Science lesson plans
LessonPrint publishes 90 free K-5 science lesson plans, each aligned to one Common Core standard and each timed section by section from warm-up to exit ticket. A plan gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the evidence, names the misconceptions to expect with the move that fixes each, and links a printable worksheet with an answer key. Nothing is gated.
Kindergarten
Harder, Softer, This Way, That Way
K-PS2-145 minA 45-minute Kindergarten lesson on testing how the strength and the direction of a push change how something moves.
Did the Design Work?
K-PS2-245 minA 45-minute Kindergarten lesson on reading the results of a test to decide whether a design did what it was meant to do.
What the Sun Does to the Ground
K-PS3-145 minA 45-minute Kindergarten lesson on observing and measuring what sunlight does to the surfaces around the school.
Keeping a Patch Cool
K-PS3-245 minA 45-minute Kindergarten lesson on designing and testing a cover that keeps the ground cooler in the sun.
What Living Things Need
K-LS1-145 minA 45-minute Kindergarten lesson on the patterns in what plants and animals need in order to stay alive.
Our Weather, Day After Day
K-ESS2-145 minA 45-minute Kindergarten lesson on recording local weather and describing the pattern it makes over time.
Changing a Place to Live In
K-ESS2-245 minA 45-minute Kindergarten lesson on how plants, animals and people change a place in order to get what they need.
Why It Lives There
K-ESS3-145 minA 45-minute Kindergarten lesson on modelling why a particular plant or animal lives in a particular place.
What a Forecast Is For
K-ESS3-245 minA 45-minute Kindergarten lesson on asking what a weather forecast is for and how it helps before severe weather.
Helping and Harming
K-ESS3-345 minA 45-minute Kindergarten lesson on communicating solutions that reduce what people do to the land, water and living things nearby.
Naming the Problem
K-2-ETS1-145 minA 45-minute Kindergarten lesson on asking, looking and gathering information to say what problem needs solving.
The Shape Does the Job
K-2-ETS1-245 minA 45-minute Kindergarten lesson on drawing or modelling how the shape of an object helps it do its job.
Two Tries, One Problem
K-2-ETS1-345 minA 45-minute Kindergarten lesson on comparing test results from two designs made for the same problem.
Grade 1
Something Is Always Shaking
1-PS4-150 minA 50-minute Grade 1 lesson on showing that vibrating things make sound, and that sound makes things vibrate.
Only When the Light Falls On It
1-PS4-250 minA 50-minute Grade 1 lesson on building an evidence-based account that objects can be seen only when they are lit.
Through, Dimly, or Not at All
1-PS4-350 minA 50-minute Grade 1 lesson on testing what happens when different materials are put in the path of a beam of light.
Getting a Message Across
1-PS4-450 minA 50-minute Grade 1 lesson on designing and testing a device that uses light or sound to send a message over a distance.
Copying What Already Works
1-LS1-150 minA 50-minute Grade 1 lesson on solving a human problem by copying a body part that helps a plant or animal survive.
How Parents Help Their Young
1-LS1-250 minA 50-minute Grade 1 lesson on reading and watching to find patterns in how parents and their young behave.
Like Them, Not Exactly Like Them
1-LS3-150 minA 50-minute Grade 1 lesson on observing that young plants and animals are like their parents but not identical to them.
What the Sky Does Next
1-ESS1-150 minA 50-minute Grade 1 lesson on using observations of the sun, moon and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted.
Long Days and Short Days
1-ESS1-250 minA 50-minute Grade 1 lesson on comparing observations across the year to relate daylight to the time of year.
What Exactly Are We Fixing?
K-2-ETS1-150 minA 50-minute Grade 1 lesson on gathering information about a situation people want to change, and defining the problem.
Built That Way for a Reason
K-2-ETS1-250 minA 50-minute Grade 1 lesson on sketching how the shape of a sound or light device helps it do its job.
Which One Actually Worked?
K-2-ETS1-350 minA 50-minute Grade 1 lesson on analysing test data from two signal designs to compare how each performs.
Grade 2
Sorting by What You Can See
2-PS1-150 minA 50-minute Grade 2 lesson on describing and classifying materials by the properties you can observe.
Right Material for the Job
2-PS1-250 minA 50-minute Grade 2 lesson on testing materials to find which is best suited to a stated purpose.
Same Pieces, New Thing
2-PS1-350 minA 50-minute Grade 2 lesson on showing that an object made of a small set of pieces can be taken apart and rebuilt as something new.
Back Again, or Not
2-PS1-450 minA 50-minute Grade 2 lesson on arguing from evidence that some changes from heating and cooling reverse and some do not.
Sunlight, Water, or Both
2-LS2-150 minA 50-minute Grade 2 lesson on planning and running an investigation into whether plants need sunlight and water.
How a Seed Gets a Lift
2-LS2-250 minA 50-minute Grade 2 lesson on making a simple model of how an animal spreads seeds or pollinates a plant.
More Kinds in Some Places
2-LS4-150 minA 50-minute Grade 2 lesson on comparing how many kinds of living thing are found in different habitats.
