Science is more than memorizing facts. It is about asking questions, testing hypotheses, making observations, and collaborating with peers using evidence to explain how the world works.
That is why Khan Academy has expanded its science library with more ways for learners to investigate authentic questions, explore complex concepts, and build confidence. From 5th-grade activities to middle school biology investigations, interactive simulations, and teacher guides, these resources help make science more active, engaging, and meaningful.
Whether you are planning classroom lessons, supporting learning at home, or studying independently, Khan Academy has free science resources to help bring big ideas to life.
5th-grade science activities that spark curiosity
Khan Academy’s 5th-grade science activities invite students to explore questions they can investigate, not just read about.
Students can dig into questions like:
- How does a tiny acorn grow into a giant oak tree?
- How much energy does a carnivore need to survive?
- How do Earth’s major systems interact?
Through models, investigations, interactive games, and data collection, students gather evidence and analyze what they observe to explain scientific phenomena. The activities use simple, low-cost materials and work well in classrooms or at home.
Implementation guides include answer keys, classroom support, and ideas for helping students strengthen reading, writing, vocabulary, and evidence-based explanations.
Each activity is aligned to both the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (CCSS ELA), providing a clear, structured way for students to investigate phenomena, analyze evidence, and communicate their thinking.
Middle school biology connected to the real world
The middle school biology activities help students see how life science connects to the world around them.
Topics include cell structure and function, ecosystem health, genetics, population dynamics, and evolution.
Students will explore questions like:
- Why do plants wilt when they don’t get enough water?
- Why do puppies in the same litter look different?
- How can we use skeletons and fossils to understand whale evolution?
Each activity is aligned to NGSS, integrating disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts to support meaningful, three-dimensional learning. Each activity can be used with Khan Academy’s middle school biology course or alongside other life science lessons.
Teachers will also find materials lists, implementation suggestions, common misconceptions, and answer keys to make planning easier.
Interactive simulations that make science visible
Some science concepts are hard to observe directly. Students cannot easily watch greenhouse gases interact with infrared radiation, see trait frequencies shift across generations, or track every transfer of energy between objects.
Khan Academy’s middle school simulation experiences pair interactive articles with practice exercises. Students change variables, observe what happens, and apply what they learn through guided practice.
They can explore questions like:
- What happens to a rabbit population when predators are added?
- How does greenhouse gas concentration affect surface temperature?
- How does a skateboarder’s motion show conservation of energy?
These simulations help students make predictions, test ideas, analyze patterns, and explain their observations with evidence.
Teacher guides for middle school biology
Planning strong science instruction takes time. Khan Academy’s middle school biology unit guides are designed to help.
Whether you’re using Khan Academy’s middle school biology course for the first time or you’re integrating it into an existing curriculum, these guides provide practical support every step of the way.
The guides include:
The guides also support three-dimensional science learning by connecting disciplinary core ideas (DCIs), science and engineering practices (SEPs), and crosscutting concepts (CCCs).
Explore free science resources on Khan Academy
All of these resources are free and available now on Khan Academy.
Science comes alive when students get to do more than read about it. With Khan Academy’s activities, simulations, and teacher guides, learners can investigate meaningful questions, build understanding, and discover how science helps explain the world around them.
Thanks to the support of the Amgen Foundation, more teachers and students now have access to high-quality, free science curriculum for grades 5–8.
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