JoinAll Resources
Book Chapter
During a long trip in the car, a student wonders whether the expensive travel mug used for iced tea keeps drinks hot or cold better than the foam cup holding coffee. In this problem, students explore the insulating ability of several kinds of cups wi...
Book Chapter
In this problem, students investigate how to construct a simple circuit from a battery, flashlight bulb, and items that might be found in someone’s pocket. Teams of students engineer a simple flashlight using a flashlight bulb, two AA batteries, an...
Book Chapter
In this problem, students wire the lighting in a miniature house to meet preset specifications. These specifications can be altered to make the problem more or less complex. Students wire circuits with batteries, bulbs, and different numbers of switc...
Book Chapter
In this problem, students are asked to build a battery-operated, personal fan from household materials. This entails building a small electric motor. It is not expected that students will figure out how to make a motor without guidance. Electric moto...
Journal Article
Enter the Nation’s First Student Chief Science Officers
Students vote for one of their peers to become a STEM advocate in their school. These Chief Science Officers select and promote STEM programming, connect with STEM organizations to bring STEM programming to their communities, or participate in loca...
By Jeremy Babendure, Nagib Balfakih, Susan Farretta, and Becky Hughes
Journal Article
The Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education hosts resources for designers, evaluators, and researchers of informal STEM learning experiences and settings....
By Jamie Bell and Ashley Gary
Journal Article
Delving Below the Surface With the Montana Groundwater Academy
The Montana Groundwater Academy is a high school program that integrates classroom and field-based experiences to teach the fundamentals of groundwater science. ...
By Beth Covitt, Agatha Podrasky, Deb Fassnacht, Rebecca Paquette, and William Woessner
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will use observation skills to describe the physical features of roly-polies. They will make comparisons with other animals to identify similarities and differences to infer which animal roly-polies are most like. Assessment ...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will use vocabulary and drawings to represent detailed observations of crickets and use these observations as a basis for making inferences about the function of crickets’ external parts. Assessment criteria and connections...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will observe and describe characteristics of earthworms and compare them to other animals. Students will investigate how various conditions affect the earthworms. Assessment criteria and connections to standards are provided....
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children use observation skills to describe the characteristics of snails. Students will infer the role of the mucus or slime in snail movement and compare the amounts produced on different surfaces. Assessment criteria and connection...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will use vocabulary and drawings to represent detailed observations of goldfish and will use their observations as a basis for making inferences about the functions of different body parts. Assessment criteria and connections...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will observe and compare how different animals can be camouflaged on different surfaces and in different environments. They will discuss why animals camouflage themselves and communicate their learning through speaking, writi...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will observe spiderwebs to discover that spiders come in different sizes, patterns, and shapes. Children will discuss the fact that some spiders use webs to capture prey, and children will simulate the process. Assessment cri...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will experiment with different foods to determine bird preferences. Students will record and analyze data, and use the data to inform choices as they create their own bird feeders. Assessment criteria and connections to stand...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will observe similarities and differences among a group of seeds or beans. Students will sort the seeds or beans based on their observations. Assessment criteria and connections to standards are provided. In addition to the c...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will use their observation skills to describe the characteristics of different types of seeds that each fruit has. Children will classify fruits and seeds in different ways. Assessment criteria and connections to standards ar...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will make observations and comparisons of vegetables to understand that each comes from a part of a plant. Assessment criteria and connections to standards are provided. In addition to the complete lesson, this selection cont...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will observe and describe the physical properties of lima bean seeds and observe how the characteristics change when the seeds are soaked in water. They will observe and compare the germination of soaked and unsoaked seeds. A...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will discuss the needs of plants and use this information to design and construct a terrarium. Children will observe the terrarium over time to identify plant growth and other changes happening inside their terrarium. Assessm...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will understand that plants have distinct odors by observing different plant scents and characterizing these different types of scents (sweet smells, fruity smells, etc.). Assessment criteria and connections to standards are ...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will observe, describe, and compare pumpkins and generate a list of ways individual pumpkins are similar and different. In addition to the complete lesson, this selection contains the following book parts: Chapter 1, “Scien...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will observe, describe, and compare the different parts found inside a pumpkin. Assessment criteria and connections to standards are provided. In addition to the complete lesson, this selection contains the following book par...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will go on a nature walk to a local park (or around the school grounds) to observe and count the types of animals that live there and to learn about animals’ basic needs. In addition to the complete lesson, this selection c...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will observe and gain an appreciation for the diversity of birds in their local area. Children will compare different birds to identify the characteristics they have in common. In addition to the complete lesson, this selecti...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will investigate the school grounds to find different weeds and to identify the different places weeds can grow. In addition to the complete lesson, this selection contains the following book parts: Chapter 1, “Science for ...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will use their observation skills to identify what tree branches look like. They will then use the knowledge they gained from their investigations to put pieces of a tree branch back together. In addition to the complete less...
Book Chapter
In this ongoing unit of study, children will use their observation and comparison skills to understand that certain trees change throughout the seasons. In addition to the complete lesson, this selection contains the following book parts: Chapter 1, ...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will use their observation skills to closely examine leaves. Children will compare leaves, noticing that leaves can vary in size, shape, and color. In addition to the complete lesson, this selection contains the following boo...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will use their observation skills to find objects with similar characteristics while on an outdoor nature scavenger hunt. In addition to the complete lesson, this selection contains the following book parts: Chapter 1, “Sci...
Book Chapter
In this lesson, children will explore the outdoors to discover different objects in nature. Children will sort objects to learn about and identify different plant structures with particular attention to the parts of a flower. In addition to the compl...
eBook
This is the newest book in the bestselling Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series. Like the first edition of volume 1, this book helps pinpoint what your students know (or think they know) so you can monitor their learning and adjust your teachin...
Book Chapter
This is the newest book in the bestselling Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series. Like the first edition of volume 1, this book helps pinpoint what your students know (or think they know) so you can monitor their learning and adjust your teachin...
Workshop
Online Courses: AMNH Seminars on Science: Ecology: Ecosystem Dynamics and Conservation
How do scientists study ecosystems and grapple with real-world conservation questions? Learn about ecology and ecosystem dynamics using a systems thinking lens. Authored by world-class experts at the cutting edge of conservation biology, this six-wee...