In a Day or in an Age
2-ESS1-150 minA 50-minute Grade 2 lesson on using several sources for evidence that Earth events can happen quickly or slowly.
Holding the Land in Place
2-ESS2-150 minA 50-minute Grade 2 lesson on comparing designs meant to slow or prevent wind or water changing the shape of the land.
Reading a Model of the Land
2-ESS2-250 minA 50-minute Grade 2 lesson on building and reading a model that shows the shapes and kinds of land and water in an area.
Solid Water, Liquid Water
2-ESS2-350 minA 50-minute Grade 2 lesson on finding where water is on Earth and whether it is solid or liquid there.
Finding Out Before Deciding
K-2-ETS1-150 minA 50-minute Grade 2 lesson on gathering information about a real situation before defining the problem to solve.
Why It Is That Shape
K-2-ETS1-250 minA 50-minute Grade 2 lesson on modelling how the shape of a structure helps it do the job it was built for.
Reading Two Sets of Results
K-2-ETS1-350 minA 50-minute Grade 2 lesson on analysing data from two designs to compare the strengths and weaknesses of each.
Grade 3
Balanced, or Not
3-PS2-155 minA 55-minute Grade 3 lesson on investigating what balanced and unbalanced forces do to the motion of an object.
Using a Pattern to Predict
3-PS2-255 minA 55-minute Grade 3 lesson on measuring an object's motion and using the pattern to predict what it will do next.
Acting Across a Gap
3-PS2-355 minA 55-minute Grade 3 lesson on asking cause-and-effect questions about magnets and static acting without contact.
A Job for a Magnet
3-PS2-455 minA 55-minute Grade 3 lesson on defining a simple design problem that could be solved by applying what you know about magnets.
Egg, Growth, Eggs Again
3-LS1-155 minA 55-minute Grade 3 lesson on modelling life cycles that look very different but share the same four things.
Better Together
3-LS2-155 minA 55-minute Grade 3 lesson on constructing an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive.
Passed On, and Not Quite the Same
3-LS3-155 minA 55-minute Grade 3 lesson on analysing data to show that traits are inherited from parents and still vary within a group.
What the Surroundings Change
3-LS3-255 minA 55-minute Grade 3 lesson on using evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.
What the Rock Remembers
3-LS4-155 minA 55-minute Grade 3 lesson on interpreting fossil data as evidence of what lived somewhere and what the place was like.
A Small Difference That Helps
3-LS4-255 minA 55-minute Grade 3 lesson on explaining how variation among individuals can give an advantage in surviving and reproducing.
Well, Less Well, Not at All
3-LS4-355 minA 55-minute Grade 3 lesson on arguing from evidence that a habitat suits some organisms well, others less well, and some not at all.
When the Habitat Changes
3-LS4-455 minA 55-minute Grade 3 lesson on making a claim about the merit of a solution when an environment changes and its living things change too.
What a Season Usually Does
3-ESS2-155 minA 55-minute Grade 3 lesson on putting weather data into tables and graphs to describe what a season typically does.
Climates Around the World
3-ESS2-255 minA 55-minute Grade 3 lesson on obtaining and combining information to describe climates in different regions of the world.
Is That Design Worth It?
3-ESS3-155 minA 55-minute Grade 3 lesson on making a claim about the merit of a design that reduces the impact of a weather hazard.
Success and Limits
3-5-ETS1-155 minA 55-minute Grade 3 lesson on defining a design problem with clear criteria for success and constraints on materials, time and cost.
Weighing Up Several Ideas
3-5-ETS1-255 minA 55-minute Grade 3 lesson on generating several possible solutions and comparing them against the criteria and constraints.
Keeping the Test Fair
3-5-ETS1-355 minA 55-minute Grade 3 lesson on planning fair tests that control the variables and look for the points where a model fails.
Grade 4
Faster Means More Energy
4-PS3-155 minA 55-minute Grade 4 lesson on using evidence to explain how the speed of an object relates to the energy it has.
Four Ways Energy Travels
4-PS3-255 minA 55-minute Grade 4 lesson on making observations that energy is transferred by sound, light, heat and electric currents.
When Things Collide
4-PS3-355 minA 55-minute Grade 4 lesson on asking questions and predicting what happens to energy when objects collide.
Turning One Energy Into Another
4-PS3-455 minA 55-minute Grade 4 lesson on designing, testing and refining a device that converts energy from one form into another.
Tall Waves and Close Waves
4-PS4-155 minA 55-minute Grade 4 lesson on modelling waves in terms of amplitude and wavelength, and showing that waves can move objects.
The Path Light Takes
4-PS4-255 minA 55-minute Grade 4 lesson on modelling how light reflecting off objects and entering the eye allows them to be seen.
Patterns That Carry a Message
4-PS4-355 minA 55-minute Grade 4 lesson on generating and comparing solutions that use patterns to transfer information.
Inside and Outside
4-LS1-155 minA 55-minute Grade 4 lesson on arguing that internal and external structures support survival, growth, behaviour and reproduction.
