Science Help For Educators

Although OpenSciEd curriculum is free online to all, I have found the teaching suggestions lengthy and hard to implement fully. If you are expected to truly follow their curriculum, these lessons might not be what you’re looking for. However, if you have the resources and would like an easier, more manageable way to have your lessons flow, you’ve found your source. I have used the driving questions from 8.1 Contact Forces unit to develop each of the activities and resources included. Please see

The articles cover the exact same content, but are written at approximately 6th and 8th grade reading levels. You might want to use the easier version - Magnets-How They Work for some students and the 8th grade version - Exploring Magnetism with other students. Since the information covered is the same it gives you flexibility to meet your students’ needs. You can choose to have the students do the assignment all on paper, all digitally or the way I prefer is a combination. I print the paperwork

Driving question - What happened inside a student’s foot so they could walk again? This lesson is based on the storyline for OpenSciEd 6.6 lesson 1, however the information presented here can stand alone or be used in conjunction with the lesson I’ve posted entitled I Like to Move It.   I have found OSE student facing materials to be difficult to use and the unit outline lengthy to the point of student phenomenon so I created my own. OpenSciEd is a free curriculum with resources on their websit

Explains how electricity is generated, circuits, key vocabulary & safety precautions The articles cover the exact same content, but are written at approximately 6th and 8th grade reading levels. You can present the students the questions in a multiple choice format or they can answer open response questions. You might want to use the easier version - Unseen Powerhouse for some students and the 8th grade version - Invisible Powerhouse with other students. Since the information covered is the same

Use this worksheet to help students realize magnets are for much more than holding papers onto the refrigerator.  It has links to two short videos with questions to help students stay focused and then read a few paragraphs describing the history, benefits and usage of MRI machines. All information is contained on the worksheet. You don’t need to be an MRI expert to help the students gain a better understanding of this amazing technology. The only prep needed is printing the paperwork and opening

The driving question for this lesson is why does it sometimes rain instead of hail or snow?This lesson is based on the storyline for OpenSciEd 6.3 lesson 1, however the information presented here can stand alone or in coordination with other lessons I’ve posted about weather and climate. I have found OSE student facing materials to be limited in usefulness, so I’ve created my own.  OpenSciEd is a free curriculum with resources on their website for anyone to download and utilize. Note, if your sc

Included are two multi paragraph articles explaining how mass and distance affect gravitational force. The content of the articles is the same, but the readability has been modified so you can choose what works best for your class, or even on a student-by-student need. I’ve also linked two separate Google Forms that include the articles so that students can respond digitally and receive instant feedback for 10 multiple choice questions. There are also two open response questions that you’ll need

Want students to get a numerical representation of how changing mass and the distance between objects affects the gravitational force without needing to do any complex calculations? The free PHET simulation is easy to manipulate and the worksheet provided gives students an organized format to record data. Also, the worksheet reinforces identifying Independent, Dependent & Constant Variables. The lesson also requires students to think beyond the numbers to apply the concepts to a scenario. Also i

Use these simulations and document to have students create working circuits digitally. This is great to use prior to a hands-on lab so that students have some experience before actually building with materials. Or, use this as a make-up assignment for students who were absent during a hands-on circuit building lab. Even works for a sub day or a day you need students to work independently. The simulations state challenges, but don't directly tell students how to set things up. This is great for

Start with magnet basics that most students understand and then expand their understanding of how magnets are used to develop and advance our modern technologies. The worksheet contains the links for two magnet informational videos by Next Generation Science and Veritasium. Keep the students engaged by having students respond to questions while the videos play. I have found Next Generation Science videos a bit slow paced and usually play them at 1.25 speed or higher. Great for individual instruc

Most students know that gravitational forces vary throughout space and that they might be able to float, but do they know why???Use the linked video and the given values for differing gravitational forces to help students calculate what they would weigh at different parts of our solar system.They will also be able to explain and define in simple terms the difference between weight and mass, how they are related, but not the same.Students will either need to multiple by hand or use a calculator t

I've put together 4 minimal prep activities about gravitational force. Each can be used independently or put together for a work packet. All links are for free resources - All Verified October 2025

This simulation helps students visualize magnetic field lines and how they appear differently for ferromagnetic items compared to non-ferromagnetic items. Although the website has student facing paperwork, I have found it cumbersome. I created my own paperwork so that students can work independently without needing further directions or clarifications.  Great for a sub day or any time you need a no prep assignment. The activity should take most students about a half hour to complete. The only pr

The driving question for this lesson - What are the conditions like on days it hails?This lesson is based on the storyline for OpenSciEd 6.3 lesson 2, however the information presented here can stand alone or in coordination with other lessons I’ve posted about weather and climate. I have found OSE student facing materials to be limited in usefulness, so I’ve created my own.  OpenSciEd is a free curriculum with resources on their website for anyone to download and utilize. Note, if your school/d

Included are two separate articles using tug-o-war to illustrate net forces. The short articles cover the same material, but at two different reading levels. Choose what aligns best with your class or individual students.You choose how students access the material and how they respond.You can print it for paper/pencil. Post the article digitally and students highlight and respond on the document. The other option is to  print the article and have students respond with an included Google Form.

Have students view a playful "crime scene" video to make observations. My bet is that they'll infer they are to solve the crime and not actually focus on observing changes being made on screen. I've used this activity for several years with the same results, kids are pulled in by the short video turning what can be a boring lesson discussing the differences between observations and inferences into a classroom full of kids actually focused on making observations. Test Your Awareness Whodunnit vid

This is a very modified lesson from OpenSciEd 8.1. All of their resources are free to use and readily available to download at their website - OpenSciEd.com.  I found OSE student facing resources to be challenging to use, so I created my own. If your district expects strict fidelity to OSE, my resources aren’t for you. However, if you would like to use their overarching storyline along with accessing their resources, you’ve found a good lesson layout. I set up my lessons to have lots of turn an

Driving Question - How does the air higher up compare to the air near the ground?This lesson is based on the storyline for OpenSciEd 6.3 lesson 3, however the information presented here can stand alone or in coordination with other lessons I’ve posted about weather and climate. I have found OSE student facing materials to be limited in usefulness, so I’ve created my own.  OpenSciEd is a free curriculum with resources on their website for anyone to download and utilize. Note, if your school/distr

Space travel is looking like it will be an option for the public within a few decades. Allow your students to creatively express that they understand that gravitational force changes throughout space. This Google Slides asks students to imagine they are preparing for a galactic space trip. They can choose what to bring and can make a list of activities they’d want to do in their free time. It reinforces the fact that all space travel would not be at a reduced gravitational force. Students need t

Need a quick way to access to see if your students are ready to use a real graduated cylinder? Look no further.This Google Form can be dropped into your learning management system for students to practice identifying volume within a variety of sizes of graduated cylinders. There are also questions with images for students to practice reading the volume of objects using water displacement.Students receive instant feedback and information is presented to you in a spreadsheet. The form is editable