High School Lesson Plans (Page 5)

Bouncing Balls: Collisions, Momentum & Math (for High School)

Lesson Plan Grade: 9th-12th

In this activity, students examine how different balls react when colliding with different surfaces. Also, they will have plenty of opportunity to learn how to calculate momentum and understand the principle of conservation of momentum.Engineering Connection Sports engineering is becoming a popular specialty field of study. While some engineers dedicate their research to understanding collisions between balls and bats, others study the effects of a golf ball colliding with the head of a golf… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

HS-PS2-2. Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.

Comparing COVID-19 Variants: A Real-World Look at the Effect of Mutations

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-12th

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We hear about COVID-19 variants all the time, but what is a virus variant, how do they come about, and why do they matter? Students will explore these question and more in this lesson plan. They will use SimPandemic, a free online tool, to model what COVID-19 outbreaks look like when communities are exposed to different COVID-19 variants and understand how genetic mutations in a virus can lead to functional changes. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-LS2-4. Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
MS-LS3-1. Develop and use a model to describe why structural changes to genes (mutations) located on chromosomes may affect proteins and may result in harmful, beneficial, or neutral effects to the structure and function of the organism.
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.

Computer Simulation of an Artificial Neural Network

Lesson Plan Grade: 9th-12th

Using the Netlogo platform to run simulations of a basic neural network called the perceptron, students explore a basic, yet powerful, model of machine learning as they are challenged to understand the logic. Students engage in the perceptron model and discover a weakness of the model. The students then move on to run simulations on Netlogo with the multi-layer perceptron which overcomes the weakness in the original perceptron model. Engineering Connection Machine learning… Read more

Cricket Wicket Knockdown Challenge for Grades 9-12

Lesson Plan Grade: 9th-12th

Teach your students about the engineering design process with this fun lesson plan. They will design and build a ball-launching machine to knock down a target. Optionally, they can enter their designs in the 2020 Engineering Challenge for a chance to win a cash prize for your school! Teachers, note that elementary school and middle school versions of this lesson plan are also available. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

High School - Science & Engineering Practices

Design Your Own 3D Optical Illusions

Lesson Plan Grade: 8th-12th

In this lesson your students will design their own 3D objects that exhibit "anomalous mirror symmetry"—that is, their reflections appear flipped left to right when you put them in front of a mirror. Students will start by defining the outline of a 2D shape using functions. They will then use MATLAB or Python code to convert the 2D shape into a 3D curve that replicates the outline of the 2D shape when viewed from a certain angle. Finally, they will convert the 3D curve into a solid 3D… Read more

Engineering Silver Nanoparticles

Lesson Plan Grade: 9th-12th

Engineering silver nanoparticles for use in water filters has shown promising results in keeping water free of disinfection byproducts that arise after chlorination. In this activity, the students do individual research to learn about nanotechnology and silver nanoparticles, and how silver nanoparticles can be used in water treatment. Students choose a plant of their choice (from home, school, or from the teacher) to use as an agent to reduce silver nitrate into silver… Read more

Evolution of Digital Organisms

Lesson Plan Grade: 9th-12th

Students are introduced to the concepts of digital organisms and digital evolution. They learn about the research that digital evolution software makes possible, and compare and contrast it with biological evolution.Engineering Connection Computer scientists and engineers work together to create software and hardware to model complex systems and create new technologies. The digital evolution software, Avida, was created by a group of computer scientists and software… Read more

Exploring the Impacts of Feeding the World

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-10th

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© 2015 California Academy of Sciences In this two-day lesson, students will be introduced to several issues related to the social, economic, and environmental impacts of our current food system, including food waste, food deserts, agricultural land use, and the environmental impacts of diet choices. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-ESS3-4. Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems.

From Farms to Phytoplankton

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-11th

"Morganza Spillway" © 2011 NASA Earth Observatory Can we use a model to predict the impacts of nutrient pollutants on an aquatic ecosystem? In this activity, students participate in a kinesthetic simulation to illustrate how nutrient pollution from agricultural runoff can lead to a dead zone at the mouth of a drainage basin. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-ESS3-4. Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems.

From Prokaryotes to Eukaryotes: Solving Problems Using Plasmids

Lesson Plan Grade: 9th-12th

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This lesson compares and contrasts prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and examines the form and function of the plasmid found in prokaryotic cells. Students will then use these principles to simulate how a desirable gene can be isolated and inserted into a plasmid as one step in the process of creating a genetically modified organism (GMO). Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

HS-LS1-2. Develop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical organization of interacting systems that provide specific functions within multicellular organisms.

High School Lesson Plans (70 results)

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