Sense It, Work It Out, Do Something
4-LS1-255 minA 55-minute Grade 4 lesson on modelling how animals receive information through their senses, process it and respond.
Reading the Layers
4-ESS1-155 minA 55-minute Grade 4 lesson on identifying evidence from rock formations and fossils to explain how a landscape changed.
Wearing the Rock Away
4-ESS2-155 minA 55-minute Grade 4 lesson on measuring the effects of weathering and the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind and vegetation.
Patterns on the Map
4-ESS2-255 minA 55-minute Grade 4 lesson on analysing and interpreting maps to describe patterns in Earth's features.
Where the Energy Comes From
4-ESS3-155 minA 55-minute Grade 4 lesson on obtaining and combining information about where energy and fuels come from and how their use affects the environment.
Reducing What the Earth Does to Us
4-ESS3-255 minA 55-minute Grade 4 lesson on generating and comparing solutions that reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.
What Counts, and What Limits
3-5-ETS1-155 minA 55-minute Grade 4 lesson on defining a design problem with measurable criteria and honest constraints.
Scoring the Options
3-5-ETS1-255 minA 55-minute Grade 4 lesson on generating several solutions and scoring them honestly against criteria and constraints.
Where It Gives Way
3-5-ETS1-355 minA 55-minute Grade 4 lesson on running controlled tests to failure and using the failure point to improve a prototype.
Grade 5
Too Small to See
5-PS1-160 minA 60-minute Grade 5 lesson on developing a model that describes matter as particles too small to be seen.
Weighed Before, Weighed After
5-PS1-260 minA 60-minute Grade 5 lesson on measuring and graphing to show that the total weight of matter is conserved through a change.
Four White Powders
5-PS1-360 minA 60-minute Grade 5 lesson on making observations and measurements to identify materials by their properties.
New Substance, or Not?
5-PS1-460 minA 60-minute Grade 5 lesson on conducting an investigation into whether mixing two substances makes a new one.
Which Way Is Down?
5-PS2-160 minA 60-minute Grade 5 lesson on supporting an argument that the gravitational force Earth exerts on objects is directed down.
Back to the Sun
5-PS3-160 minA 60-minute Grade 5 lesson on modelling how the energy in an animal's food was once energy from the sun.
Where a Plant's Mass Comes From
5-LS1-160 minA 60-minute Grade 5 lesson on supporting the argument that plants get the materials for growth chiefly from air and water.
Round and Round the Matter Goes
5-LS2-160 minA 60-minute Grade 5 lesson on modelling how matter moves among plants, animals, decomposers and the environment.
Bright Because It Is Close
5-ESS1-160 minA 60-minute Grade 5 lesson on supporting the argument that the sun looks brighter than other stars because it is far closer.
Shadows, Days and Stars
5-ESS1-260 minA 60-minute Grade 5 lesson on representing data graphically to reveal daily and seasonal patterns in the sky.
Four Systems, One Storm
5-ESS2-160 minA 60-minute Grade 5 lesson on modelling how the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere interact, using one storm.
Salt, Ice and Very Little Else
5-ESS2-260 minA 60-minute Grade 5 lesson on describing and graphing the amounts of salt and fresh water in Earth's reservoirs.
Protecting What We Depend On
5-ESS3-160 minA 60-minute Grade 5 lesson on obtaining and combining information about how communities use science to protect Earth's resources.
Setting the Bar and the Bounds
3-5-ETS1-160 minA 60-minute Grade 5 lesson on defining a design problem with criteria that can be measured and constraints that are real.
Judging Between Designs
3-5-ETS1-260 minA 60-minute Grade 5 lesson on generating several solutions and judging between them honestly against the brief.
Testing Until It Fails
3-5-ETS1-360 minA 60-minute Grade 5 lesson on running controlled tests to failure and using the failure point to improve a prototype.
K-5 science lesson plans — common questions
What is in a LessonPrint science lesson plan?
An objective and success criteria, a materials list, timed sections whose minutes add up to the stated length, the exact teacher wording where it matters, the misconceptions to expect with a fix for each, differentiation both ways, and an exit ticket with what to look for.
How long does each science lesson take?
Each plan states its own length and breaks it down section by section, so it can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway. The length is given on this page beside every plan and again at the top of the plan itself.
Are the science lesson plans aligned to the Common Core?
Every one. Each plan names the single standard it teaches, quotes the published standard text, and carries that alignment in its structured data — so a search for the code finds the plan as well as the worksheets that practise it.
Is there a worksheet for each lesson plan?
Yes. Every plan's materials list promises a printable and every plan links one, with an answer key and 25 versions. A plan without a matching sheet fails the build rather than shipping a broken promise.
Is there a lesson plan for every K-5 science standard?
Yes. All 78 of the 78 standards have one, and every plan was written rather than generated: its own timings, its own misconceptions, its own exit ticket. Each links a printable, so none of them is a stub page added to make the index look full.
Do I need to sign up to use the science lesson plans?
No. Every plan is readable and printable in full with no account, no email capture and nothing to pay. Print, photocopy and adapt them for your own class; please do not resell them or republish them as your own.