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Myths and Legends on Natural Disasters: Making Sense of Our World
Students explore different natural and manmade disasters through a webquest. In this earth science lesson, students explain their causes. They also discuss how disasters affect society.
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Prehistoric Discoveries
Students agree or disagree with several statements about ancient animals, then read a news article about recent prehistoric discoveries. In this earth science and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a...
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Solar Energy Experiment
Learners observe solar energy at work. In this science instructional activity, students watch two bottles, painted black and white, sit in the heat with balloons on the mouth of the bottles. They observe and discuss why the balloon of...
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An Environmental Puzzle: The Carbon Cycle
Students are introducced to how respiration and photosysnthesis cycle carbon through ecosystems. They read background information that describes the role of the Sun as Earth's ultimate energy source and explains how the energy...
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Far Out!
Students research and compare/contrast how routine tasks on Earth would be without gravity. They read and discuss the article "The Life Galactic: A Lot of Work, a Little Play, Plenty of E-Mail." In groups they write a pitch for a TV...
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Corals & Coral Reefs
Students describe a coral reef, how it is formed and its inhabitants. They explain the ecological and economic importance of coral reefs and discuss its present-day threats. Lesson contains adaptations for all levels.
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Life In Space
Students figure out how to design their own space station. They take a tour on the International Space Station to see what living there is really like, and how lessons learned on the ISS help pave the way for future space tourists.
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Plate Tectonics
In this geology worksheet, students will cut a map of California along the San Andreas fault line to see how California might change in the future. Then students will compare a world map from 50 million years in the future with a present...
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Cleaning Water: How Filters Work
Students construct their own water filter to obtain clean water. In this filtration lesson, students produce tainted water in order to properly filter it with filtration devices made in class.
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Water Conservation
Students explore types of water reserves. In this water conservation lesson, students brainstorm ways water are used in their homes. Students use a graduated cylinder to simulate the amount of water on Earth and the amount that humans use.
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Scale Model of Our Nearest Stars
Sixth graders calculate a light day, light hour, and light minute from the standard of a light year. After establishing the distances, a one meter scale is created to demonstrate the distance between the sun and the planets of our solar...
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Weather Forecasting
Young scholars study how to forecast the weather. In this weather forecasting lesson students read different meters and understand basic cloud formations in their relationship to weather.
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Interior of the Earth
Sixth graders identify and describe the composition and physical properties of the layers of the Earth. They also explain how scientists used the scientific process to know about the center of the Earth. Finally, 6th graders read a...
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The Joy of a Garden
Learners study environmental stewardship. In this environmental stewardship lesson, students read the story The Gardner and define the character's actions for the environment. Learners define philanthropy and complete a Venn Diagram...
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Solar History
Using the sun's light as a source of energy is not a new concept. Give your environmental studies, engineering, or physical science class this list of how humans have used solar energy throughout history. Assign groups a certain time...
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Using Bloom's Taxonomy in Science
Help your students internalize knowledge by creating activities that utilize higher level thinking skills.
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Season's Greetings
Students explore Earth's seasons using an interactive website. In this earth science lesson plan, students watch video segments and explain Earth's seasonal milestones. They discuss the factors that causes seasonal changes.
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Rocks and Minerals
Learners identify how weathering and erosion effect the Earth's surface. In this weathering and rocks lesson, students study various types of rocks in water and brainstorm ways the Earth's surface changes. Learners view an interactive...
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Solar Box Cooker
Students explore solar power. In this solar power lesson plan, students build simple solar cookers after they study convection, conduction, and radiation. Students transfer their knowledge of how the solar cooker works to climate changes...
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Charting Seasonal Changes
Students research the Earth's patterns of rotation and revolution, create a chart and graph of these patterns and use them to explain the causes of night and day and summer and winter.
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Tides of Change
Students use the Internet to gather information on tides and then use this information to determine the period of revolution of the moon around the earth (part 1) and the relative pull of the sun and the moon on the tides (part 2).
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What's Dancing in the Water?
Students learn about watershed, as well as the different forms and uses of water. For this water forms lesson, students brainstorm water sources and uses. Students read the book Water Dance and discuss water examples. Students complete...
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Greenhouse Effect
Students investigate the greenhouse effect. In this environmental lesson, students investigate why the greenhouse effect changes the climate through an experiment. Students use vinegar to simulate how acid damages the environment.
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
Space Travel Guide
Looking to take a trip? Why not go to space? Here, scholars take on the role as travel agent to create a guide to their favorite planet including travel tips and sightseeing recommendations.