PLAN / LAUNCH / REVIEW

A clear path from experiment to explanation.

Seven guided investigations for high school science. Students assemble equipment, collect repeated measurements, and explain what their evidence supports.

These activities use teaching models; biology and erosion responses are prescribed examples rather than empirical predictions.

1. Choose the learning goal

CHEMISTRY / REACTION RATE

Race to the same color

Students will: compare times to a consistent endpoint and explain temperature effects using activation energy.

Before starting: Reactants, collision theory, temperature versus concentration, and controlled comparisons.
Evidence collected: Three fresh mixtures at each of 20, 30, and 40°C; verified temperatures and fixed-endpoint times.
Listen for: Shorter endpoint time means faster progress under fixed conditions. Warming does not remove the activation barrier; 1/time is a relative index.

Open student lab →Detailed teacher guide

PHYSICAL SCIENCE / DENSITY

Identify the metal

Students will: use dry mass and displaced water volume to identify the closest candidate material.

Before starting: Mass versus volume, subtraction of readings, and density as mass per unit volume.
Evidence collected: Three dry masses and initial/final meniscus readings for the same unknown sample; density estimates and mean.
Listen for: A density match supports a candidate among the references; it does not prove a unique material identity.

Open student lab →Detailed teacher guide

PHYSICS / PENDULUMS

What sets the swing?

Students will: compare repeated periods and explain the relationship between pendulum length and rhythm.

Before starting: One full cycle, time per cycle, and changing one variable at a time.
Evidence collected: Three ten-cycle timings at each of 25, 50, and 100 cm; period and observed ranges.
Listen for: Four times the length gives approximately twice the period. Reaction offsets are simulated; the experiment only tests length.

Open student lab →Detailed teacher guide

PHYSICS / CIRCUITS

Which resistor works best?

Students will: use repeated current measurements and power estimates to recommend a resistor that meets design limits.

Before starting: Basic meaning of voltage, current, and resistance; mA versus A.
Evidence collected: Three readings at each of 40, 70, and 100 Ω, with the supply held at 3 V.
Listen for: A numerical comparison and an explanation of how resistance affects current at fixed voltage.

Open student lab →Detailed teacher guide

Use the introductory guided version first. The detailed guide also covers the optional advanced investigation.

CHEMISTRY / TITRATION

Identify the unknown acid

Students will: estimate acid concentration from repeated endpoint intervals and explain why smaller doses improve precision.

Before starting: pH, neutralization, concentration, and the purpose of a burette.
Evidence collected: pH versus added base volume in three fresh acid aliquots; endpoint estimates and concentration.
Listen for: The endpoint interval is an estimate. Equivalence at pH 7 applies to this strong-acid/strong-base model at 25°C.

Open student lab →Detailed teacher guide

BIOLOGY / OSMOSIS

Where does the water go?

Students will: compare percentage mass changes and use them as evidence for net water movement.

Before starting: Selectively permeable membranes, solution concentration, and positive/negative percentage change.
Evidence collected: Initial and final masses for three fresh samples in each of 0.0, 0.3, and 0.6 M sucrose.
Listen for: Near-zero mass change does not mean water molecules stopped moving. The modeled tissue response is not universal for potatoes.

Open student lab →Detailed teacher guide

EARTH SCIENCE / EROSION

Keep the soil in place

Students will: compare captured sediment across cover treatments and make a recommendation with a stated limitation.

Before starting: Erosion, controlled comparisons, and subtracting container/filter mass.
Evidence collected: Dry filter and loaded-filter masses from three fresh trays per cover: bare, mulched, and planted.
Listen for: A dry mass comparison in grams; captured sediment does not represent every form of soil loss on a real slope.

Open student lab →Detailed teacher guide

2. Run one investigation

Suggested pacing for an introductory lesson; adjust for students’ background. These are planning estimates, not measured completion times.

Launch · 5 minutes
State the question. Ask students to identify what changes, what is measured, and what stays constant. Record a prediction without grading it for correctness.
Investigate · 15–25 minutes
Students work individually or in pairs. In pairs, one student operates and the other checks the procedure; switch roles between conditions or trials. Ask why a step matters before advancing.
Explain · 5–10 minutes
Use group means and the observed ranges. Students write their own claim, cite numerical evidence with units, explain the mechanism, and state a limit. The optional results guide supports this writing.
Debrief · 5 minutes
Compare conclusions, discuss why repeats may agree or vary, and ask what would need testing before applying the model to a real situation.

3. Review the scientific thinking

Use this shared checklist alongside the subject-specific guide. Completing the steps or passing a choice check does not by itself demonstrate a sound explanation.

Look for	Evidence of understanding	If it needs revision
Claim	Answers the lab question and stays within the tested conditions.	“What exactly do your results let you recommend or infer?”
Evidence	Uses relevant measured values with units, compares conditions, and recognizes repeated trials.	“Which two numbers best support your claim?”
Reasoning	Connects the measurements to the scientific relationship or mechanism.	“Why would that relationship produce this pattern?”
Limitations	Names a meaningful model assumption or untested condition and explains its consequence.	“What might change outside this model, and why would it matter?”

Written explanations require teacher review. Automatic checks cover selected answers, completion, and supported calculations; they do not assign a scientific-writing score.

Collect a report and support students

Need help with a step? “Show me what to do” highlights the next item or action. Students can select an item and tap its destination, or use the keyboard, instead of dragging.
Need a simpler entry? Keep the guided default and leave optional calculations closed. Ask for a short evidence-based explanation before extending the task.
Ready for more? Use the optional calculation, then ask students to propose another controlled test. The physics lab also offers a separate advanced version.
Collect work: choose “Open printable lab report” from the results page or Lab options. Add optional student details, then print or save as PDF. Partial reports are marked incomplete.
Continue later: progress stays in the same browser on the same device. Reports can be downloaded as text. There is no class roster or automatic teacher submission.
On a shared device: download the current student’s report before starting fresh. Restarting requires confirmation.

The virtual procedures support learning about laboratory work. Real apparatus, chemicals, and sample preparation require the teacher’s own classroom procedures and supervision.

Choose an investigation →