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The Wonder of Science was created to support the next generation of science teachers. All of the resources are licensed under Creative Commons licensing.

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Quality Examples of Science Lessons and Units

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To identify and shine a spotlight on emerging examples of quality lessons and units designed for the NGSS, Achieve launched the EQuIP Peer Review Panel for Science (PRP). NextGenScience, the former Achieve science team, continues this work, managing reviews that use the EQuIP Rubric for Science (Version 3.1) to evaluate instructional materials and identify high-quality examples for the field.

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High School Instructional Materials - OpenSciEd

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Teaching an Online Introductory Biology Lab Using Cellular and Molecular Biology Resources

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By converting our sims to HTML5, we make them seamlessly available across platforms and devices. Whether you have laptops, iPads, chromebooks, or BYOD, your favorite PhET sims are always right at your fingertips.Become part of our mission today, and transform the learning experiences of students everywhere!

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OpenStax | Free Textbooks Online with No Catch

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OpenStax offers free college textbooks for all types of students, making education accessible & affordable for everyone. Browse our list of available subjects!

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NGSS Life Science offers biology teachers engaging biology experiments and biology labs. We have DNA experiments, cell biology labs, enzyme experiments, microscope labs, scientific method experiments, ecology labs, high school science experiments, Mendelian genetics experiments, molecular biology labs, plant science experiments, animal science labs and more. Are you looking for fun biology activities? NGSS Life Science has photosynthesis activities, cell respiration activities, double helix activities, enzyme activities, immune system activities, protein synthesis activities, evolution activities, ecology activities, and many other high school life science activities.

Free biology worksheets are avaialable for download for students to practice life science concepts. NGSS Life Science has molecular biology worksheets, cell division worksheets, cell organelle worksheets, DNA worksheets, double helix worksheets, human body worksheets, virus worksheets, and many other life science worksheets.

Rigorous biology projects that promote group work are downloadable here for life science teachers. NGSS Life Science has environmental science projects, human body science projects, cell biology projects, DNA evolution projects, current event projects, cell division projects, and many other group biology projects. We have many research projects, current event articles, research essays and more.

NGSS Life Science provides biology teachers standards based biology tests, exams and quizzes. We have enzyme quizzes, cell biology exam questions, genetics quizzes, DNA test questions, evolution exam questions, ecology test questions, human biology quiz questions, and so much more. Are you looking for biology test or quiz answers?

NGSS Life Science has biology multimedia available to life science teachers. We have links to streaming videos and animations that are coupled with an associated lesson plan. Free biology online webquests are downloadable for students to use the Internet as a source of information. A webquest is a research-oriented lesson where teachers provide links to credible Internet websites for a source of information. Students use the provided links in a structured order provided by the teacher.

Lessons Organized by NGSS Standard

Free Lesson Plans

NGSS Life Science is an online warehouse of lesson plans that were created by our team at NGSS Life Science or teachers all over the United States. The majority of the lessons were designed for high school science teachers, but we have many middle school lesson plans. Many lessons are aligned to the Common Core and NGSS.

NGSS Life Science has biology activities, biology experiments, biology labs, biology worksheets, science projects for life science & biology teachers. We also provide classroom management strategies, teacher best practices, science demos, printable biology worksheets, and assessments. Biology lesson plan topics include animals, cell biology, ecology, evolution, genetics / DNA, microbiology, human body systems, molecular biology, plant biology, and the scientific method.

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Biology lesson plans, labs, experiments, worksheets and projects for high school & middle school life science teachers. Free NGSS Biology curriculum

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Biology Teaching Resources

Support Biology Corner

All student resources are available for free.

To support this site, purchase answer keys at TpT or DONATE via PayPal

I have taught biology for 30+ years and have uploaded and shared resources throughout my career. You are free to use and edit any of the documents. Tests and answer keys can be purchased from TpT.

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The Biology Corner - Resources for Teachers

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Resources for biology students that include worksheets, labs, and student activities. Find everything you need for your biology lessons here!!

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inquiryHub Chemistry Course Landing Page

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High School Guided Inquiry Chemistry Lesson Plans 4 Teachers

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Guided inquiry is a very effective teaching method for high school chemistry.

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Inquiry Driven Learning for High School Environmental Science

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Inquiry Driven Learning for High School Environmental Science

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Inquiry Driven Learning for High School Environmental Science | STEMstars / Molecular Biology Initiative | Georgia Southern University

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Module Summary The labs included in this module focus on using student inquiry within laboratory activities to maximize student learning and engagement. This module uses several adapted activities to encourage more inquiry dependent conclusions from students. Two new inquiry based activities are als…

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NSF Earth & Environment Classroom Resources

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NSF Earth & Environment Classroom Resources

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Earth and Environment Classroom Resources | NSF - National Science Foundation

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This collection of lessons and web resources is aimed at classroom teachers, their students, and students’ families.

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GeoInquiries for Environment Science | High school Inquiry-Based Lessons

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This Esri GeoInquiries collection supports map-based concepts found in high school environmental science lessons like speciation, pollution, population ecology, and energy.

