Science Lesson Plans

These lesson plans and activities are great for teaching children about science in a fun and engaging way!

Solar System Lesson Plan: This lesson is valuable to teach students in grades 3-5 about the solar system using the inquiry approach. The lesson will teach students about the object in space, the size of each planet, the vastness of space, and other important aspects of the solar system. By the end of the lesson, students will complete research to find interesting facts about the solar system and design a poster that compares two aspects of the solar system.

Constellation Lesson Plan: The objective for this lesson is for students to be able to locate and identify major constellations. The lesson would begin with a discussion about constellations while using a star chart as a reference. The students will then use the star charts to create the constellation patterns in the bottom of clean, empty soda cans that they can look through to find the constellations in the sky. 

Invisible Ink Activity: This activity can be used by students at any age with the help of a parent or teacher. Students can write or draw a message using the invisible ink, and with help, heat the paper to make the message appear. This activity can be used to introduce children to the idea of chemical reactions in a fun and exciting way.

Life Cycles Lesson Plan: This lesson is designed to help students in grades 1-4 understand about life cycles of both plants and animals. The lesson should begin with a trip to a place where students can observe both a young and adult animal (for example, a tadpole and a frog) if possible, as well as plants at varying stages (for example, a pine cone and a pine tree). Students will use this first-hand knowledge to be able to share their findings with other students and learn to identify the stages of life cycles. 

Effects of Mulch Type on Plant Growth Lesson Plan: This hands-on lesson is designed to last at least a week. Students will be given a plant of the same type, and be able to choose between different types of mulch. As a class, determine a hypothesis for the experiment. Students will measure their plants and create individual graphs of the growth. At the end of the allotted experiment time, the results can be compared as a class to decide which type of mulch led to the greatest and least plant growth. 

Fireworks Activity: This activity uses water, cooking oil, and food coloring to create "fireworks" in a jar. This activity will mesmerize young children, and children can hypothesize about why this event occurs. 

Bird Beaks Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students will explore how different types of beaks help birds to find food and survive. Students will begin by exploring and observing different birds. They will then complete an activity using "beaks" such as tweezers and chopsticks to try to pick up different types of "food," such as glass marbles or toothpicks. Students will record, graph, and analyze the results of the activity to help understanding of how bird beaks have a role in the diets of different bird species. 

The Power of Magnetism Lesson Plan: This lesson allows students to experiment with magnets to discover what types of objects are magnetic and which are not. Students will learn about attraction and repulsion through hands-on learning and make predictions about how objects will interact with magnets. Students will also gain knowledge on the idea that magnets have separate poles.

Camouflage Lesson Plan: In this lesson designed for early elementary students, students will learn about what camouflage is and how it helps animals. The lesson will begin by scattering different colored toothpicks outside and allowing students a few minutes to find them, followed by a discussion on why the students found fewer green toothpicks. Students will then compare how a cutout of a polar bear can be seen against a white paper background and a colored background, and discuss how this helps polar bears in their typical environment. 

Absorption Activity: This activity is designed for younger children to learn about object absorption. Different objects can be placed in an ice cube tray, and children can be given a water dropper along with a cup of water. Children can transfer the water slowly to determine which objects can absorb water and which objects do not.