PBS Teachers provides a searchable database of PBS lesson plans, activities, and multimedia resources for teachers and students. Below is the complete list of curriculum topics and definitions for this subject area.

Agriculture (3-12)

Includes the science, art, or practice of cultivating soil, producing crops and raising livestock to support life through food, medicine, clothing and other goods.

Animals

Invertebrates (3-12)

Includes comparative or specific study of various invertebrate groups.

Reptiles & Amphibians: (3-12)

Includes comparative or specific study of various types of reptiles and amphibians.

Fish (3-12)

Includes comparative or specific study of bony and cartilaginous fish types.

Birds (3-12)

Includes comparative or specific study of birds.

Mammals (3-12)

Includes comparative or specific study of various types of mammals.

Atmosphere & Space Science (PreK-12)

Includes the study of space objects and properties such as planets, moons, stars, solar systems, black holes and other space phenomena; research and practice regarding space travel and habitation; and the atmospheric conditions of a celestial body, including temperature changes, chemical composition, etc.

Atomic (9-12)

Includes the study of the atom as a unit of matter, sub-atomic particles, and applied use of atomic science, like atomic energy and development of the atomic bomb.

Botany (3-12)

The study of plants, including their anatomy, reproduction, adaptability, habitats, etc.

Chemistry (3-12)

Includes the study of the structure, properties, and changes of matter. Also considers the elements (periodic table) and their combinations into different compounds, chemical reactions, solubility, spectroscopy, etc.

Classification (PreK-12)

Includes the organization of living organisms according to their presumed natural relationship; also includes the formal taxonomic structure of kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species.

Communications & Computing (3-12)

Communications includes the study of the technological methods by which information is transferred, and the scientific principles that underlie these methods. Does not include the study of the communication strategies of humans or other animals. Computing includes the study of computers: their language, history, inner workings, contribution to communications and other contributions to society.

Design & Invention (PreK-12)

Includes the study of inventions and their creators as well as activities that encourage students to design or invent their own products or technologies.

Earth Science (PreK-2)

Includes the study of the environment, climate, weather, biomes, land formation and composition, bodies of water, natural disasters and atmosphere.

Ecology (3-12)

Includes the study of the relationship of living things to their environment. Also includes study of the impact humans have on the environment.

Energy (3-12)

Includes the study of different types of energy; sources of energy available for use by humans; and units of energy.

Engineering (3-12)

Includes the study of how scientific properties, like force and elasticity, are used by humans in creating structures and machines.

Ethics in Science (6-12)

Involves weighing the risks and benefits of scientific enterprises to individuals and society; also includes consideration of specific protocols in scientific endeavors that promote ethical integrity.

Evolution (6-12)

Includes the study of the cumulative changes that occur in a population over time. Also includes consideration of the genetic basis for evolution and the process of differential survival and reproduction known as natural selection.

Forensics (6-12)

The study of the application of science or technology to answer questions arising from crime or litigation. Includes crime scene investigations and/or pathology.

Genetics (6-12)

Includes the study of the molecular units of heredity and variation in species. Also encompasses applied uses of genetic science.

Geology and Natural Disasters (3-12)

Geology includes the study of rocks, rock formations, and the structure of the earth. Includes topics such as rock weathering and soil formatiom, the water cycle, glaciation, plate tectonics, etc. Natural disasters include the study of volcanoes, tornadoes, tsunamis, earthquakes, flooding, fires and droughts, and their effect on the environment and humans.

Human Biology (3-12)

Includes the study of human anatomy, reproduction, adaptation, communication and evolution.

Innovations (3-12)

Includes the study of the process of creating new ideas, methods, and/or technologies.

Life Science (PreK-2)

Includes a general study at the elementary level of more specific topics such as animals, biology, botany, entomology, microbiology and paleontology.

Meteorology (3-12)

Includes the study of weather processes and weather forecasting.

Microbiology (6-12)

Includes the study of living organisms and cellular structures of microscopic size, generally organisms, including bacteria, protozoa, viruses, algae, and fungi. Encompasses their anatomy, processes, reproduction, adaptation and interactions with their environment.

Motion & Forces (3-12)

Includes the study of forces like gravity, magnetic force, friction and spring force; their intensity and direction; and their resulting effects on a body’s motion.

Navigation (PreK-12)

Includes the science or practice of getting an object or person from place to place using traditional or non-traditional instructions and methods. Includes study of latitude and longitude, use of devices like sextants and compasses, etc.

Oceanography (3-12)

Includes the study of physical and biological aspects of the oceans, such as underlying geologic structures, water chemistry, currents, tides, coastal ecology, pelagic and benthic communities.

Paleontology (3-12)

Includes the study of life forms from the past using fossil remains and their geological contexts.

Physical Science (PreK-2)

Includes a general study at the elementary level of more specific topics such as chemistry, electricity, energy, engineering, gravity and forces, heat, light, physics, properties of matter, simple machines, sound and structures.

Scientific Inquiry (K-12)

Includes the specific study of scientific inquiry and the scientific method. Also encompasses an understanding of how hypotheses are tested within the scientific community and how theories come to be accepted.

Scientists & Engineers (3-12)

Includes the study of renowned scientists and engineers representing a variety of scientific and/or technological fields.

Simple Machines (3-12)

Includes the study of how tools and machines are used to apply forces to make larger objects move.

Sound (3-12)

Includes the study of the creation and characteristics of sound.

Technological Advances (3-12)

Includes the study of robotics, mechanics, medical technologies, and/or complex machines.

Transportation (PreK-12)

Includes the study of modes of transportation and structures used to support these modes of transportation, such as roads, bridges, tunnels, etc.

Zoology (3-12)

The study of animals. This category is distinguished from the other Animals categories in that it includes resources featuring animals from several phyla, groups, and/or classes.