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These activities were submitted by participants in sessions at the2005 North Central GSA meeting and at the 2005 AGU Fall Meeting on Inquiry-Based, Hands-On Classroom Exercises, Lab Demonstrations, and Field…

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My Favorite Guided Inquiry Activity for the First Week of Class: Inside and Outside the Body

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We’ve all seen this image, or something quite similar, in chapter 1 of any anatomy & physiology textbook identifying the various barriers, tubes, and cavities of the human body. Although the im…

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AES 4 Best High School Anatomy and Physiology Activities

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AES 4 Best High School Anatomy and Physiology Activities

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As a CTE curriculum developer, we speak with thousands of health science teachers every year.

In speaking with these teachers, they're often looking for new, engaging activities for topics students struggle with -- especially those related to anatomy and physiology.

While thousands of teachers use our comprehensive health science curriculum to teach Anatomy and Physiology topics, they are always looking for new ways to mix it up with other activities!

To help you keep your students engaged when discussing such detailed information, we asked teachers in our community for their best ideas.
Four of the best anatomy and physiology activities recommended by health science teachers are:

1. Build a Skeleton

2. Hokey Pokey

3. Simon Says

4. Anatomy Arcade

In this post, we'll explain how you can implement each of these activities in your classroom.

You'll also find a free anatomy and physiology lesson that you can implement in minutes!

1. Build a Skeleton

Recommended by Jody Wickett

Jody Wickett is a health science teacher in Washington who has taught a variety of courses in her program.

One of her favorite hands-on activities for her Anatomy and Physiology class involves having students build an articulated skeleton.

Depending on your course structure, this activity can either be used to introduce your skeletal system unit or as a way to reinforce what your students have already learned.
So, how do you implement this activity in your unit on the skeletal system?
Materials You'll Need:

Preparation:

When prepping for this skeletal system activity, start by downloading a skeletal system worksheet and print one for each student. (You may want to print a few extra just in case someone has a mishap and cuts into one of the pieces.)

You'll also want to have enough scissors and fasteners for every student to complete the activity without having to wait for another student.

To Run This Activity In Class:

Pass out the worksheets and scissors and instruct your students to cut out the bones. We recommend waiting to pass out the fasteners until most students are done cutting out their pieces in order to keep everyone at the same pace.

When you pass out the fasteners, instruct your students to use them like joints to connect the bones and build their skeleton.

If your students have a good understanding of where the major bones are located, this should go fairly quickly.

If any students have trouble figuring out where any piece goes, you may want to consider reviewing the basics after the activity is over.

Optional Adjustment for Advanced Students:

If you want to make this skeletal system activity more in-depth, add an extra step of requiring students to label the bones on their skeleton. To give them an idea of what you expect, it may be a good idea to provide a list of bones they should label.
If you're looking for a simple activity that covers the basics of the skeletal system, this build-a-skeleton activity could be a great addition to your classroom.
2. Hokey Pokey with Bone Names

Recommended by Kathy Regan

Kathy Regan of Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School finds that the most engaging anatomy and physiology activities get students out of their seats.

One of her students' favorites is playing Hokey Pokey with the names of bones.

"I play Hokey Pokey with names of bones. It's really silly. I'll say a bone like 'coccyx' and they put their back side in and out and shake. It's kind of juvenile, but at the end of a long day the students get a chuckle out of it."

Kathy Regan

It's a great activity to give an in-depth reinforcement of the skeletal system once your students have a good awareness of most bone names.

Here's a quick peek at how Kathy runs this activity in her classroom:
So, how can you use the Hokey Pokey as an effective anatomy and physiology activity?
Materials You'll Need:

None!

Preparation:

While Hokey Pokey is traditionally done in a circle, your students don't need to be organized into one as long as they have enough room to move around.

If it seems your students won't have enough room, you may need to rearrange some of the furniture.

To Run This Activity In Class:

Begin by having students stand up and asking if everyone knows the basic premise of how the Hokey Pokey works. While most students will understand what to do, it's possible one or two may not.

Once you're confident your students all understand how to participate, it's time to get started!

You can pick and choose any bone name you like to see if your students remember where they are located. It's good to start with some of the most well-known bone names before progressing into the trickier ones.

Optional Adjustments for More Engagement:

If your students really enjoy this activity, consider using it as a way to end your class period on a regular basis (such as every Friday).

To mix it up, designate a different student to lead each time. This adds a bit of extra fun as the student leader tries to think of bone names on the fly!
Overall, if you want an interactive skeletal system activity that can be used to reinforce information on any given day, Hokey Pokey is a great way to do just that.
3. "Simon Says" with ROM Movements

Recommended by Vicki Lyle

Vicki Lyle is a health science instructor in Alabama who loves to get her students up and moving.

She especially enjoys using Simon Says to help reinforce the different ranges of motion (ROM movements) made by muscles.

This muscular system activity is a great way to wrap up your muscular unit and could even be used to help with last-minute reviews before a test.
So, how does Vicki recommend implementing this activity?
Materials You'll Need:

Preparation:

Begin by compiling a list of the ROM movements and muscular system vocabulary you want to reinforce.

This should include types of body movements made by skeletal muscles and the names of body parts students will move.

