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PPT
Curated OER

The Earth and Beyond

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Photographs and graphics bring the solar system and Earth to life in this presentation. Viewers are taken on a virtual field trip, beginning with the sun and planet placement, and proceeding through both Earth and the moon's movements....
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Unit Plan
NASA

Earth’s Energy Budget

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Take the time and energy learn about Earth's energy budget. An engaging unit of four lessons focuses on the components that make up Earth's energy budget. Future scientists come up with a formula for the energy budget, then use software...
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Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Lesson One: The Earth, Background and Glossary

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
How much do you really know about our planet? Middle schoolers build up their prior knowledge about Earth, its placement in the solar system, its composition, and important geological vocabulary with an introductory earth science lesson.
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Lesson Plan
Stanford University

Solstice and Equinox Season Model

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
How can December 21 be the shortest day of the year when all days are 24 hours long? Pupils see how to build a model showing the differences between winter and summer solstices and equinoxes. Using this model, classes can then discuss...
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Lesson Plan
NorthEast Ohio Geoscience Education Outreach

Earth, Sun and You

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Middle schoolers model Earth's revolution round the sun by walking a mini-globe around a lamp. You will assess whether or not they tilt and rotate the planet properly and that the revolution is counterclockwise. Discussion beforehand...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Modeling the Seasons

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Junior geologists become the force that makes the world go around! With a lamp on the floor in the middle of the room to represent the sun, volunteers hold a globe, revolve, and rotate. Observers notice how the light hitting the globe...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Seasons and Day Time

For Students 8th - 10th
Learners label a diagram of the Earth rotating about the sun and indicate the direction of the rotation and the seasons at each location. They indicate the seasons, the poles, the hours of daylight at each pole, the direction of rotation...
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Unit Plan
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NASA

The Science of the Sun

For Teachers K - 6th Standards
There's more to that glowing ball of light in sky than most children realize. From the overall structure of the solar system, to the changing of the seasons, these hands-on lessons open the eyes of young scientists to the important role...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Earth's Global Energy Budget

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Introduce your earth science enthusiasts to the earth's energy budget. Teach them using an informative set of slides that include illuminating lecturer's notes, relevant vocabulary, embedded animations, colorful satellite maps, and a...
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Unit Plan
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Core Knowledge Foundation

A Time for All Seasons - Summer

For Teachers 1st - 3rd Standards
The sun is shining and the birds are singing, what better time to teach young learners about the fun season of summer. In this week-long science series, children learn how the rotation and orbit of the earth influence the days and...
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Worksheet
2
2
Curated OER

The Reasons for the Seasons

For Students 7th - 10th
Young scientists use a globe and a light to simulate the rotation of the earth and sun to show the seasons. Additionally, they simulate direct sunlight and indirect sunlight showing intensity of the sun, and answer questions based on...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Seasons

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students investigate the reason for seasons on Earth during three activities. They construct a model of the Earth and Sun to identify patterns in the changes of the angle of light on the Earth's surface. Then they conduct a heat...
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Lesson Plan
S2tem Centers SC

Seasons

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Winter, spring, summer, and fall—take the learning of the seasons beyond the elementary level to the middle school classroom. Curious learners begin by watching videos about the seasons and the rotation of planet Earth. Then, they...
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Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Weather Patterns and Seasonal Changes

For Teachers K - 2nd Standards
Get your class outside to observe their surroundings with a lesson highlighting weather patterns and seasonal changes. First, learners take a weather walk to survey how the weather affects animals, people, plants, and trees during...
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Lesson Plan
World Wildlife Fund

Land of the Midnight Sun

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
From days of 24 hour sunlight, to endless nights that last for days, the Arctic is a very unique place to live. Examine the seasonal changes that occur in the northern-most reaches of the globe and the impact they have on the plants and...
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Lesson Plan
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Purdue University

Global Design for the Seasons

For Teachers 5th Standards
People don't all get the same amount of sun at the same time of the year. Collaborative groups explore how the motion of Earth contributes to the idea in an inquiry-based STEM instructional activity. Learners first investigate how the...
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Interactive
CK-12 Foundation

Seasons: Shadow Lengths

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Before iPhones and calendars, how did humans determine the seasons of the year? Middle school scientists discover how to use shadows to determine the time of year in an enlightening interactive. Pupils manipulate the sun and examine the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reason for the Seasons

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students study the seasons of the Earth. In this seasons lesson, students study the science of the seasons on Earth by studying the tilt and axis of the Earth's orbit. Students read background information and four experimental activities...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Seasons Worksheet #3

For Students 6th - 9th
A diagram outlining the geocentric view of the sun's path across the sky tops this earth science worksheet. Learners label the zenith and determine the latitude from which this view is taken. It is a compact worksheet, but it may be...
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Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Kinesthetic Astronomy: Birthday Stars

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Space explorers take a virtual trip around the sun right within your classroom! They stand in a circle facing away from the "sun" (a lamp) in the center of the room. As they move according to your instructions, they view different...
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Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Kinesthetic Astronomy: The Meaning of a Year

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
How many times have you traveled around the sun? Aspiring astronomers grasp what a year is and they differentiate between orbit and rotation by walking around the sun right within your classroom. Place a lamp in the center of the room to...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Planet Earth

For Students 5th - 8th
In this Earth worksheet, students review 13 terms associated with the Earth's rotation, revolution, and orbit. Students find the terms in a word search and then fill in the term next to its definition.
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PPT
1
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Curated OER

Solar/Lunar Eclipses and the Seasons

For Teachers 5th - 7th
How do the moon, sun, and Earth line up to create eclipses? Why do the seasons change throughout a year? The answers to these questions are explained through this series of slides. This apt presentation outlines information using bullet...
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Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Climate Zones

For Teachers 5th - 11th Standards
The climate at the equator is hotter than the climate at the poles, but why? The lesson goes in depth, explaining how the angles of illumination relate to the heating rate at different latitudes and seasons. Scholars use a strong lamp,...