This unit integrates scientific inquiry, the engineering design process, with math practices and technology. Students learn about energy, alternative energy, designing experiments and use math and technology as tools to accomplish their tasks.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Assessment
This article provides five strategies for building the foundation for climate science literacy in the elementary grades.
Material Type: Reading
This four week curriculum is for elementary learners to explore environmental engineering in urban environments. The unit starts with a broad question of “how can we make our community more sustainable?”, the unit will cover what the field of environmental engineering is, what predictability, mitigation and sustainability are, and how they relate to each other. These principles will be taught as vocabulary and will be supported with the use of anchor charts; students will be expected to use them during discussions. The unit will teach about urban infrastructure and the phenomenon of the Urban Heat Island effect. Students will then learn about and explore the possibilities of alternative energy sources and cities that already implementing green engineering. Students will explore how they can answer the question that was presented to them at the beginning of the unit. Following the engineering design process students will plan changes that they would make to their own city (in our case New Haven, Connecticut). Students will act as environmental engineers to come up with potential solutions to answer the broad question posed at the beginning of the unit.
Material Type: Lesson Plan, Unit of Study
This part of the course Introduction to Aerospace Engineering is focused on two aerospace disciplines: "space and orbital mechanics" and "structures and materials". These topics are discussed in detail and will provide an understanding for both aircraft and for spacecraft/space missions. Study Goals- List/describe the reasons for going into space and the principles of rockets, including their trajectories.- Motivate the selection of spacecraft configurations depending on the mission and identify the main elements of a satellite.- Describe the features of the space environment and their consequences for space activities.- Determine elementary satellite orbits, transfer orbits and maneuvers- Describe and work with elementary space propulsion aspects: launch, velocity budget and rocket equation- List the characteristics of typical aerospace materials & structures and describe their meaning and relevance- List the main structural elements of an aerospace vehicle and describe their functions and performance
Material Type: Full Course
A learning activity for the "All About Earth: Our World on Stage" book in the Elementary GLOBE series. In pairs, students will create experimental conditions in terrariums in order to study what plants need to live. Variables to study include the presence or absence of soil, water, and sunlight. Students will record the growth of radish plants as well as observations of "the water cycle" in their terrariums. At the conclusion of their experiments, students will share their results with the class and discuss how water, Earth materials, and air are all necessary to support living things. The purpose of the activity is to acquaint students with the hydrosphere, geosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere more closely, to have students use microcosms to study natural phenomena, and to introduce students to the concept of a "fair test" in a scientific investigation. After completing this activity, students will know about the importance of the hydrosphere, geosphere, and atmosphere in supporting the biosphere. They will learn how to set up "fair test", record detailed observations, use drawings as scientific records, make sense of experimental results, and share them publicly.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Diagram/Illustration, Interactive, Lesson Plan, Textbook
This teaching unit was created to provide any classroom teacher with all the tools necessary to help her students learn and apply engineering and design skills and computer science concepts in the context of a Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) style investigation. Students learn in the context of a story line that winds throughout each of the five workshops in the unit. Each workshop introduces a new phase of their ongoing “Mission to Mars.” Every workshop begins with a video that provides students an overview of the problem or situation encountered by the Mars Explorers (represented in the online modules by two Lego™ mini-figures and called Max and Mia to match the WeDo software). The curriculum then walks the students through a series of online learning modules that help them learn about a piece of technology or a new concept they’ll need to build a model from Lego WeDo™ kits and how they can solve real life problems using engineering practices.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Assessment
This unit consists of five lessons encouraging younger learners to engineer increasingly better towers using blocks and recycled materials. Each 30 minute lesson ("phase") includes goals, discussion, activity instructions, extensions, and student worksheets. Phase 1: Paper Cut-Outs Activity Phase 2: Building Blocks Activity Phase 3: Number of Blocks Activity Phase 4: Building within a Space Activity Phase 5: Recycled Tower Activity NGSS: K-2-ETS1-1, K-2-ETS1-2, K-2-ETS1-3 Common Core ELA: RI.2.1, W.2.6, W.2.8, SL.2.5 Common Core Math: MP.2, MP.4, MP.5, 2.MD.D.10
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson Plan
This lesson unit is intended to help you assess how well students are able to: recognize and use common 2D representations of 3D objects and identify and use the appropriate formula for finding the circumference of a circle.
Material Type: Assessment, Lesson Plan
Elementary Science and Integrated Subjects is a statewide Clime Time collaboration among ESD 123, ESD 105, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Development of the resources is in response to a need for research- based science lessons for elementary teachers that are integrated with English language arts, mathematics and other subjects such as social studies. The template for Elementary integration can serve as an organized, coherent and research-based roadmap for teachers in the development of their own NGSS aligned science lessons. Lessons can also be useful for classrooms that have no adopted curriculum as well as to serve as enhancements for current science curriculum.
Material Type: Activity/Lab
NASA's webpage for educators. Includes lesson plans, videos, published articles, and additional teaching resources and websites to improve your science curriculum.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson Plan
This simulation lets learners explore how heating and cooling adds or removes energy. Use a slider to heat blocks of iron or brick to see the energy flow. Next, build your own system to convert mechanical, light, or chemical energy into electrical or thermal energy. (Learners can choose sunlight, steam, flowing water, or mechanical energy to power their systems.) The simulation allows students to visualize energy transformation and describe how energy flows in various systems. Through examples from everyday life, it also bolsters understanding of conservation of energy. This item is part of a larger collection of simulations developed by the Physics Education Technology project (PhET).