To Run This Activity In Class:

Before starting this activity, make sure you lay the ground rules so everyone understands how to play.

Here are a few pointers:

This is a competitive game that ends with one student left standing (or until the time is up).

If you give a command and say "Simon Says" before it, everyone should follow your instructions.

If you don't say "Simon Says," but a student completes the action they are 'out' and should sit down for the remainder of the game.

You may want to do a few examples before officially starting to ensure everyone understands.

Then it's time to start calling out directions from your list!

Be sure to vary the ROM movements and include each one in combination with different muscles and body parts.

Continue to throw out combinations until one student is left standing -- they are considered the winner!
If you need a fun, interactive activity that ties in with the muscular system, Simon Says could be a great addition to your plans.
4. Activities from Anatomy Arcade

Recommended by Donna Barata

Donna Barata, a medical assisting teacher in California, likes to mix up her anatomy and physiology lessons by using interactive, online games.

Her favorite website is Anatomy Arcade, which includes dozens of games and activities related to:

General anatomy and physiology

Skeletal system

Articular system

Muscular system

Circulatory system

Respiratory system

Nervous system

Digestive system

Endocrine system

Each game has a difficulty rating that indicates how much knowledge a student needs in order to successfully complete it. This rating system is great for helping you decide when to include these activities in your syllabus.

Of all of the activities on the site, Donna has two favorites: Whack-a-Bone and Poke-a-Muscle.

The Whack-a-Bone Game

The Whack-a-Bone game focuses on the major bones of the body and is a great way to reinforce what your students have previously learned.

The game is easy to learn and involves searching for and clicking the correct location of each bone named in the level.

The Poke-a-Muscle Game

Poke-a-Muscle helps students learn about the major superficial muscles of the body.

It involves using an "x-ray scanner" to locate the correct muscle and then 'poke' it by clicking your mouse.

Though the instructions are simple, this game will really test your students' knowledge of the muscular system!

Overall, the games and activities from Anatomy Arcade provide the most flexibility and variety on our list.
So, if you're interested in trying digital anatomy and physiology activities, this option could be a great supplement to your lessons!
Which Anatomy and Physiology Activity is Right for You?

At the end of the day, any of these activities could make a great addition to your health science classes.

Each option can help supplement your existing curriculum, plus you can adapt them to better fit your exact needs!
However, if you're like most CTE health science instructors, you likely teach more than just anatomy and physiology.
Teach Hundreds of Healthcare Concepts and Skills to Your Students

High school students have a lot to learn in a high school anatomy and physiology class. Since the course covers a wide range of subject material with lots of specialized terminology, it's easy for students to feel lost and struggle to learn.

If you use any anatomy and physiology activities in this article, you'll be well on your way toward better engaging your students in class. But piecing together different activities can only go so far toward ensuring your students master critical content.

To give your students a cohesive learning experience, consider the anatomy and physiology curriculum from iCEV. iCEV offers a comprehensive health science curriculum that thoroughly covers anatomy and physiology with multimedia lessons, interactive games and activities, and automatically graded assessments.

Want to learn more about using iCEV for anatomy and physiology? Download a free sample lesson from the Anatomy and Physiology module.

This lesson presentation helps you introduce the basics of anatomy and physiology, including cells, tissues, organs, and systems.
Click below to download your free anatomy and physiology lesson now!

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4 Best High School Anatomy and Physiology Activities (Recommended by Teachers)

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Looking for new anatomy and physiology activities to keep your high school students engaged? Check out ideas recommended by health science instructors!

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LifeSciTRC.org Classroom Activities for Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology

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LifeSciTRC.org Classroom Activities for Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology

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Classroom Activities for Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology

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This collection includes fifteen peer-reviewed and class-tested activities covering diverse topics in Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology. Activities use a variety of approaches, including guided inquiry, role-play, and case studies, and all are designed to foster good student conversations.

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Your students can spend most of their time
DISCUSSING and TEACHING physics!

Free lesson plans to download: (note, you'll need the free adobe reader)

Note: Each topic contains one "Physics Fix" which is the guided inquiry lesson and one "Skill Practice" which helps reinforce what students have learned in the guided inquiry lessons.

Teaching physics by guided inquiry is simple! Click here to see firsthand: Read about how to implement guided inquiry.

For a WHOLE YEAR of guided inquiry lesson plans: CLICK HERE.

Please click on terms of use for information on how you may use the lessons that you download from this site.
High school physics guided inquiry lesson plans are very effective. Teaching high school physics by guided inquiry has never been easier. Take your high school physics students to the next level with our guided inquiry lesson plans!
Visit www.ChemistryInquiry.com for Chemistry guided inquiry lessons.
Visit www.ScienceDemonstrations101.com for exciting demonstration ideas including magic tricks and other discrepant events!

Students remember only 20% of what they hear!

How much time do your students spend "hearing" physics?

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Sample High School Guided Inquiry Physics Lesson Plans

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Free sample guided inquiry lesson plans for high school physics.

