Next Generation Science Standards
Interactive tools and labs aligned to NGSS disciplinary core ideas across Physical Science, Life Science, Earth & Space Science, and Engineering.
Physical Science (PS)
Forces, motion, energy, waves, electricity, and the structure of matter.
Tools
Pushes, Pulls & Motion Playground
Push objects across different surfaces to see how force and friction affect motion. Compare ice, wood, grass, carpet. Explore balanced and unbalanced forces
States of Matter Playground
Watch particles change behavior as temperature changes. See solids melt to liquids and boil to gases with animated particles, heating curves, and property comparisons
Forces & Free-Body Diagram Tool
Explore Newton's second law with interactive free-body diagrams on surfaces, inclines, and more.
Kinematics Solver
Solve constant-acceleration problems with step-by-step solutions and motion graphs.
Energy Conservation Explorer
Track kinetic, potential, and spring energy as an object moves along ramps, roller coasters, and spring systems.
Momentum & Collision Simulator
Simulate elastic, inelastic, and partially inelastic 1D collisions with energy analysis.
Wave Explorer
Visualize transverse waves, superposition, interference, and standing waves.
Electric Circuits for Kids
Build circuits with batteries, bulbs, switches, and wires. Test materials as conductors or insulators. Compare series and parallel circuits with brightness and removal tests
Projectile Motion Calculator
Calculate trajectory, range, max height, and time of flight for projectile motion. Visualize the parabolic path with an interactive time slider and velocity vectors.
Pressure & Pascal's Law Calculator
Four modes: pressure basics (P = F/A) with unit conversions, hydrostatic pressure at depth (P = P₀ + ρgh), Pascal's law hydraulics with mechanical advantage, and atmospheric pressure vs altitude. SVG hydraulic press diagram, depth gradient, and altitude bar. Presets for deep ocean, hydraulic car lift, blood pressure, tire pressure, and scuba diving.
Labs
Pushes & Motion Lab
Apply pushes and pulls to different objects and observe how force type, strength, and direction change motion. Collect data and discover Newton's laws in action. Grades K-2.
Energy Tradeoffs Lab
Design electricity grid mixes and compare total CO₂ emissions, land use, and cost. Run decarbonization scenarios and explore the tradeoffs between nuclear, renewables, and fossil fuels
Standing Waves Lab
Visualize standing wave patterns on strings and in pipes. Adjust tension, length, and harmonic number to explore nodes, antinodes, and resonance frequencies
Circuit Builder Lab
Explore series, parallel, and combination circuits with adjustable resistor values. Verify Ohm's law and Kirchhoff's laws with animated current flow and real-time calculations
Circuits for Kids Lab
Test everyday materials to discover which ones conduct electricity and complete a circuit. Build a data table of conductors and insulators. Grades 3-5.
Simple Machines & Mechanical Advantage Lab
Explore six simple machines with mechanical advantage, efficiency, and friction. Calculate effort force, distance ratios, and work for levers, inclined planes, pulleys, and more
Life Science (LS)
Cells, ecosystems, heredity, evolution, and the interdependence of living things.
Tools
Photosynthesis Explorer
Explore photosynthesis rates under different light intensities, CO2 concentrations, and temperatures. See light response curves, compensation and saturation points, absorption vs action spectra, and the law of limiting factors.
DNA Sequence Explorer
Align DNA sequences with Needleman-Wunsch and Smith-Waterman algorithms. Translate codons, introduce mutations, compute Jukes-Cantor distances, and build UPGMA phylogenetic trees.
Cell Cycle / Mitosis-Meiosis Viewer
Interactive viewer for cell division. Step through every phase of mitosis and meiosis with SVG chromosome visualizations. Track chromosome number (2n vs n), see crossing over and independent assortment in meiosis, and compare both division types side by side. Presets for human (2n=46), fruit fly (2n=8), onion (2n=16), and simple (2n=4) cells.
Cellular Respiration Explorer
Explore glycolysis, Krebs cycle, and electron transport chain. Compare aerobic vs anaerobic respiration, calculate ATP yields for glucose, fat, and protein substrates, and see how temperature affects metabolic rate.
DNA Fragment Analyzer
Digest DNA sequences with restriction enzymes and visualize fragments on a virtual gel. Select from 10 enzymes, perform single or double digests, and estimate fragment sizes from band migration.
Labs
Photosynthesis Lab
Investigate photosynthesis rates under different light intensities, CO2 concentrations, and temperatures. Discover limiting factors, find light compensation and saturation points, and measure net O2 production experimentally
Cellular Respiration Lab
Measure CO2 production and O2 consumption under different conditions. Compare aerobic vs anaerobic respiration, test temperature effects on metabolic rate, and calculate respiratory quotient for different substrates
Mitosis & Meiosis Lab
Count cells in different mitotic phases to calculate mitotic index. Estimate phase durations from proportions, compare cell cycle timing, and test phase distribution with chi-square analysis
Mendelian Genetics & Punnett Square Lab
Perform monohybrid, dihybrid, and sex-linked crosses with interactive Punnett squares. Explore complete, incomplete, and codominance patterns with genotypic and phenotypic ratios
Energy Dynamics & Food Web Lab
Explore energy flow through food webs with interactive trophic diagrams. Remove species to observe trophic cascades, track energy budgets, and verify the 10% transfer rule experimentally
Population Ecology & Demography Lab
Investigate population dynamics through exponential and logistic growth, Lotka-Volterra predator-prey cycles, and harvest sustainability analysis. Discover carrying capacity, inflection points, and maximum sustainable yield
Artificial Selection Lab
Simulate selective breeding over generations. Set a trait threshold, breed selected individuals, and verify the breeder's equation R = h²S with comparison mode for different heritabilities
Earth & Space Science (ESS)
Earth's place in the universe, Earth's systems, and Earth and human activity.
