Lesson Plans & Activities
Looking for ideas to spice up your science teaching? Our activity database features full-period lessons to integrate into your normal curriculum.
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Here you'll find a curated collection of science lesson plans for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. Many of our activities list connections to the Next Generation Science Standards.
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Can we use a model to predict the impacts of nutrient pollutants on an aquatic ecosystem?
Could you describe the kelp forest food web as a system?
Trace patterns of agricultural expansion through space and time. Do you see evidence for how agriculture spread?
How much freshwater was used to produce your meal today?
What are the problems associated with burning fossil fuels?
The Earth's tilt is the reason for the season!
You may know your zodiac sign, but do you know your birthday stars?
Students will practice being Earth to learn about how our orbit affects what we see.
This interactive lesson will demonstrate the difference between "rotation" and "orbit."
This interactive activity will demonstrate why some planets look like they are traveling backwards.
Learn about the phases of the moon with this tactile activity!
Track the sun's position to learn the cardinal directions.
What kinds of everyday objects contain carbon? This introductory activity will help you get it straight!
How does the finite amount of carbon on this planet move around in the environment, from one place to another?
Can you create a model of how carbon flows between the biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and lithosphere?
Learn what it takes to develop, grow and consume some of the foods and water we need.
Using a model, students will construct explanations for one of the reasons why fish populations are declining.
A complimentary extension to the lesson Global Climate Change and Sea Level Rise.
Which type of ice causes a rise in sea level when it melts: glaciers, icebergs, or both?
Where are our rainforests? Why are they there?
In this inquiry-based activity, students test different materials to see which is best to clean up an oil spill.
Learn about adaptation by creating an insect that can survive in a specific habitat!
Featuring over 40 activities, this guide will get your students outside throughout the year!
Observations inspire scientific questions and drive discoveries. Explore seasonal primary productivity on Earth!
By building your own seismograph to document shaking, you'll learn how scientists measure earthquake intensity.
Through scientific sketching, you can identify patterns in traits shared by a species and get to know variation.
These mockingbirds have an interesting history: can you construct their evolutionary relationship using logic?
By conducting a survey of an outdoor environment, students will design solutions for preventing marine debris.
How does the digestive system of a zebra differ from that of a buffalo?
Students will explore tectonic plate boundaries and different types of seismic waves generated by earthquakes.
Discover the part of the leaf that allows for gas exchange!
Why do birds migrate? Visualize and explore the connectedness of organisms within and across ecosystems.
Observations inspire scientific questions and drive discoveries. Explore seasonal primary productivity on Earth!
In this activity, students will be transformed into strategically low-impact world travelers.
By sorting our waste into different bins, we can make a huge impact.
Learn about buoyancy by creating a creating a neutrally buoyant "scuba diver."
Practice ratios and create scale models to compare sizes between the largest animals.
Investigate why flowers have different shapes and colors.
Students will learn about real-world issues involved in making conservation plans to save endangered species.
Erica Katz's fifth graders seek to answer the question: "Why does the moon look different on different days?"
Anoushka Takla's fourth graders seek to answer the question: "What happens to our trash over time?"
In this activity, students gain insight into the challenges associated with meeting various design requirements.
In this two-day lesson, students explore several issues surrounding our current global food system.
Practice rapid ideation—an important step in design thinking—by brainstorming solutions to food systems issues.
In this activity, students will work together to weigh potential solutions to global food system issues.
Design Thinking Challenge: Are your students ready to tackle a food system issue at home or in their school?
Students contextualize a design problem by examining the water consumption of smartphones, boots, and chocolate.
In this two-day lesson, students explore several issues surrounding global water use and conservation.
Practice rapid ideation—an important step in design thinking—by brainstorming solutions to global water issues.
In this activity, students will work together to weigh potential solutions to water use and conservation issues.
Design Thinking Challenge: Are your students ready to tackle a water issue at home or in their school?