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Experiment #1 - Physical Science Investigation4 Experiment #2 - The Circulatory and Respiratory Systems                                                          Experiment #3 - Chemical Reactions                                                   

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Experiment #1 - Physical Science Investigation4 Experiment #2 - The Circulatory and Respiratory Systems                                                          Experiment #3 - Chemical Reactions                                                   

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Return to: Unit 3: Scientific Inquiry Skills for Middle Grade Students | Danielle Greene's Mini-Course | Danielle Greene's Portfolio Page

Prerequisite for Unit #4

Before beginning this unit of the mini-course, the learner should be able to identify basic scientific inquiry skills in high school level lessons.

Introduction to Scientific Inquiry Skills for High School Students

At the high school level especially, holding conversations about scientific problems can be extremely beneficial. Asking students questions throughout these conversations encourages higher-order thinking, allows students to develop their understanding, and encourages them to practice presenting their ideas verbally. Furthermore, I have found that these conversations with the class can also be beneficial for me as the teacher, because it encourages me to develop my own questioning skills. At the high school level, students should be able to not only use data to explain their conclusions (in both written and verbal forms), but they should also be able to determine alternative explanations for their results. The six abilities/scientific inquiry skills that students in grades 9-12 should acquire are as follows:

They should be able to identify questions and concepts that guide scientific investigation. In other words, they should be able to create a hypothesis and an appropriate experiment to test that hypothesis.

They should be able to design and conduct a scientific investigation from start to finish. This includes being able to guide the inquiry by choosing the proper technologies and methods, determining variables, selecting an appropriate method for presenting data, and conducting peer review.

They should be able to use technologies and mathematics in investigations.

They should be able to formulate and revise scientific explanations and models.

They should be able to recognize and analyze alternative explanations. In other words, they should be able to devise other possibilities based on the current body of knowledge.

They should be able to communicate and defend a scientific argument in both written an oral form.

When watching the following experiments, consider how the educators promote these skills/abilities throughout their lessons.

Experiment #1 - Physical Science Investigation

The following experiment focuses on the NGSS standard HS-PS1-3

This experiment is one of many that this teacher has uploaded in a series called The Interactions Project: Classroom Lessons. I specifically chose this example because she describes in depth how this lesson aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards. The theme of this video is observing evidence based on collected data, and the teacher leads students in a lesson focused on collecting evidence that can be used to evaluate competing models of the nature of matter. In this experiment, students are making observations of what happens to the volume when they mix water and ethanol. During the discussion, students identify patterns by comparing class data and begin to speculate about what may have caused their observations. This example is also shorter than most of the others I have provided throughout the course because it provides a summary of the science experiment that the students conducted. Even though this example covers less of the actual experiment that the students worked on, the teacher describes the lesson in full detail and explains her reasoning for displaying errors in the data. Please consider the following questions when watching Experiment #1:

1. What three mixtures did the students make?

2. What observations were students making in this lab?

3. How did the students use technology and mathematics when organizing their data?

4. Why is it important to discuss the group data as a class when you are asking students to make claims based on the evidence they gathered?

5. What mistakes did students make when conducting the lab? Why is it important that they are aware of these errors in their data?

6. In this lesson, the teacher purposely leaves an error in her calculation on the board. Why does she do this?

7. Based on your own classroom experience (either from a student or a teacher perspective), why do you think it is important that students are comfortable enough to correct their teacher's mistakes if they notice an error?

8. What were some explanations that students made as to why Mixture #1 had less volume?

To finish the first section of Unit #4, please click on the following link to review your answers to the questions listed above:

Experiment #1 - Physical Science Investigation (Answers)

Experiment #2 - The Circulatory and Respiratory Systems

The following experiment focuses on the NGSS standard HS-LS1-3

This example experiment includes both direct instruction and a scientific inquiry based activity. The teacher was effectively able to promote student engagement and collaboration throughout the entire lesson. Encouraging students to collaborate is a crucial part of scientific inquiry, because it promotes life-long learning skills. According to Darling-Hammond, "The collaborative nature of scientific and technological work should be strongly reinforced by frequent group activity in the classroom. Scientists and engineers work mostly in groups and less often as isolated investigators." (Darling-Hammond, Pgs. 19-21, 2008). Darling-Hammond goes on to say that "...students should gain experiences sharing responsibility for learning with each other. In the process of coming to understandings, students in a group must frequently inform each other about procedures and meanings, argue over findings, and assess how the task is progressing." (Darling-Hammond, Pg. 20. 2008). Carrying this idea forward, when students are working together in the following experiment, each student in the group is assigned a role. This ensures that all students are taking part in the activity and sharing their collected data with the group members. When watching the following experiment, it would be to your benefit to answer the following questions:

1. What are the learning goals for the day's lesson? What does the teacher do to make students aware of these learning goals?

2. What strategies does the teacher use to promote student engagement?

3. What strategies does the teacher use to guide her students through the lesson?

4. What does the teacher ask her students to do before she begins introducing the experiment? (Time 17:35 in the video). Why is this action so important?

5. What is the focus question/problem they are trying to solve in this experiment?

6. What variables are being tested in this experiment?

7. If you have completed Units 2 and 3 of this mini-course, how does this teacher's amount of involvement compare to the amount of involvement that elementary and middle grade teachers partake in throughout the experiment?

