Suney Park's hands-on activity has her students making the greenhouse effect happen in a model. Using a light bulb for the sun, they create different control groups that imitate Earth's atmosphere with the help of a soda bottle. This adds up to a meaningful experience that connects what students learn in class to real-world events.

After a month studying climate change, students create models of the earth and its atmosphere, and design experiments to test the variables involved in climate change. Students write their own driving questions, develop hypotheses, and build the models to use in their experiments.

Suney Park has her class of scientists set up their experiments step-by-step. Even though it can be chaotic and mistakes can be made, there is purpose and meaning to having the kids be responsible for all aspects of the experiment and the learning that goes on in that process.

This is information to be used for a General Biology I (or Introduction to Biology) course for non-science majors.

How can we conduct scientific research so that we have evidence to support a claim?Students in this problem-based learning module are invited to design a testable question to guide Scientific Research, Evaluate the pH of various solutions, Identify Variables, Conduct a Scientific Investigation, and Analyze/Communicate results.    How can we conduct scientific research so that we have evidence to support a claim? Antacid tablets are a multi-billion dollar industry.  Claims are made regularly by certain brands that their extra strength tablets contain “DOUBLE the acid neutralizing power per tablet of regular strength antacids.”  How effective are antacids?  Are double-strength antacids twice as effective as regular strength antacids?  Have you ever noticed a parent/guardian/family member take an antacid tablet? Stomach chemistry is about acids and bases.  When the pH of a stomach is too acidic then it might make the person have a stomach ache.  In some cases “heartburn” or “acid reflux” are used as terms to describe the problems some people face.  Antacids are usually basic which, when taken, might help raise the pH level in a stomach thus making a person feel better.You are invited to design an investigation with a partner, or a team of 4 students, to test your own idea about the effectiveness of antacids.  The challenge?  Have a driving question, clear variable identification, and an analysis of your results.  Materials for your test will be provided to you by your teacher.  At the culmination of your investigation your design team will make a 30-second pitch on your phone to show at your family Thanksgiving meal to explain the benefits (or negatives) of using antacids, and how antacids work.

Using paper towels this activity introduces using the scientific method to set up and test and experiment.

This is an online course in experimentation as a method of the empirical social sciences, directed at science newcomers and undergrads. We cover topics such as:
- How do we know what’s true?
- How can one recognize false conclusions?
- What is an experiment?
- What are experiments good for, and what can we learn from them?
- What makes a good experiment and how can I make a good experiment?

The aim of the course is to illustrate the principles of experimental insight. We also discuss why experiments are the gold standard in empirical social sciences and how a basic understanding of experimentation can also help us deal with questions in everyday life.

But it is not only exciting research questions and clever experimental set-ups that are needed for experiments to really work well. Experiments and the knowledge gained from them should be as freely accessible and transparent as possible, regardless of the context. Only then can other thinkers and experimenters check whether the results can be reproduced. And only then can other thinkers and experimenters build their own experiments on reliable original work. This is why the online course Open for Insight also discusses how experiments and the findings derived can be developed and communicated openly and transparently.

Teaches creative design based on the scientific method through the design, engineering, and manufacture of a detailed inlaid tile. This is an introductory lecture/studio course designed to teach students the basic principles of design and expose them to the design process. Throughout the course, students will be introduced to the terminology and concepts that underlie all forms of visual art; which–in many ways–forms the basis for the design of all physical objects. Along with learning mechanical skills, thinking both critically and visually, and working with different media, the students will consider how the arts grow out of and respond to particular cultural contexts and ideas; and how these thinking patterns can be applied to virtually all types of design.
Presentations, lectures, demonstrations, discussions and various artistic works will be used to show students how other artists and designers have dealt with the same issues they will be facing in lab.  Each class will begin with a critique of the students’ homework, followed by a discussion (and presentation when appropriate) of the pertinent issues of that week. All aspects of the course will aid the teams of students in designing and building a major inlaid tile whose elements are designed as digital solid models and manufactured on an abrasive waterjet machining center. The course will conclude with an exhibit of the completed tiles open to the MIT and the Greater-Boston public. Enrollment is limited to 16 students who will be divided into groups of 4 students each. Preference will be given to students who attend the first day of class in a pre-selected team of 4.

