Pliers
SCI.K.8.C
Earth and space. The student knows that there are recognizable patterns in the natural world and among objects in the sky. The student is expected to: observe, describe, and illustrate objects in the sky such as the clouds, Moon, and stars, including the Sun.
Total Pages
19 pages
Answer Key
Included
Teaching Duration
2 Weeks
The incredible power of magnets is illustrated in two engaging labs hands-on labs. Clear and easy-to-follow editable lab worksheet
Included is a reading for students to fully understand the power of magnets
Students will discover that magnets are attracted to special metals.
Objectives
Magnets attract and repel other magnets.
What makes some materials magnetic
Materials
Wide mouth jar
Book
Magnet
Compass
Eisco Labs Floating Ring Magnet Set with Wooden Base
Total Pages
7 pages
Answer Key
Included
Teaching Duration
45 minutes