Elementary School Lesson Plans (Page 6)

Butterfly Algorithms

Lesson Plan Grade: Kindergarten-3rd

1

2

3

4

5

2 reviews

Computational thinking is a problem-solving process that is used in everyday life as well as computer programs. In this lesson, students apply their computational thinking skills to explore the life cycle of a butterfly. They'll create an algorithm, or set of instructions, to model the life cycle of a butterfly. They will write this algorithm using conditionals and then program it on a computer. Learning Objectives Students will: Analyze the life cycle of a butterfly. Develop an algorithm… Read more

Circulatory System: Where Would a Vampire Bite You?

Video Lesson Grade: 4th

1

2

3

4

5

7 reviews

In this lesson, students will learn about the circulatory system and build a simple model to investigate blood flow in different types of blood vessels. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

4-LS1-1. Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

Climate Change and Sea Level Rise

Lesson Plan Grade: 5th-8th

1

2

3

4

5

3 reviews

"Surprise Glacier" © 2010 Jiuguang Wang Do sea levels rise when ice melts? Does it matter whether the ice is on land or in the ocean? Students design an experiment to find out. They collect data, graph their results, and interpret their findings. Along the way, they learn about density, displacement, and climate change. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

5-PS1-2. Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total weight of matter is conserved.
MS-PS1-5. Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved.

Designs in Nature: Investigate the Branching Structure of Trees

Lesson Plan Grade: Kindergarten-2nd

Nature is full of objects with many different shapes. Some of these shapes display obvious regularities or distinct patterns, such as stripes, waves, symmetry, or spirals. Each of these natural patterns has evolved over a very long time and serves a specific function that usually helps a plant, animal, or other organism to survive. In this lesson plan, students explore the branching pattern of trees, plants, and leaves. They will make drawings and a leaf rubbing to compare different branching… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

K-2-ETS1-2. Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.

Discovering Rainforest Locations

Lesson Plan Grade: 4th-8th

"Global Biomes" © 2012 NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center In this activity, students will compare maps showing worldwide temperature, precipitation, biodiversity, and soil nutrition levels to predict where on our planet rainforests are located. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

4-ESS2-2. Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth's features.
5-ESS2-1. Develop a model using an example to describe ways in which the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact.
MS-ESS2-6. Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.

Earth's Water: A Drop in Your Cup

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-5th

1

2

3

4

5

9 reviews

Photo by Tim McCabe, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Our planet's surface may be mostly covered in water, but how much of that can we use? In this activity, students will see how water is distributed across different sources, how much can be used by humans, and will brainstorm ways to decrease their usage of fresh water. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

5-ESS2-2. Describe and graph the amounts of salt water and fresh water in various reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on Earth.

How Do Engineers Solve Problems?

Video Lesson Grade: 3rd-5th

1

2

3

4

5

2 reviews

In this fun video lesson, students will pretend to be engineers at an engineering company that constructs paper airplanes. They will identify the criteria for success from provided readings and define the constraints on their solutions. Using the engineering design process they will prototype, test, and deliver their best paper airplanes. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

3-5-ETS1-1. Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

How Stable is Your Food Web?

Lesson Plan Grade: 5th-9th

1

2

3

4

5

2 reviews

"Giant Kelp Forest" © 2010 Tom Thai Could you describe the kelp forest food web as a system? Your students will design and use a simple model to test cause and effect relationships or interactions concerning the functioning of a marine food web, ranking their hypothetical ecosystems according to their stability when faced with a natural or man-made disturbance. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

5-LS2-1. Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.
MS-LS2-3. Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
MS-LS2-4. Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
HS-LS2-6. Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.

Investigate the Properties of Liquids

Lesson Plan Grade: 2nd

1

2

3

4

5

7 reviews

When discussing material properties, most of us usually think of solid materials and material properties such as hardness, flexibility, or strength. However, liquids are characterized by distinct properties, too. Some of these properties overlap with those of solids, like density or transparency, but others are more specific to liquids. Viscosity—the resistance of a fluid to flow—and surface tension, are two examples of properties that are specifically used to characterize liquids.… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

2-PS1-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties.

Kinesthetic Astronomy: Earth's Rotation

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-8th

1

2

3

4

5

2 reviews

"Blue Marble" © 2002 NASA Earth Observatory Many of the misconceptions about our solar system are rooted in the fact that it is large and hard to comprehend. This kinesthetic activity will demonstrate concepts like rotation and orbit, clarify movement and direction, and help students understand why earthlings see different things in the sky. Read more

Elementary School Lesson Plans (106 results)

Explore Our Science Videos