Material Type: Simulation
The lessons in this curriculum unit will help students learn the foundations of coding using the free PBS KIDS ScratchJr app. With PBS KIDS Scratch Jr, students can create their own interactive stories and games featuring their favorite characters from Wild Kratts, Nature Cat, WordGirl and Peg + Cat!. By snapping together colorful programming blocks, students make characters move, jump, dance, and sing. In the process, kids learn to solve problems, design projects, and express themselves creatively. These lessons help students explore coding/programming vocabulary and offer non-device activities around coding/programming concepts.
Material Type: Lesson Plan, Unit of Study
This flowchart illustrates the process of STEM Storyline development at Educational Service District 112.
Material Type: Activity/Lab
As part of our continued commitment to education, the team at The Bee Cause Project has created this companion document, Educator’s Curriculum Guide, to supplement the Nature’s Partners curriculum.Our Tips from the Hive are designed to add layers of concept extensions, optional digital methods of delivering content, and support to educators that are either brand new or experienced environmental educators. The Buzz Worthy Resource Materials are video links, notable articles, and more printable resources, while the Bee Cause Book Club highlights recommended readings for students of all ages. Several titles have quality read-aloud links as well.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Game, Lesson Plan, Module, Simulation, Teaching/Learning Strategy
Maker Clubs introduce students to the making movement, the idea that hands on learning and creating things from scratch lays the foundation for future success, especially in STEM fields.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson, Lesson Plan, Module, Student Guide, Unit of Study
Beginning kindergarteners are introduced to science and engineering concepts through questions such as “What is a Scientist?” and “What is an Engineer?”, and go on to compare and contrast the two. They are introduced to five steps of the engineering design process and explore these steps using the “I do, we do, you do” set of guided instruction. At the end of the project, students produce a set of purple popsicles that they design using various materials and by following a set of criteria.
Material Type: Activity/Lab
A rubric to use in the elementary school classroom for science investigations
Material Type: Assessment
The Third Grade Elementary Framework for Science and Integrated Subjects, Weather, uses the phenomena of extreme weather events. It is part of Elementary Framework for Science and Integrated Subjects project, a statewide Clime Time collaboration among ESD 123, ESD 105, North Central ESD, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Development of the resources is in response to a need for research- based science lessons for elementary teachers that are integrated with English language arts, mathematics and other subjects such as social studies. The template for Elementary Science and Integrated Subjects can serve as an organized, coherent and research-based roadmap for teachers in the development of their own NGSS aligned science lessons. Lessons can also be useful for classrooms that have no adopted curriculum as well as to serve as enhancements for current science curriculum. The EFSIS project brings together grade level teams of teachers to develop lessons or suites of lessons that are 1) pnenomena based, focused on grade level Performance Expectations, and 2) leverage ELA and Mathematics Washington State Learning Standards.
Material Type: Data Set, Lesson Plan, Module, Reading
The Fourth Grade Elementary Framework for Science and Integrated Subjects, What Happened at Dry Falls?, uses the phenomena of a local Washington landform to explore erosion from the Ice Age Floods. It is part of Elementary Framework for Science and Integrated Subjects project, a statewide Clime Time collaboration among ESD 123, ESD 105, North Central ESD, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Development of the resources is in response to a need for research- based science lessons for elementary teachers that are integrated with English language arts, mathematics and other subjects such as social studies. The template for Elementary Science and Integrated Subjects can serve as an organized, coherent and research-based roadmap for teachers in the development of their own NGSS aligned science lessons. Lessons can also be useful for classrooms that have no adopted curriculum as well as to serve as enhancements for current science curriculum. The EFSIS project brings together grade level teams of teachers to develop lessons or suites of lessons that are 1) pnenomena based, focused on grade level Performance Expectations, and 2) leverage ELA and Mathematics Washington State Learning Standards.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson Plan, Module, Reading
The Fifth Grade Elementary Framework for Science and Integrated Subjects,Earth and Space: Patterns in the Sky, uses the phenomena of perceived sun and moon movements that seem to move around the Earth to explore stars, Earth orbit and rotation and moon orbit around Earth. It is part of Elementary Framework for Science and Integrated Subjects project, a statewide Clime Time collaboration among ESD 123, ESD 105, North Central ESD, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Development of the resources is in response to a need for research- based science lessons for elementary teachers that are integrated with English language arts, mathematics and other subjects such as social studies. The template for Elementary Science and Integrated Subjects can serve as an organized, coherent and research-based roadmap for teachers in the development of their own NGSS aligned science lessons. Lessons can also be useful for classrooms that have no adopted curriculum as well as to serve as enhancements for current science curriculum. The EFSIS project brings together grade level teams of teachers to develop lessons or suites of lessons that are 1) pnenomena based, focused on grade level Performance Expectations, and 2) leverage ELA and Mathematics Washington State Learning Standards.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Homework/Assignment
