Inquiry Labs

Bring hands-on Science Inquiry and Engineering Design to your students

Inquiry Labs target grade-specific Next Generation Science Standards. They are designed for up to 30 students in a 90 minute class or after school program setting. Inquiry labs are based on the BSCS Science Learning 5E Model. Students construct understanding of NGSS grade-level science concepts and then put them to work in an engineering challenge.

3rd Grade - Magnet Magic

Students build understanding of concepts of magnetism through a series of structured investigations. They extend their understanding by designing their own investigations. They apply their new knowledge by designing and building a solution to an engineering problems using magnetism.

4th Grade - Energy and Motion

Students explore potential and kinetic energy, forces, motion, gravity, and friction by building and testing roller coasters. They extend these ideas by participating in class demonstrations on Newton's Laws of Motion. Then they apply their new knowledge to an engineering problem--they design and test an Rube Goldberg machine to do something very simple (make a noise) in the most complicated way possible.

5th Grade - ChemMystery

Students explore two very similar substances and propose ways to test them that probe their physical and chemical properties. The build concepts of physical and chemical change, phase change, dissolution, and chemical reactions to identify an unknown substance. We discuss the process chemists use to analyze substances and put into practice the ideas of independent and dependent variables and a "fair test." Students extend their understanding by using the chemical principals they developed to design and test an invisible ink.

Middle School Labs

Middle school teachers can choose from three labs targeting middle school standards.

Motion Commotion

Chemistry Connections

Electric Mayhem

In Motion Commotion students explore Newton's Laws of Motion, energy, and momentum by designing and experimenting with roller coasters, skateboards, and pendula. Then they apply their new knowledge by designing and testing a Rube Goldberg machine to do a very simple task, make a noise, in the most complicated way possible.

Chemistry Connections gives students an opportunity to design and carry out controlled experiments to identify an unknown substance based on its physical and chemical properties. Students explore experimental design, independent and dependent variables, and how to design a "fair test." They also build concepts of physical and chemical change, phase change, energy change in a chemical reaction, and conservation of mass. Then they put all of these new concepts to work to design and test an invisible ink.