8. How does the teacher make sure that her students are understanding the steps for the activity?

9. How did the students use their collected data/evidence to explain their results?

10. Since this is a small group activity, how will the teacher be able to assess student knowledge for students individually?

To finish the second section of Unit #4, please click on the following link to review your answers to the questions listed above:

Experiment #2 - Circulatory and Respiratory Systems (Answers)

Experiment #3 - Chemical Reactions

The following experiment focuses on the NGSS standard HS-PS1-2 and can also be used for HS-PS3-4

This example experiment uses a very similar format to the first example provided in this unit. The teacher is presenting his teaching strategy to the listener, and he explains the 5E model (which was also visited in the first experiment of Unit 2 in this mini-course). This is an example that is perfect for older students who have developed the scientific inquiry skills needed to conduct an experiment on their own. According to Darling-Hammond, "...students must be given opportunities to develop skills in the context of complex, meaningful projects that require sustained engagement, collaboration, research, management of resources, and development of an ambitious performance or product." (Darling-Hammond, Pg 12. 2008). This is a wonderful example of the type of opportunity that Darling-Hammond describes. For your own practice, when watching this experiment it would be to your benefit to refer back to the six abilities/scientific inquiry skills that students in grades 9-12 should acquire, and see if you can identify these six abilities being practiced in this lesson. Also, you should be able to answer the following questions while watching the video:

1. Which NGSS standard does the teacher say he is implementing in this lesson?

2. What was the performance expectation for this lesson, and what did the students need to understand in order to conduct the experiment?

3. Why is it important that students (especially older students) are active participants in the learning process?

4. What does the teacher say is his role in the learning process?

5. According to this teacher, why are scientific inquiry lessons important?

6. Instead of solving problems for his students, how did the teacher encourage students to help each other when they came across an issue in their design?

7. According to Mr. Pham, why is scientific inquiry sometimes difficult for the teacher? If you have used a scientific inquiry lesson before, have you found this to be difficult as well?

8. What advice does Mr. Pham offer to other science teachers?

9. Why is it important that you allow your students to fail rather than immediately give them the correct answer?

10. Why are some teachers afraid to use scientific inquiry experiments in the classroom, and how can this be remedied?

To finish the last section of Unit #4, please click on the following link to review your answers to the questions listed above:

Experiment #3 - Chemical Reactions (Answers)

Self-Assessment for Unit #4

After completing Unit #4, please answer the following questions:

What are the scientific inquiry skills (six abilities) that students in grades 9-12 should acquire?

Why do high school science teachers need to develop scientific inquiry skills in their classroom?

How did the teachers in each example experiment promote the use of scientific inquiry skills with their students?

How did the teachers in each example experiment promote a deeper level of understanding of science with their students?

How would you incorporate these scientific inquiry skills into your high school level classroom?

What new strategies would you use to promote scientific inquiry skills in your curriculum?

Click on the following link to return to the homepage: Danielle Greene's Mini-Course

Darling-Hammond, L., Barron, B., Pearson, P., Schoenfeld, A., Stage, E., Zimmerman, T., . . . Chen, M. (2008, July 08). Textbook. Powerful Learning: What We Know About Teaching for Understanding.

Next Generation Science Standards. (2020, September 03). Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://www.nextgenscience.org/ All standards were taken from this website.

Scientific Inquiry Skills for Older Students. (2020). In NYSTCE Earth Science (008) Test Secrets Study Guide: NYSTCE Exam Review for the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (pp. 39). Place of publication not identified: Mometrix Media Llc.

YouTube Links (listed in order of appearance):

       National Science Teaching Association.Planning and Carrying out Investigations: What NGSS Looks Likein the Classroom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6jDBqgQnK8&feature=emb_logo

       WCSD 21st Century Learning.Collaboration: Grade High School: Science-Biology. Accessed 11/22/20https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2UKgKX0GD4

       SanBdoCitySchools.The 5E Model: A Strategy for the High School Chemistry Classroom June 16th, 2014.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BL1eXzKFDo&feature=emb_logo

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Unit 4: Scientific Inquiry Skills for Older Students

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Return to: Unit 3: Scientific Inquiry Skills for Middle Grade Students | Danielle Greene's Mini-Course | Danielle Greene's Portfolio Page Before beginning this unit of the mini-course, the learner should be able to identify basic scientific inquiry skills in high school level lessons.

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Science4Inquiry is a collaborative effort among the Osceola, Okeechobee, and Voluscia County Schools, as well as the University of South Florida and Louisiana State University, to increase the academic achievmentof students in science.

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Cornell Curriculum Resources for Inquiry-Based Learning

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Cornell Curriculum Resources for Inquiry-Based Learning

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These projects were developed by graduate and undergraduate students at Cornell University, collaborating with middle and high school teachers through the National Science Foundation's GK-12 Fellowship Program. We welcome feedback about your experiences using these ideas.

