Sea World
Seaworld Science Activity
A fun collection of activities about marine life would be a great addition to your elementary science unit. From cute penguins to scary sharks, the unit features crafts, experiments, and basic research projects that will teach your...
National Wildlife Federation
What's Your Habitat?
How are third graders like rabbits? They both live in habitats and require food, water, and shelter to survive! An educational science lesson encourages your learners to think about their own habitats and survival needs, before comparing...
Curated OER
The Earth around Us: Air, Water & Soil
Students recognize that science is everywhere. In this scientific method lesson plan, students experiment with height and record their experiment using the scientific method. Students must identify each step of the scientific method.
Nevada Outdoor School
Let It Snow! Let It Melt!
Winter weather offers a great opportunity to teach young scientists about the states of matter. This activity-based lesson includes a range of learning experiences, from experimenting with the rate at which ice melts to singing a song...
Curated OER
Earth Pockets
Students identify the Earth's natural resources. In this Earth science instructional activity, students read the book The Great Kapok Tree and discuss types of natural resources. Students use categories such as wood, paper, and trees and...
MENSA Education & Research Foundation
The Moon: Earth’s Dependable Neighbor
Scholars become experts on the moon, its phases, and craters with a series of lessons, activities, and extension opportunities. Learners' expert level of knowledge includes moon facts, how moon craters are created, the ability to...
Curated OER
Adding the Moon: Using a Classroom Model to Explore the Movement of the Sun, Earth, and Moon
Pupils observe and discuss motions of the Earth and the Moon as they spin and orbit the Sun.
Curated OER
What Makes Day and Night? The Earth's Rotation
Students discover that the Earth rotates on its axis in a cyclical fashion. They examine how this rotation results in day and night.
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Getting Ready for the All American Eclipse!
Give your pupils a front row seat at the biggest light show in the sky this year! In addition to admiring the total solar eclipse, young astronomers can explain the phenomenon with a little help from an inquiry-based instructional...
Curated OER
Cooler in the Shadows
Young scholars explore Earth science by creating a scale model in class. In this shadow lesson, students research the impact the sun has on Earth shadows and complete a space science worksheet. Young scholars create models of the Sun and...
Curated OER
Clouds
Young scholars explore basic cloud types and the weather associated with each one. In this earth science activity, students participate in numerous activities including going outside to observe the clouds they see, making a cloud in a...
Curated OER
Earthquake Science Project
Students simulate the Earth's plates moving like an earthquake by using newspaper and soil. For this earthquake lesson plan, students push and pull the newspaper together that has soil on top and observe what happens.
Curated OER
Photo Scavenger Hunt
Learners celebrate Earth Day by applying what they've learned about studying the natural world. In this Photo Scavenger Hunt lesson plan, students use a digital camera to capture outdoor imagery and to help them understand the...
Curated OER
What's the Matter? (Living and Non-Living Things)
Understand how chemical reactions recombine atoms to create the "chemicals of life". An experiment, showing the basic chemical reactions of an iron nail or a match, helps young children start their understanding of permanent changes.
Curated OER
Motion of the Sun and Earth: Using a Playground Model to Explore Rotation and Revolution
Learners experience the rotation of the Earth and the Sun and the Earth's revolution around the Sun, using a playground mode.
Curated OER
How Big is the Sun? Exploring the Size and Scale of the Sun, Earth and Moon
Students explore the relative sizes of the Sun, Earth and Moon as they make an impressive large-scale model for classroom use throughout the unit.
Curated OER
Earth/Globe (poles & equator)
First graders create his/her own paper mache earth and label the poles and equator. The land masses can be added and labeling of specific bodies of water. The paper mache earth can then be used to discuss the sun, moon, and the earth and...
Curated OER
Wow, Saturn Is Much Bigger Than Earth!
Students compare and contrast the sizes of Earth and Saturn. They create scale illustrations of each planet and label them. They share their models with the class.
Curated OER
Cloudy vs. Clear
Students analyze line plots. In this weather lesson using real NASA data, students discuss how weather affects the way the Earth is heated by comparing different line plots.
Curated OER
Fishing
Students explore the techniques and basic needs of the fisherman. In this fishing lesson, students view a demonstration of the use of fishing equipment. Students research Iowa farm ponds and design a class mural from their information. ...
Curated OER
Life Cycle of the Plant - The Pumpkin
First graders access prior knowledge about pumpkins and read the story Pumpkin, Pumpkin. They will sequence the life cycle of the pumpkin through the use of picture cards and then sing a song about the life cycle of the pumpkin and plant...
Curated OER
Science: Daily and Seasonal Cycles
First graders use their observations to describe daily and seasonal cycles. through a demonstration using a suspended ball and flashlight, they determine the time of day in various locations. Next, 1st graders participate in a...
Curated OER
Adding the Moon: Using a Playground Model to Explore the Movement of the Sun, Earth, and Moon
Students experience the rotation of the Earth and the Moon, and the revolution of the Moon around the Earth using a playground model.
Curated OER
The Sun and Moon
Learners understand basic concepts about Earth, the Sun and the Moon,
such as relative movement and the phases of the moon. Through discussion, looking at pictures, listening to Native American stories, observing, and building models,...