Tools
Atmosphere Explorer
Explore atmosphere layers, temperature profiles, pressure changes with altitude, temperature inversions, ozone chemistry, and planetary energy balance. Visualize the troposphere through thermosphere.
Weather & Water Cycle Explorer
Explore the water cycle with an animated diagram, predict weather from temperature/humidity/wind/clouds, identify cloud types, and compare seasonal patterns across climates
Plate Tectonics Explorer
Explore plate boundary types, the rock cycle, radiometric dating with decay curves, and Earth's internal layers. View cross-sections of divergent, convergent, and transform boundaries with seismic velocity profiles.
Rock Layers & Landscape Change Explorer
Tap rock layers to discover their age, rock type, and fossils. Arrange layers in order from oldest to newest and reconstruct what events — eruptions, floods, erosion — formed each one.
Ecosystem Matter Cycle Explorer
Interactive ecosystem model showing matter flow between sun, plants, animals, and decomposers. Build food webs, explore organism roles, and simulate what happens when species disappear.
Fossils & Ancient Environments Explorer
Match fossils to ancient habitats and discover what Earth looked like millions of years ago. Explore trilobites, ammonites, fern leaves, and more. Compare rock layers to see how environments changed over time.
Earthquake Magnitude Calculator
Four modes: magnitude scales (Richter Mₗ, moment magnitude M𝑤, energy), energy comparison (each step = 31.6× more energy, logarithmic bar chart), Modified Mercalli Intensity I-XII with descriptions, and Richter magnitude from seismograph amplitude. Presets include Minor M3 through Great M8, 1906 San Francisco M7.9, and 2011 Japan M9.1.
Labs
Weather Station & Forecast Lab
Observe 7 days of virtual weather station data, find temperature and cloud patterns, then forecast days 8 and 9. Grades 2-5.
Greenhouse Effect & Climate Lab
Investigate Earth's energy budget and greenhouse effect. Adjust CO2 levels and albedo, measure temperature response, explore feedback loops, and compare emission scenarios from pre-industrial to RCP 8.5
Fast vs Slow Earth Changes Lab
Sort Earth events by speed, explore before-and-after change sequences, and simulate rock weathering through Rain, Wind, and Ice agents. NGSS 4-ESS2-1. Grades 3–5.
Earth History Lab
Calculate rock ages using radiometric dating with C-14, K-40, U-238, and Rb-87 isotope systems. Measure plate motion rates from magnetic reversal distances and predict future ocean widths
Fossils & Ancient Environments Lab
Examine fossil evidence and match each fossil to its ancient environment. Discover what fossils tell us about Earth's past. Grades 3-5.
Soil Conservation Lab
Measure how slope steepness and conservation practices affect erosion rates using the USLE. Progressively add cover crops, contour farming, terracing, and buffer strips to reduce soil loss
Water Quality & Eutrophication Lab
Collect water quality measurements from simulated sampling sites, calculate a Water Quality Index, and investigate how nutrient loading leads to algal blooms and dissolved oxygen crashes
Engineering & Technology (ETS)
Engineering design process, defining problems, developing and testing solutions.
Tools
Engineering Challenge Studio
Design and test bridges, boats, towers, and parachutes with the engineering design process. Adjust materials and shapes, compare designs, and improve your score
Simple Machines for Kids
Explore levers, ramps, pulleys, and wheel-and-axle with interactive simulations. Adjust parameters to see how simple machines reduce effort. Pick-the-best-machine challenges
Materials Sorter & Properties Explorer
Sort 16 common materials by properties like hard/soft, transparent/opaque, and conductor/insulator. Venn diagram mode for two-property sorting. Best-use challenges
Nature-Inspired Design Challenge
Solve human design problems by copying animal and plant parts. Discover how beaver teeth, gecko feet, and lotus leaves inspire real-world tools. Grades K-1.
Pulley Calculator
Calculate mechanical advantage, effort force, and efficiency for fixed, movable, compound, and multiple pulley systems. SVG diagrams show rope paths and force arrows.
Labs
Materials Engineering Challenge Lab
Test real engineering materials across four challenges — shelter, bridge, insulation, and packaging. Score each material on strength, weight, longevity, and flexibility to find the best match
Build-It-from-Pieces Lab
Choose a base, add structural pieces, and test your construction for stability. Discover how shape, balance, and triangles affect how well structures stand up under load
Shade & Shelter Design Lab
Spend a 10-token budget on roof and wall materials to design a shade structure. Score your shelter on rain protection, sun blocking, and wind resistance
Light, Shadows & Materials Lab
Investigate how transparent, translucent, and opaque materials change the shadows they cast. Record shadow strength for glass, water, wood, fabric, and more. Grades K-1.
Nature-Inspired Design Lab
Investigate biomimicry by matching human design problems to animal and plant parts that solve the same problem in nature. Record which parts work and which do not. Grades K-1.