Science Resources

Carbon-14 dating is a popular topic on the science GED. This resource provides a comprehensive lesson plan that explains the concept of half-life to students, with particular emphasis on how to read and interpret a decay curve graph.

This curriculum, piloted by Nature for New Minnesotans and University of Minnesota Extension, provides learners with an overview of Minnesota's climate and biomes. The unit was designed for adult EL learners that are low beginner-intermediate, and contains lessons with reading, speaking, and writing opportunities. The pre-experience lessons for this curriculum are developed for a visit to the Bell Museum, the state of Minnesota's natural history museum.

PhET provides a suite of free, online simulations in a variety of different science disciplines. There are also links to additional resources such as lesson plans and student worksheets. The activities highlighted here are great for HSE (high school equivalency) students interested in biological or physical sciences.

This free course from LINCS explains the concept of energy literacy and introduces the Energy Literacy Framework developed by the U.S. Department of Energy. Educators can use the framework (available in English and Spanish) to teach adult learners about the role of energy in their lives and to generate potential interest in energy as a career field. This course explores the fundamental concepts that support each of the seven Essential Principles outlined in the Energy Literacy Framework; the course also provides examples of online resources, including video resources, that teachers can use to teach the principles and associated concepts to adult learners.