The goal of this activity is to build critical thinking skills and excitement for Computer Science / Computational Thinking, while laying a foundation of fundamental programming concepts. By scaffolding basic concepts like sequencing and algorithms in an unplugged activity, students who are intimidated by computers can still build a foundation of understanding. In this lesson, students will learn how to develop an algorithm and encode it into a program.By "programming" one another to draw pictures, students experience some of the core concepts of programming in a fun and accessible way. The class will start by having students view a video of a simple program demonstrating how to develop instructions for building a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Students will start with simple shapes, and progress to the coding of a specific drawing that other students will then try to replicate (“running the program”). If there is a desire to have a more of a Math slant on the lesson, the drawing could take place on graph paper. Students would then use the coordinates to complete the drawing. 

The students will analyze the pH of four citrus fruits: lime, lemon, orange, and a grapefruit, and then they will analyze the pH of four different types of stain removers:
Shout Advanced, Spray 'n Wash Max, Oxi Clean Laundry, and Clorox Oxi Magic. Using their learned information, they will predict and then analyze the pH of a final cleaning solution Bathroom Lime & Scale Remover, which is a Green product.

Students will use two methods of determining the pH for comparison. This will be done utilizing pH litmus paper and creating a cabbage indicator solution.

Students will also read labels, list the first few ingredients, and identify sales tactics used for their products such as eye-catching phrases. (Language Arts)

Finally, students will discuss and share their results as a class. Students need to answer what do citrus fruits have to do with cleaning? What product is most effective? Students need to support their answer with data from their experiment.

Science Instructional Plans (SIPs) help teachers align instruction with the Science Standards of Learning (SOL) by providing examples of how the content and the scientific and engineering practices found in the SOL and curriculum framework can be presented to students in the classroom.

This simulation serves as an introduction to balancing equations, the included student sheet by Elyse Zimmer is just one of the guided inquiry sheets available with this resource. The google form assessment will allow you to gauge student understanding after your lessons on balancing equations.

This module is designed to guide students in better understanding light. The students will also understand how light travels and interacts with other materials.  The teacher will facilitate students' explorations as they generate a summary of their experiences.  Throughout this unit, students will be guided in using practical materials such everyday items found in their classroom and light energy produced by flashlightThe goal of this module is for students to explore light and to better understand how it behaves.  This module has been designed for 5th grade students or students who are developmentally ready to explore light.  This module could also be used as a review for students in upper grades who need to build their fundamental understanding.  

This activity covers balancing chemical equations, endothermic/exothermic reactions, and identifying the reactants and products. I used this activity as a homework assignment to reinforce what had been taught in class that day. It could easily be adapted for use as a warm-up, extension activity, extra credit, reinforcement, etc.

In this physical science lab, students investigate whether or not chewing gum should be considered eating. Students plan their own experiments for this lab. They use the law of conservation of mass to reason that the portion lost of the original mass of gum must be swallowed. Students determine the portion of original mass of gum. A student lab sheet and CER template are provided.

The lessons in this module are empirical – abductive. The teacher helps students identify the activity of substances within pizza dough. The teacher announces the students will conduct chemical reactions to explore how matter is conserved during a chemical change. After the class compares their reasoning, the teacher provides clarifying and direct instruction with videos, guided practice and supported computer simulation practice for students to learn to balance chemical equations. Students complete a problem-based investigation to apply their learning by writing, testing and explaining a lab procedure that will help an absent classmate to gather evidence and gain an understanding of the Law of Conservation of Matter. This module was developed by Patricia Kramolisch as part of a Virginia Commonwealth University STEM initiative sponsored by the Virginia Department of Education.

Students will use predetermined materials to create prototypes of badge covers to try to block RFID signals from being read.

In this activity, participants plan and conduct a plant growth experiment while considering the role of data quality in automated systems in agriculture. The timing of the activity is highly dependent on the seed variety that you are growing and the level of familiarity that participants already have with basic plant science and scientific investigation concepts, but will likely take several weeks. This activity is part of the Agricultural Cyberbiosecurity Education Resource Collection that contains resources for formal and non-formal agricultural educators working with middle school aged youth. Published as Open Educational Resources, all resources are provided in durable (pdf) and customizable (MS Word) formats. They are hosted on  GoOpenVA in a unique resource collection, Ag Cybersecurity Virginia Tech, at https://goopenva.org/curated-collections/143 and on on Virginia Tech’s stable repository, VTechWorks at https://doi.org/10.21061/cyberbiosecurity

Students will code a robotic device to locate elements on the Periodic Table given a specific description of an element.

This lesson expands upon the ideas of decomposition by using GameChangineer to incorporate commands to create a coded mini game from decomposing word problems. Students will assist the teacher in this guided lesson on how to create commands and use the website before engaing independently in Part 3. Activities are low prep with modifications included, but do require organized planning to implement effectively. If you have not done a lesson on decomposition, it is suggested you use Part 1 to help student's gain the necessary understandings of the processes used in this lesson. 

This is the final part of an extended lesson on decomposition. Students will create a word problem to decompose and then use GameChangineer to create a mini game that is reflective of the word problem and its solution. Students will be using the plan, design, and review process thourhgout their creations. A rubric and self reflection tool for the final products are included. Activities are low prep with modifications included, but do require organized planning to implement effectively. If you have not done a lesson on decomposition, it is suggested you use Part 1 to help student's gain the necessary understandings of the processes used in this lesson. If you have not done a lesson on writing commands and using GameChangineer, it is suggested you use Part 2 before implementing this independent activity. 

Science Instructional Plans (SIPs) help teachers align instruction with the Science Standards of Learning (SOL) by providing examples of how the content and the scientific and engineering practices found in the SOL and curriculum framework can be presented to students in the classroom.

By the end of this module, the students will be able to explain (using physical models and computer simulations) the components of electrical circuits, the purpose of each component, and the differences between series and parallel circuits.This module was developed by Christina Owens as part of a Virginia Commonwealth University STEM initiative sponsored by the Virginia Department of Education.

I use this activity in class after students learn about the electromagnetic spectrum, some of the uses of various frequencies, and some of the dangers. This project helps students evaluate a new invention/new use for IR camera drones. Then, using their understanding of the EM spectrum and possible uses, they identify a problem and design an invention that uses one or more waves on the EM spectrum to solve the problem. Then, students create a poster to showcase their invention. Students can work independently or in small groups to complete this activity.

This resource includes a student planning sheet and rubric for the poster that students create.

Great to use as an introduction to kinetic and potential energy transformations. This simulation shows how kinetic, potential, and thermal energy transformations occur as a person skates on a ramp. It graphs the relative values so that students can see the change in energy with the change in the position of the person.

Science Instructional Plans (SIPs) help teachers align instruction with the Science Standards of Learning (SOL) by providing examples of how the content and the scientific and engineering practices found in the SOL and curriculum framework can be presented to students in the classroom.

This quick engage and explore activity and simulation will help students experience the wonder of static electricity and then help them discover the law of electric charges. They will be able to explain the phenomenon they experienced using the things they learn from the guided simulation. Teachers can walk students through the simulation or have students explore the simulation on their own.

This student research and planning sheet will help you keep students on task during their research and creation of an element superhero as outlined in the teach engineering lesson plan linked in this resource.