Lesson Plans for the Curious Science Teacher

Astronomy and Physics

http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/hex/visit/lesson/lesson_links1.html

This was my first hit on Google for the search “astronomy lesson plans”. When I scrolled down the first column, there were 58 lesson ideas for force and motion! All of these plans can be adapted for grades K-9, and the lists of plans goes on and on. Not bad for the first try!

http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/astronomy.html

It is the discovery channel’s site for schools. I have mentioned this site in other activities, but it is really terrific for lesson plans and ideas. There are pre-made plans you can download and print, and there are also some nifty teacher tools like the worksheet designer, puzzle maker, and study starter. You can even sign up for their electronic newsletter to keep up on their latest additions to the site.

Biology

http://biology.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=biology&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biologylessons.sdsu.edu%2Fclasses%2Flab8%2Findex.html

When I searched about.com for “anatomy lesson plans”, I didn’t expect to get many hits. However, my skepticism was allayed when I got this as my first hit. The site may seem simple at first, but don’t be fooled. This is a great activity to teach K-8 graders about mitosis (not an easy subject). It is a hands-on activity that also has questions to ponder in the process. There are other sites linked that you can access for background info too.

Herpetology

http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/ntti/resources/lessons/s_warriors/b.html

I searched yahoo and found this when I entered “herpetology lesson plans” as my query. It is listed on the National Teacher Training Institute website and is called Ambush Predators. It is an interesting lesson about snakes that can be adapted for grades K-8. It includes an internet activity and a video. There is a lot of classroom discussion and a focus on conquering fears about snakes.

http://www.csam.montclair.edu/njsoc/PDFs/Herpetology.pdf

Yahoo also turned up this site from Montclair University in New Jersey. This activity is designed for older students of grades 5-12. It will involve an onsite activity where students look for reptiles outside with nets. A discussion on habitats is encouraged and releasing of the specimens is listed as part of the activity. I liked this plan because it is what and how I teach at the Nature Center.

General Science Experiments and Lessons

These are other sites I found that contain several to many links that could come in useful to teachers of science. They were found using Yahoo when I typed in “hydrology lesson plans” as a query.

http://home.nyc.rr.com/barbsworldtour/science.htm

This is a site created by a teacher named Barbara. Her lesson plans cover grades K-5, and so me of them go up to grade 8. There is a variety of science topics covered on the site, but they are mostly in physical science and weather. The lessons are well thought out and easy to do.

http://www.sitesforteachers.com/resources_sharp/science/sci_lesson.html

This site is a big list of links to pages that contain lesson plans in science and other subjects. It is a big list that is in alphabetical order so sites are easy to find. This is a must on any teacher’s “favorites” list.

http://interactive2.usgs.gov/learningweb/teachers/lesson_plans.htm

The USGS is happy to provide teachers with tools for lessons in geology and earth sciences. This is a comprehensive list that has downloadable lesson plans and activities for teachers of all grades.

http://bcpl.lib.ut.us/lesson.htm

This is a web link bibliography designed by the Baltimore County Public Library. It contains good links for teachers so that they can access free lesson plans and worksheets for their classroom. The lesson plans cover the ages from K-12.