Resources for High School Science Projects

Biology
Chemistry
Earth Science
Environmental Science
Physics
Nature of Science
Social Science

Resources for Middle School Science Projects

Evaluating the Strength of Scientific Evidence: The Rediscovery of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, by Mya Thompson (2006)

Floating Hydroponics: Student Experiments Growing Plants without Soil, by Melissa Brechner (2006)

The Wrath of the Rotting Root: Student Investigations into the Microbiology of Decay, by Jenna Mendell (2006)

(Also published as an Integrating Molecular Biology and Tools of Bioinformatics, by Brendan Kelley and Irka Elsevier (2006)ActionBioScience.org lesson.)

Natural Selection and Adaptive Behavior in Goldfish, by Troy Murphy (2005)

Disease Detectives, by Dana Hawley (2005)

Edible GMOs? A Social Science Investigation of Genetically Modified Corn Chips, by Rachel A. Schwartz (2005)

Are You Stronger than an Insect?, by Kathryn Gardner (2005)

Natural Selection and Variation in Birds, by Dan Ardia (2004)

The Wonderful World of Isopods, by Shannon Olsson (2004)

Breaking into the Seed Bank! Investigations into plant adaptations, biodiversity, and ecosystem stability, by Lynn Vaccaro (2003)

Seed Respiration: What makes a seed breathe faster?, by Lynn Vaccaro (2003)

Starch Production Through Photosynthesis, by Kathleen Moran (2003)

Becoming an Ecologist: Investigation into the Life Cycle of the 17-Year Cicada, by Kathleen Moran (2003)

Food and Environment, by Rainer Assé (2002)

Allelopathy, by Angie Rivenshield (2002)

Fast Plants, Genetics, and Scientific Inquiry, by Rebecca Smyth (2002)

Fish and Zooplankton Habitat Through Remote Sensing, by Dave Warner (2002)

Plant Responses to the Environment, by Nicole Markelz (2003)

How are Stars like People?, by David Rothstein (2006)

Exploration of Runoff and Infiltration: Student Experiments with a Homemade Rainmaker , by Bianca Moebius and Irka Elsevier (2006)

Is the Coast Really Toast? A Lesson about Volcanoes, Phase Changes, and the Art of Estimation, by Julie Pett-Ridge (2005)

Lake Strata and Internal Waves, by Evan Variano (2005)

A Study in Latent Heat: How "Hungry" is a Hurricane, by Stephen Jessup (2004)

Ozone and Weather, by Stephen Jessup (2004)

Water Quality and Watersheds: A GIS Investigation, by Tania Siemens (2004)

Series of 4 Experiments on Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition, by Molly Moffe (2003)

Stream Table Observations

Stream Velocity and Erosion

Stream Velocity and Deposition

Weathering and Surface Area

Soil Science, by Angie Rivenshield (2002)

Exploration of Runoff and Infiltration: Student Experiments with a Homemade Rainmaker , by Bianca Moebius and Irka Elsevier (2006)

Lake Strata and Internal Waves, by Evan Variano (2005)

Bioremediation of Nitrate in Groundwater, by Deborah Sills (2004)

Water Quality and Watersheds: A GIS Investigation, by Tania Siemens (2004)

Ozone and Weather, by Stephen Jessup (2004)

The Role of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 in Protecting Biodiversity , by Jamie Skillen (2003)

Aquaponics: Explo ring Nitrogen Cycling in a Closed System, by Sean Mullen (2003)

Ecological Impacts of High Deer Densities, by Tania Schusler (2003)
(Published on the Teaching Issues and Experiments in Ecology website by the Ecological Society of America)

Urban Heat Islands: An Introduction to Energy Transfer and Transformation, by Katherine Porter (2003)

Food and Environment , by Rainer Assé (2002)

Lead Contamination and Remediation in Soils, by Anna Jensen (2002)

Climate Change and Weather, by Ty Atkins (2002)

Human Population vs. Consumption, by Brooke Zanetell (2002)

Resources for Middle School Science Projects

Gingerbread House Design Competition, by Melissa Brechner (2006)

Three Physical Science Activities, by Thomas Oberst (2005):

Four Important Properties of Waves

Two States of Matter They Didn't Teach You About in School (Until Now)

Simple Machines: Levers and Inclined Planes

Natural Selection and Adaptive Behavior in Goldfish, by Troy Murphy (2005)

The Wonderful World of Isopods, by Shannon Olsson (2004)

The Fabulous Life of Protists, by Shannon Olsson (2004)

The Cell Story: Acting Out the Functions of Organelles, by Shannon Olsson (2004)

Simple Machines, by Anna Spaulding, formerly Anna Jensen (2003)

Four Physical Science Labs, by Veronica Davis (2003):

Zoooooooom! How fast is fast? (Velocity and Speed)

Drag Racing (Acceleration)

May the Force Be with You (Newton's 1st and 2nd Laws)

Friction

Planarian Lab, by Veronica Davis and Heather Shelp (2003)

This material was developed through the Cornell Science Inquiry Partnership program, with support from the National Science Foundation's Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) program (DGE # 0231913 and # 9979516) and Cornell University. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.

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CSIP Student Inquiry Projects - Science Lesson Plans and Curriculum Resources

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These projects were developed by graduate and undergraduate students at Cornell University, collaborating with middle and high school teachers through the National Science Foundation's GK-12 Fellowship Program. We welcome feedback about your experiences using these ideas.

