Introduce your class to various reptiles and amphibians. They will meet and identify a representative from each of the four major reptile families, then learn about and discuss reptile characteristics. Next, they will identify and...

Students share their thoughts regarding nature. In this poetry lesson, students compose poems in different formats that feature weather and clouds.

Students give examples of erosion and weathering processes. They determine causes of America's Dust Bowl phenomena.Students define erosion as the condition in which the earth's surface is worn away by the action of water and wind.

Students interview wildlife experts to gain information needed to research and write a report about an aquatic plant or animal affected by climate change.

After listening to a story about the water cycle, learners create their own versions of this tale. This is a great way to have your class review the concepts of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff.

Here is a great way to get pupils to express a scientific concept in a fun way. After hearing the story of Walter the Water drop and learning facts about the water cycle, the class will write a creative expository piece describing what...

Learners represent volcanoes with models and sketches. They research volcanoes and plan how to build a model. They, in groups, build a model volcano and cause it to erupt making observations before and after the eruption.

Students access hurricane reports form the national weather service online, and draw hurricane paths. They discuss how hurricanes form and move. The research should be reported in a comprehensive presentation that can be given to a whole...

Students investigate why a balloon flies in one direction as air escapes in the opposite direction, which helps them understand the nature of rockets and fireworks. Individually and in teams, students conduct research to create a...

Students make a barometer and write a paragraph describing how they did it.

Second in a series of five lessons, this lesson encourages preteens to consider cities as urban ecosystems. First, they keep a food diary for a few days. They visit the Natrional Agricultural Statistics Service website for current data...

Students use eyewitness accounts to gather and evaluate information about the events of the May 18, 1980, eruption of Mount St. Helens. They play the following roles: reporter(s), eyewitnesses, and scientists who are investigating the...

Cities are compared to living, breathing, metabolizing organisms. Fourth in a five-part series of lessons, this one focuses on the flow of materials through a city. Links to interesting websites and images make your delivery of...

Students study the importance of preserving rainforest. They investigate the uses of rainforest plants for medicinal uses by participating in rainforest immersion activities.

Students examine the characteristics and types of tornadoes. They discuss how they are formed, conduct an experiment with two liter bottles, analyze data and determine mean and median, and design a house to withstand tornado-force winds

Fourth graders investigate the process of water erosion. They observe the roots of a plant and discuss the concept of erosion. Next, in small groups they conduct an experiment to observe how water erodes soil on a stream table, and...

Students conduct Internet research about different types of fossils, the animals they are from, and some famous paleontologists. They also participate in some interactive activities and hands-on lessons in which they create their own...

Students explore the components of matter. They discover what matter is, the states of matter, and how heat and cold cause it to change states in an online format. In addition, they complete internet-based lessons, activities, and quizzes.

Fourth graders receive data about tree ring records, solar activity, and volcanic eruptions during the Little Ice Age (1350-1850). From this data, they draw conclusions about possible natural causes of climate change

Students look at how clouds form. In this cloud lesson plan, students make a cloud using water,  2 liter bottles and a match. They watch how the pressure and temperature changes the atmosphere in the bottle to create a cloud. 

Students investigate cloud formation. In this weather lesson, students examine how clouds are formed. Students participate in experiments that model how water vapor in the air works.

Students work together to design an experiment. They discover the origin of a family artifact. They analyze the data and discuss the results. They determine if the experiment is the best way to find out this type of information.

Young scholars differentiate between the terms 'tornado watch' and 'tornado warning' and simulate the conditions that produce tornadoes. They read "Night of the Twisters" by Ivy Ruckman and conduct an experiment using two-liter plastic...