Next Generation Science Standards Aligned Resources
OER Commons has worked with some of the most trusted and innovative OER science educators out there to bring you resources aligned and evaluated against the Next Generation Science Standards.
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Basics of Electrical and Electronics course gives the introduction and working of …
Basics of Electrical and Electronics course gives the introduction and working of small concepts in these two fields. Electrical and Electronics is the heart of most of the latest applications. Foundation of such things must be concrete. Hence this course will help in doing those things.
Students explore the properties of composites using inexpensive materials and processing techniques. …
Students explore the properties of composites using inexpensive materials and processing techniques. They create beams using Laffy Taffy and water, and a choice of various reinforcements (pasta, rice, candies) and fabricating temperatures. Student groups compete for the highest strength beam. They measure flexure strength with three-point bend tests and calculations. Results are compared and discussed to learn how different materials and reinforcement shapes affect material properties and performance.
Using gumdrops and toothpicks, students conduct a large-group, interactive ozone depletion model. …
Using gumdrops and toothpicks, students conduct a large-group, interactive ozone depletion model. Students explore the dynamic and competing upper atmospheric roles of the protective ozone layer, the sun's UV radiation and harmful human-made CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons).
Ever wonder how honey gets from the bee to the table? Join …
Ever wonder how honey gets from the bee to the table? Join the Bee Cause Project and avid beekeeper, Ted Dennard, on this immersive 360 video to find out just how those amazing bees do it! The National Honey Board has created an amazing look into the life of beekeepers and into the hive. We've created a lesson plan full of resources including science lessons, video links, and a full set of step-by-step printable cards for demonstrating the process of how honey is made!
In this activity, kids will work on two fundamental early math skills …
In this activity, kids will work on two fundamental early math skills – sorting/classifying, and graphing. There will also be some great fine motor skill practice! Includes place-based discussion questions, activity instructions, extension activities, songs, and student graph worksheets.
NGSS: K-LS1-1, 1-LS1-1, partially meets K-ESS3-1 (book and discussion)
Common Core: MP.4
Time: 45 minutes
Matierals: bag of dried beans ("16 bean soup"), paper bowls, glue, chart paper, the book "One Bean" or similar book about growing food plants, especially beans.
In this activity, students learn about their heart rate and different ways …
In this activity, students learn about their heart rate and different ways it can be measured. Students construct a simple measurement device using clay and a toothpick, and then use this device to measure their heart rate under different circumstances (i.e., sitting, standing and jumping). Students make predictions and record data on a worksheet.
Lighting is responsible for nearly one-third of the electricity use in buildings. …
Lighting is responsible for nearly one-third of the electricity use in buildings. One of the best ways to conserve energy is to make sure the lights are turned off when no one is in a room. This process can be automated using motion sensors. In this activity, students explore material properties as they relate to motion detection, and use that knowledge to make design judgments about what types of motion detectors to use in specific applications.
This 5th grade STEM Storyline Unit from Washington Educational Service District 112 …
This 5th grade STEM Storyline Unit from Washington Educational Service District 112 is focused around Climate Justice, Over five NGSS aligned lessons and using the 5E model, students are presented with the ideas of environmental stewardship and restoration.
In this 5th grade STEM Storyline Unit focused around Climate Justice, we …
In this 5th grade STEM Storyline Unit focused around Climate Justice, we present students with the idea of environmental stewardship and restoration. Students learn from communities and activists who are working to protect the Earth against negative human impacts. We believe that a part of STEM literacy is the ability for students to be aware of and think critically about the ways in which we are protecting or disturbing the natural world. We hope to use this unit to amplify the voices of Youth Activists of Color and support your 5th graders in developing their own voices as leaders in their community. The unit culminates with students presenting their learning to their community in order to expand their community’s understanding of environmental stewardship.
This video segment describes how the Australopithecus afarensis skeleton known as Lucy …
This video segment describes how the Australopithecus afarensis skeleton known as Lucy could have been fossilized. Footage courtesy of NOVA: "In Search of Human Origins."
Our mission is to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards while …
Our mission is to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards while protecting our planet's most precious pollinators. The resources we have provided are designed to engage students through observation-based and hands-on learning with a little help from our tiny friends -- the bees! This unit of study has ample resources including teacher guides, video links, material lists, background information, standards mapping, and engaging work for students.
Download this complete set of lessons for an elementary, NGSS-aligned inquiry that …
Download this complete set of lessons for an elementary, NGSS-aligned inquiry that foregrounds engineering practices. During the days that are supported by this investigation, students observe flowers on their 14 to 16 day old Fast Plants along with bee structures, learning to connect how the shape of a structure is related to its function. Then, students make and/or use bee sticks to conduct pollination. Finally, students look closely at how pollen is carried on bee bodies and where pollen moves within the flower as concrete examples of the relationship between structure and function. Then, students have the opportunity to use a wide variety of materials to design a solution to a problem (no bees). The solution will be a simple model that mimics the function of a bee in pollinating plants.Complete kits are available from Carolina Biological for this investigation, or everything to grow Fast Plants can be built or obtained locally, using the instructions available on the Fast Plants website. This stand-alone inquiry is a subset of lessons from a comprehensive life cycle unit that is NGSS-aligned, titled "Investigating Plants Needs with Wisconsin Fast Plants" (also available in the Fast Plants digital library).
The study of biomimicry and sustainable design promises great benefits in design …
The study of biomimicry and sustainable design promises great benefits in design applications, offering cost-effective, resourceful, non-polluting avenues for new enterprise. An important final caveat for students to understand is that once copied, species are not expendable. Biomimicry is intended to help people by identifying natural functions from which to pattern human-driven services. Biomimicry was never intended to replace species. Ecosystems remain in critical need of ongoing protection and biodiversity must be preserved for the overall health of the planet. This activity addresses the negative ramifications of species decline. For example, pollinators such as bees are a vital work force in agriculture. They perform an irreplaceable task in ensuring the harvest of most fruit and vegetable crops. In the face of the unexplained colony collapse disorder, we are only now beginning to understand how invaluable these insects are in keeping food costs down and even making the existence of these foods possible for humans.
Students learn about material properties, and that engineers must consider many different …
Students learn about material properties, and that engineers must consider many different materials properties when designing. This activity focuses on strength-to-weight ratios and how sometimes the strongest material is not always the best material.
Explore bending of light between two media with different indices of refraction. …
Explore bending of light between two media with different indices of refraction. See how changing from air to water to glass changes the bending angle. Play with prisms of different shapes and make rainbows.
The goal of this unit is for students to gain an awareness …
The goal of this unit is for students to gain an awareness of several potential ways to mitigate climate change. Many climate solutions exist, are in use, and can be expanded in scale. Students will examine solutions from Bending the Curve, explore carbon sequestration by trees, coastal wetland restoration, and food waste reduction in more detail. They will propose three (3) realistic solutions that could happen at an individual, school, or community scale that would assist in mitigating climate change.
Students toss coins to determine what traits a set of mouse parents …
Students toss coins to determine what traits a set of mouse parents possess, such as fur color, body size, heat tolerance, and running speed. Then they use coin tossing to determine the traits a mouse pup born to these parents possesses. Then they compare these physical features to features that would be most adaptive in several different environmental conditions. Finally, students consider what would happen to the mouse offspring if those environmental conditions were to change: which mice would be most likely to survive and produce the next generation?
Learners research the effects of melting sea ice in the Bering Sea …
Learners research the effects of melting sea ice in the Bering Sea Ecosystem. They create research proposals to earn a place on the scientific research vessel Healy and present their findings and proposals to a Research Board committee.
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