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Danny Doucette, Shinae Park, and Moses Rifkin

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PhysPort: Supporting physics teaching with research-based resources

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Welcome to PhysPort, the go-to place for physics faculty to find resources based on physics education research (PER) to support your teaching. Learn more…

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Pg 63-119 on .pdf Creating An Inquiry-Based Force Unit For A Ninth-Grade Science Class 

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Pg 63-119 on .pdf Creating An Inquiry-Based Force Unit For A Ninth-Grade Science Class 

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Experiment #1 - Physical Science Investigation4 Experiment #2 - The Circulatory and Respiratory Systems                                                          Experiment #3 - Chemical Reactions                                                   

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Experiment #1 - Physical Science Investigation4 Experiment #2 - The Circulatory and Respiratory Systems                                                          Experiment #3 - Chemical Reactions                                                   

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Return to: Unit 3: Scientific Inquiry Skills for Middle Grade Students | Danielle Greene's Mini-Course | Danielle Greene's Portfolio Page

Prerequisite for Unit #4

Before beginning this unit of the mini-course, the learner should be able to identify basic scientific inquiry skills in high school level lessons.

Introduction to Scientific Inquiry Skills for High School Students

At the high school level especially, holding conversations about scientific problems can be extremely beneficial. Asking students questions throughout these conversations encourages higher-order thinking, allows students to develop their understanding, and encourages them to practice presenting their ideas verbally. Furthermore, I have found that these conversations with the class can also be beneficial for me as the teacher, because it encourages me to develop my own questioning skills. At the high school level, students should be able to not only use data to explain their conclusions (in both written and verbal forms), but they should also be able to determine alternative explanations for their results. The six abilities/scientific inquiry skills that students in grades 9-12 should acquire are as follows:

They should be able to identify questions and concepts that guide scientific investigation. In other words, they should be able to create a hypothesis and an appropriate experiment to test that hypothesis.

They should be able to design and conduct a scientific investigation from start to finish. This includes being able to guide the inquiry by choosing the proper technologies and methods, determining variables, selecting an appropriate method for presenting data, and conducting peer review.

They should be able to use technologies and mathematics in investigations.

They should be able to formulate and revise scientific explanations and models.

They should be able to recognize and analyze alternative explanations. In other words, they should be able to devise other possibilities based on the current body of knowledge.

They should be able to communicate and defend a scientific argument in both written an oral form.

When watching the following experiments, consider how the educators promote these skills/abilities throughout their lessons.

Experiment #1 - Physical Science Investigation

The following experiment focuses on the NGSS standard HS-PS1-3

This experiment is one of many that this teacher has uploaded in a series called The Interactions Project: Classroom Lessons. I specifically chose this example because she describes in depth how this lesson aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards. The theme of this video is observing evidence based on collected data, and the teacher leads students in a lesson focused on collecting evidence that can be used to evaluate competing models of the nature of matter. In this experiment, students are making observations of what happens to the volume when they mix water and ethanol. During the discussion, students identify patterns by comparing class data and begin to speculate about what may have caused their observations. This example is also shorter than most of the others I have provided throughout the course because it provides a summary of the science experiment that the students conducted. Even though this example covers less of the actual experiment that the students worked on, the teacher describes the lesson in full detail and explains her reasoning for displaying errors in the data. Please consider the following questions when watching Experiment #1:

1. What three mixtures did the students make?

2. What observations were students making in this lab?

3. How did the students use technology and mathematics when organizing their data?

4. Why is it important to discuss the group data as a class when you are asking students to make claims based on the evidence they gathered?

5. What mistakes did students make when conducting the lab? Why is it important that they are aware of these errors in their data?

6. In this lesson, the teacher purposely leaves an error in her calculation on the board. Why does she do this?

7. Based on your own classroom experience (either from a student or a teacher perspective), why do you think it is important that students are comfortable enough to correct their teacher's mistakes if they notice an error?

8. What were some explanations that students made as to why Mixture #1 had less volume?

To finish the first section of Unit #4, please click on the following link to review your answers to the questions listed above:

Experiment #1 - Physical Science Investigation (Answers)

Experiment #2 - The Circulatory and Respiratory Systems

The following experiment focuses on the NGSS standard HS-LS1-3

This example experiment includes both direct instruction and a scientific inquiry based activity. The teacher was effectively able to promote student engagement and collaboration throughout the entire lesson. Encouraging students to collaborate is a crucial part of scientific inquiry, because it promotes life-long learning skills. According to Darling-Hammond, "The collaborative nature of scientific and technological work should be strongly reinforced by frequent group activity in the classroom. Scientists and engineers work mostly in groups and less often as isolated investigators." (Darling-Hammond, Pgs. 19-21, 2008). Darling-Hammond goes on to say that "...students should gain experiences sharing responsibility for learning with each other. In the process of coming to understandings, students in a group must frequently inform each other about procedures and meanings, argue over findings, and assess how the task is progressing." (Darling-Hammond, Pg. 20. 2008). Carrying this idea forward, when students are working together in the following experiment, each student in the group is assigned a role. This ensures that all students are taking part in the activity and sharing their collected data with the group members. When watching the following experiment, it would be to your benefit to answer the following questions:

1. What are the learning goals for the day's lesson? What does the teacher do to make students aware of these learning goals?