Students gain a basic understanding of the properties of media soil, sand, compost, gravel and how these materials affect the movement of water (infiltration/percolation) into and below the surface of the ground. They learn about permeability, porosity, particle size, surface area, capillary action, storage capacity and field capacity, and how the characteristics of the materials that compose the media layer ultimately affect the recharging of groundwater tables. They test each type of material, determining storage capacity, field capacity and infiltration rates, seeing the effect of media size on infiltration rate and storage. Then teams apply the testing results to the design their own material mixes that best meet the design requirements. To conclude, they talk about how engineers apply what students learned in the activity about the infiltration rates of different soil materials to the design of stormwater management systems.

The lab starts with a short lecture on the scientific method, after which students observe the results of a flume run that includes skeletal clasts. They form hypotheses about how bone clasts (or any clast for that matter) move and are deposited by a flow, then the students test their hypotheses by running a flume trial. The hypothesis tests take place in small groups (3-5 students), and the lab ends with homework where students use the information they learned from their hypothesis tests to interpret a fossil assemblage. As such, this is a wonderful activity for introductory geology classes, could be used effectively with minor adjustments for advanced paleontology, taphonomy, and forensic physical anthropology classes.

This book is designed to introduce non-science majors to the nature of science as a reliable method of acquiring knowledge about the natural world. Interdisciplinary content will draw together diverse physical and life sciences to increase scientific literacy and critical thinking skills for introductory-level students.

This video lesson is an example of ''teaching for understanding'' in lieu of providing students with formulas for determining the height of a dropped (or projected) object at any time during its fall. The concept presented here of creating a chart to organize and analyze data collected in a simple experiment is broadly useful. During the classroom breaks in this video, students will enjoy timing objects in free fall and balls rolling down ramps as a way of learning how to carefully conduct experiments and analyze the results. The beauty of this lesson is the simplicity of using only the time it takes for an object dropped from a measured height to strike the ground. There are no math prerequisites for this lesson and no needed supplies, other than a blackboard and chalk. It can be completed in one 50-60-minute classroom period.

Free printable graphic novel that uses animal behavior to teach kids about the scientific method in a fun, hands-on way. Free lesson plan also available.

Designing the school garden will require Math, ELA, and Science skills with Scientific Method being used as a foundation. Students will create a school garden as a result of the work they preloaded into the activity. Finally, students will decide if the school garden has an improvements needed for future growth or more growth.

Green Space Investigation will be the opening activity for an introductory unit in Biology. Purpose of the activity is to model scientific thinking and experience how science is conducted using a confined green space adjacent to a classroom. The activity can be conducted with minimal material needs or can develop into a more elaborate investigation.

Students are presented with a guide to rain garden construction in an activity that culminates the unit and pulls together what they have learned and prepared in materials during the three previous associated activities. They learn about the four vertical zones that make up a typical rain garden with the purpose to cultivate natural infiltration of stormwater. Student groups create personal rain gardens planted with native species that can be installed on the school campus, within the surrounding community, or at students' homes to provide a green infrastructure and low-impact development technology solution for areas with poor drainage that often flood during storm events.

The lesson will apply Newton’s Second Law equation, F=ma (Force equals mass times acceleration) to a lab, which allows learners to solve problems using the equation while performing an experiment. The lab will be created in a way to teach the scientific method.
The purpose of the lesson with respect to adult education is to teach learners about the scientific method, while it is not used directly the process is the foundation of what would be performed in a typical entry-level laboratory or research job, which would consist of doing part of or all of an experiment in a similar manner.

GEO 131: Introduction to Physical Geography is an OER course that provides a comprehensive overview of Earth's natural systems and the forces that shape its physical landscape. Students will explore key topics such as weather, climate, hydrology, ecology, geology, and tectonics. Through both lectures and hands-on lab exercises, students will examine the processes of volcanism, erosion, soil formation, and glaciation, and learn to apply geographic theories to real-world issues. The course emphasizes understanding the distribution of natural features and the scientific principles that explain Earth's physical geography.

Introduction to Sociology 2e adheres to the scope and sequence of a typical, one-semester introductory sociology course. It offers comprehensive coverage of core concepts, foundational scholars, and emerging theories, which are supported by a wealth of engaging learning materials. The textbook presents detailed section reviews with rich questions, discussions that help students apply their knowledge, and features that draw learners into the discipline in meaningful ways. The second edition retains the book’s conceptual organization, aligning to most courses, and has been significantly updated to reflect the latest research and provide examples most relevant to today’s students. In order to help instructors transition to the revised version, the 2e changes are described within the preface.