Science Lesson Plans

A list of annotated links featuring the great lesson plans available on the Internet.

Lesson Plans

The ABC's of Nuclear Science
Do you know that you are being bombarded constantly by nuclear radiation from the Cosmos? Do you know the difference between fision and fusion? You don't need to be a nuclear scientist to understand the answers to these questions. At this site, students and teachers at all levels can learn about the tiny objects that make up almost all of the mass in the Universe. Lesson plans, activity ideas, experiments, informative and accessible articles, and a glossary of terms form this introduction to nuclear science.
http://www.lbl.gov/abc/index.html

ERIC Science Lesson Plans
The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) collection of teacher-submitted lesson plans, funded by the Department of Education, can now be found at The Educator's Reference Desk. A searchable index is provided, and lessons are divided by concept area.
http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/lessons.cgi/Science

Education World: Science Lesson Plans
Find dozens of lessons for all grade levels, and get access to many more lessons submitted by trained and practicing teachers just like you.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/archives/science.shtml

Energy Saving | Alliance to Save Energy
The Alliance to Save Energy Web site has an area for educators with free, hands-on, multidisciplinary lesson plans on energy. The Alliance has obtained rights for the lesson plans for your classroom use.
http://www.ase.org/section/_audience/educators/lessons/

Evolution | PBS
The Evolution Web site is one component of the Evolution project, which is comprised of a seven-part television series, an extensive outreach initiative, and a HarperCollins companion book. This content-rich, interactive Web site features streaming imagery, animations, simulations, dynamic timelines, conversations with experts, current news bulletins, and extensive links to evolution-related learning resources worldwide. Resources for educators and students include a free teacher's guide, lesson plans, online professional development courses for high school science teachers, and more.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/

The Exploratorium
The Exploratorium is a museum of science, art, and human perception located in San Francisco, California. Online since 1993, the Exploratorium was one of the first science museums to build a site on the World Wide Web. Included in the site are more than 12,000 Web pages and many sound and video files, exploring hundreds of different topics. The site contains instructions for over 500 simple experiments, all of which may be viewed on any type of Web browser, with even the slowest connection, and easily printed out.  A variety of online exhibits are also available, all of which are patterned after real exhibits on the museum floor.  Occasionally, the online version provides a richer experience than its physical counterparts.
http://www.exploratorium.edu

Herps: Reviled and Revered | Smithsonian
From the Smithsonian Office of Education, this site for grades 3-8 uses five lessons to help students examine misconceptions about herps (the collective name given to reptiles and amphibians), discover how humans have viewed herps throughout history, and catalog the differences and similarities between reptiles and amphibians. Links to other resources are also included.
http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/herps/start.html

The NASA SCIence Files
This site complements the television series from NASA geared to grades 3-5, but you don't need to have seen the show to use the Web site. The Problem Board has interactive simulations of different science, math, technology, and engineering concepts and principles. Problem topics include the environment, inventions, noise pollution, and electricity. The Educator's Area provides an educator guide and implementation strategies, worksheets and activities. Tips for parents are also included.
http://whyfiles.larc.nasa.gov

Oceanworld
Use this site as a starting point in your students' exploration of the world's oceans.  From weather and waves to icebergs and coral reefs, if your students have questions about it, they'll find the answers here. Information is presented in terms upper elementary students can easily understand. For older students, the online version of the textbook "Introduction to Physical Oceanography" can be downloaded in pdf format or viewed on html pages. Extra features are stunning photographs, an embedded glossary providing quick definitions, an interactive quiz, and real-time data.
http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/index.html

Science NetLinks
Science NetLinks is part of the Marco Polo Education Foundation and has partnered with the AAAS, NCTM, and other educational organizations. Science lessons for students (k-12) are linked to the AAAS Benchmarks for Science Literacy. You can sort lessons by grade level or benchmark, and each lesson has several online resources that offer background and content knowledge for teachers and students.
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/matrix.cfm

The Science Spot
Developed by a middle school science teacher, this comprehensive Web site offers numerous lesson plans, project ideas for science clubs, science trivia to be used as class starters, and a place to share your ideas with other teachers.  It has won many awards and been featured in Classroom Connect. Added incentive for Illinois teachers -- all lessons are linked to the Illinois Learning Standards for Science.
http://sciencespot.net/index.html

PBS TeacherSource: Science
Use the pull-down menus in the center of the page for access to hundreds of curriculum resources for grades PreK-12.  Lessons are based upon PBS's on-air and online programming.  Most lessons incorporate the use of video, but do not require it.  You will also find access to dozens of recommended science-related web sites and books.
http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/sci_tech.htm