2. What strategies does the teacher use to promote student engagement?

3. What strategies does the teacher use to guide her students through the lesson?

4. What does the teacher ask her students to do before she begins introducing the experiment? (Time 17:35 in the video). Why is this action so important?

5. What is the focus question/problem they are trying to solve in this experiment?

6. What variables are being tested in this experiment?

7. If you have completed Units 2 and 3 of this mini-course, how does this teacher's amount of involvement compare to the amount of involvement that elementary and middle grade teachers partake in throughout the experiment?

8. How does the teacher make sure that her students are understanding the steps for the activity?

9. How did the students use their collected data/evidence to explain their results?

10. Since this is a small group activity, how will the teacher be able to assess student knowledge for students individually?

To finish the second section of Unit #4, please click on the following link to review your answers to the questions listed above:

Experiment #2 - Circulatory and Respiratory Systems (Answers)

Experiment #3 - Chemical Reactions

The following experiment focuses on the NGSS standard HS-PS1-2 and can also be used for HS-PS3-4

This example experiment uses a very similar format to the first example provided in this unit. The teacher is presenting his teaching strategy to the listener, and he explains the 5E model (which was also visited in the first experiment of Unit 2 in this mini-course). This is an example that is perfect for older students who have developed the scientific inquiry skills needed to conduct an experiment on their own. According to Darling-Hammond, "...students must be given opportunities to develop skills in the context of complex, meaningful projects that require sustained engagement, collaboration, research, management of resources, and development of an ambitious performance or product." (Darling-Hammond, Pg 12. 2008). This is a wonderful example of the type of opportunity that Darling-Hammond describes. For your own practice, when watching this experiment it would be to your benefit to refer back to the six abilities/scientific inquiry skills that students in grades 9-12 should acquire, and see if you can identify these six abilities being practiced in this lesson. Also, you should be able to answer the following questions while watching the video:

1. Which NGSS standard does the teacher say he is implementing in this lesson?

2. What was the performance expectation for this lesson, and what did the students need to understand in order to conduct the experiment?

3. Why is it important that students (especially older students) are active participants in the learning process?

4. What does the teacher say is his role in the learning process?

5. According to this teacher, why are scientific inquiry lessons important?

6. Instead of solving problems for his students, how did the teacher encourage students to help each other when they came across an issue in their design?

7. According to Mr. Pham, why is scientific inquiry sometimes difficult for the teacher? If you have used a scientific inquiry lesson before, have you found this to be difficult as well?

8. What advice does Mr. Pham offer to other science teachers?

9. Why is it important that you allow your students to fail rather than immediately give them the correct answer?

10. Why are some teachers afraid to use scientific inquiry experiments in the classroom, and how can this be remedied?

To finish the last section of Unit #4, please click on the following link to review your answers to the questions listed above:

Experiment #3 - Chemical Reactions (Answers)

Self-Assessment for Unit #4

After completing Unit #4, please answer the following questions:

What are the scientific inquiry skills (six abilities) that students in grades 9-12 should acquire?

Why do high school science teachers need to develop scientific inquiry skills in their classroom?

How did the teachers in each example experiment promote the use of scientific inquiry skills with their students?

How did the teachers in each example experiment promote a deeper level of understanding of science with their students?

How would you incorporate these scientific inquiry skills into your high school level classroom?

What new strategies would you use to promote scientific inquiry skills in your curriculum?

Click on the following link to return to the homepage: Danielle Greene's Mini-Course

Darling-Hammond, L., Barron, B., Pearson, P., Schoenfeld, A., Stage, E., Zimmerman, T., . . . Chen, M. (2008, July 08). Textbook. Powerful Learning: What We Know About Teaching for Understanding.

Next Generation Science Standards. (2020, September 03). Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://www.nextgenscience.org/ All standards were taken from this website.

Scientific Inquiry Skills for Older Students. (2020). In NYSTCE Earth Science (008) Test Secrets Study Guide: NYSTCE Exam Review for the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (pp. 39). Place of publication not identified: Mometrix Media Llc.

YouTube Links (listed in order of appearance):

       National Science Teaching Association.Planning and Carrying out Investigations: What NGSS Looks Likein the Classroom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6jDBqgQnK8&feature=emb_logo

       WCSD 21st Century Learning.Collaboration: Grade High School: Science-Biology. Accessed 11/22/20https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2UKgKX0GD4

       SanBdoCitySchools.The 5E Model: A Strategy for the High School Chemistry Classroom June 16th, 2014.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BL1eXzKFDo&feature=emb_logo

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Unit 4: Scientific Inquiry Skills for Older Students

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Return to: Unit 3: Scientific Inquiry Skills for Middle Grade Students | Danielle Greene's Mini-Course | Danielle Greene's Portfolio Page Before beginning this unit of the mini-course, the learner should be able to identify basic scientific inquiry skills in high school level lessons.