Students learn the basics of computational thinking, focusing on algorithms and sequencing by designing basketball plays and tournament brackets.
Students dive deeper into coding by exploring variables and loops through tournament statistics, team scores, and game-time data analysis.
A creative project-based lesson where students research and design an educational poster about a specific global biome, focusing on adaptations, food webs, and conservation. Now expanded to include an informative research paper component.
This lesson uses the familiar concept of Pokémon evolution to teach special education students about biological adaptations and natural selection. Students will explore how traits help organisms survive in different environments and design their own adapted creatures.
An engaging special education lesson exploring the evidence of evolution through the lens of pocket monsters. Students examine fossils, body structures, and DNA to understand how monsters change over time.
A 4-day hands-on engineering challenge where students design and build a device that demonstrates Newton's three laws of motion using low-cost recycled materials. Students progress through research, blueprinting, prototyping, testing, and a final reflection on the physics at play.
An introductory lesson on Python operators designed for 8th-grade students with ADHD and math challenges. The lesson focuses on conceptual understanding through visual analogies and 'Code Command' mission-based tasks, minimizing complex mental arithmetic.
A comprehensive introduction to the structure and function of DNA, featuring reading passages, diagramming activities, and assessment questions.
Explore the magic of soil texture with Applejack! This lesson teaches students how to identify sand, silt, and clay, and how to master the soil texture triangle to classify different types of earth.
A culminating lesson where students compare wind and solar energy using graphic organizers and analyze real-world energy output data to understand reliability and efficiency.
A lesson exploring solar energy technology, including photovoltaic and thermal systems, energy transformation from light to heat/electricity, and solar energy vocabulary.
An introductory lesson on wind energy focusing on the mechanics of turbines, energy transformations from kinetic to electrical, and the trade-offs of wind power.
A lesson exploring non-Mendelian inheritance patterns, specifically focusing on how alleles interact in incomplete dominance and codominance through visual modeling and Punnett squares.
Exploration of convection currents in fluids and a final comparison of all three heat transfer methods. Includes a teacher-led demonstration of convection in water and a summary activity.
Introduction to thermal energy and the mechanisms of conduction and radiation. Includes a teacher-led demonstration of heat traveling through solids and radiant energy from a light source.
Students identify the three types of heat transfer and explain how thermal energy moves from warmer matter to cooler matter using real-world examples.
Students apply their knowledge of heat transfer through a hands-on lab experiment involving three stations representing conduction, convection, and radiation. They will collect data and compare the efficiency and direction of heat transfer in each model.
A comprehensive set of materials focusing on the global freshwater crisis, designed to help students identify cause-and-effect relationships within complex environmental systems. Students will analyze the drivers of water scarcity, its global impact, and potential technological and policy solutions.
A comprehensive 45-minute introductory lesson on renewable and non-renewable energy sources, designed for a substitute teacher. This lesson prepares middle school students for hands-on engineering projects like wind blades and solar ovens.
An introduction to biological classification, covering the three domains of life, the six kingdoms, and the hierarchical levels of taxonomy from domain to species.
A hands-on exploration of surface tension using paperclips and water. Students challenge the law of gravity by making metal float and then investigate what breaks the 'skin' of water.
An interactive exploration of Newton's Laws of Motion through hands-on experimentation with balloon-powered rockets. Students will investigate how force impacts distance and velocity.
A lesson focusing on the external anatomy of ray-finned fish using a technical blueprint aesthetic. Students will identify key structures like fins, the lateral line, and the operculum.
A focused exploration of human skin anatomy, teaching students to identify and describe the three primary layers: epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis. Students will investigate the unique functions and structures within each layer through visual aids and matching activities.
An immersive solar system scavenger hunt where students act as space explorers gathering vital planetary data through QR-coded task cards or pre-vetted intel sheets.
A comprehensive lesson exploring solar system organization, planet properties, and the celestial interactions between the sun, Earth, and moon through modeling and data analysis.
An exploration of the human heart's anatomy, focusing on identifying key structures and understanding the path of blood flow through chambers and valves.
This lesson prepares 8th-grade students for the Massachusetts MCAS Science exam, focusing on physical science, chemistry, and technology/engineering through model-based reasoning and experimental design analysis.
A comprehensive 8th-grade STAAR review lesson focusing on Newton's Laws, force, motion, and energy calculations. Students will engage with lab scenarios, visual models, and practice questions aligned to Texas TEKS 8.6A, 8.6B, and 8.6C.
A dynamic lesson exploring the unique chemical properties of water and why it is the essential building block for all life on Earth.
A streamlined 45-minute cow eye dissection lab designed for 8th-grade students to identify key anatomical structures and their functions.
Focuses on identifying and interpreting biological patterns across the ocean. Students analyze biodiversity datasets and create visualizations to understand how environmental variables like temperature, depth, and latitude dictate where marine life thrives.
The capstone week where students synthesize their knowledge of solar energy, wind, and water to explain regional climate variations and master the MCAS Open Response CER strategy.
Students dive into the 'Great Ocean Conveyor Belt,' analyzing how surface winds and density differences (temperature and salinity) drive oceanic circulation and transport heat around the globe.
An exploration of atmospheric pressure and the Coriolis effect, focusing on how air moves from high to low pressure to create global wind belts and how these winds influence regional weather patterns.
Students investigate how differential heating of Earth's surface by the sun creates the initial energy imbalance that drives all weather and climate, practicing CER to explain the relationship between latitude and solar intensity.
Explores the direct relationship between anatomical structures and survival strategies in diverse marine environments. Students analyze case studies of diving mammals, camouflaging invertebrates, deep-sea fish, and sensory-specialized sharks.
A lesson exploring the movement of carbon through Earth's systems, including photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and human impact.
In this lesson, students analyze the 'brain rot' phenomenon through a scientific lens, focusing on how short-form media impacts the brain's reward system. Students engage with new vocabulary, watch a targeted video, and participate in a mediated debate about their digital habits.
A hands-on exploration of thermal energy transfer through convection and freezing point depression experiments. Students observe how density and temperature interact in water and how salt affects the melting process of ice.
An introductory exploration of the physics of sound and light through vocabulary reinforcement and visual aids.
A lesson exploring how traits are passed down through different types of reproduction and how populations change over time through natural and artificial selection.
A student-led inquiry project exploring the intersection of music and neuroscience. Students choose their own research path to discover how musical training transforms cognitive development and present their unique findings.
A hands-on exploration of ocean acidification where students simulate carbon dioxide absorption and observe the effects of acid on calcium carbonate structures like shells and chalk.