Smithsonian Institution
Water/Ways: The Poetry of Science
Water is the source of life. It appears in poetry in both peaceful and torrential descriptions; it appears in earth science in its liquid, gaseous, and solid states. Combine these interpretations of our planet's most precious and...
Curated OER
Earth's Energy
Students discuss the Earth's energy. In this science lesson, students construct a simple circuit, a series circuit, and a parallel circuit.
Curated OER
Earth Day
Students complete a variety of Earth Day activities. In this recycling and the environment lesson plan, students listen to Earth friendly music, create a car out of juice boxes, use soda cans and bottle caps to create a Halloween...
Curated OER
Earth Day - Grow A Seed Garden
Young scholars discover how things grow and how they can take better care of the environment in this Earth Day lesson for the elementary classroom. The activity can be accomplished in one day and left in the sun until the "beans" begin...
Curated OER
So Much Water, So Little to Drink
Learners explore salt and fresh water. In this water lesson, students investigate the amount of Earth covered by water. Learners compare the amounts of salt water to fresh water. Students create a visual representation to aid comprehension.
Curated OER
Willie the Worm
Students explore Earth science by participating in a compost activity in class. For this worm lesson, students discuss the importance of worms in the creation of plants. Students cut out pieces from a print out to assemble a paper worm...
Curated OER
Ice Cube Experiment
Students explore the rate at which ice melts. In this science lesson, students place ice cubes on colored index cards and place them in direct sunlight. Students observe which ice cubes melt fastest and slowest.
Curated OER
Dynamic Earth
Young scholars show how earthquakes affect sea waves. In this tidal waves lesson students use a rubber mallet on a table to create waves in a box on top of the table. They experiment with striking the mallet in different locations on the...
Curated OER
Compare Topography of Earth and Mars with a Worldwide Telescope
Students compare geography to topography. In this topography lesson, students examine the topography of the surfaces of the Earth. Students compare one feature of Earth to one feature of Mars and present in a PowerPoint.
Curated OER
Make a Shadow Clock
Young scholars make shadow clocks. In this earth science lesson plan, students follow the provided steps to make shadow clocks out of the provided pattern and tagboard. A game, a song, a craft, and a recipe are all included with the...
Curated OER
Solar Sweet Tea
Students study the sun. In this heat energy lesson, students use the sun's warmth to make tea. They place a few jars with tea bags and water in the sun and discuss what the sun is doing to the water while they wait for the tea to brew....
Curated OER
Echolocation
Students explore echolocation. In this bats science lesson, students compare sunlight reflecting off a mirror to sound waves hitting a bat's ears. Students complete a worksheet about bats.
Curated OER
Litter From Lunchtime
Students explore environmental care by participating in a litter identification activity. In this food trash lesson, students discuss the destruction litter causes in our environment and ways we can avoid littering ourselves. Students...
Curated OER
Habitats of the World
Students discover that the Earth supports many different animal habitats. In this habitat lesson students research different habitats of the world. Students show how the animals in their habitat are adapted.
Curated OER
Science Fiction Stories
Students review the story writing process and the elements such as prewriting, drafting, editing, revising, publishing, and assessment. Next students write a science fiction story that contains a title, the requested number of...
University of Texas
Observing the Moon
Why does it look like there is a man on the moon? Why does the moon look different every night? These are the focus questions of a lesson that prompts class members to observe and record the nightly changes of Earth's natural satellite.
Curated OER
Magnificent Magnets
Learners identify the properties of a magnet. In this physics lesson, students explore the strength of the magnet by testing out how a magnet reacts to various materials. The various objects the learners test include paper clips, paper,...
Curated OER
Space Jeopardy Game
Students explore space. In this space lesson, students analyze the sky and what causes its changes. Students describe the moon patterns and use a model to show changes in its shape. Students also describe the first trip to the moon....
Curated OER
This Mine of Mine
Young scholars explore natural resources by conducting a geology experiment in class. In this mineral mining lesson, students discuss the types of geological material that can be found when mining and the uses for these resources such as...
Curated OER
Earth's Rotation
Pupils explore the Earth and its rotation. Volunteers model the sun-Earth system to demonstrate that the Earth rotates around the sun. In groups, students simulate "traveling" around the sun and discuss when it is night and day.
Curated OER
Help! Help! Save the Earth!
First graders analyze ways to save our natural resources and preserve the environment. For this environmental protection lesson, 1st graders complete four activities to analyze the importance of our natural resources and what trash does...
Curated OER
How's the Weather?
Learners explore earth science by researching the Internet. In this weather pattern lesson, students utilize the website weather.com to analyze the weather in different geographic locations. Learners view charts and graphs based on...
Curated OER
Sky Stories
Learners are introduced to the branch of science known as astronomy. They discuss stars and constellations and then view the night sky using a portable digital planetarium projector. They identify a variety of constellations and...
Curated OER
Classroom Planetarium
Students work in groups to create the planets of the solar system. In this planets lesson, students create a hanging solar system taking into account the size, shape and position of the planets. Students discuss the gravity on each...