Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Celebrating Earth Day

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Learners explore environmental safety by planting seeds outside their classroom. In this Earth Day lesson, students identify the different ways to recycle and conserve resources on Earth while facilitating recycling bins around campus....
Lesson Plan
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Earth Day Lesson

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students analyze Earth science by answering environmental study questions. For this Earth Day lesson, students read the book The Lorax and identify the themes within it. Students define several recycling vocabulary terms and create an...
Lesson Plan
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Earth Day - Grow A Seed Garden

For Teachers K - 6th
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...
Lesson Plan
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Earth Day - Bursting Beans

For Teachers K - 6th
Students fill jars with dried beans and water, cover the jars, and wait to see what happens in this excellent Science experiment ideal for Earth Day (April 22nd). Emphasis is placed on discovering the reactions of seeds to water.
Activity
Discover Earth

Weather Stations

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Transform your classroom into a fully functioning weather station with this series of hands-on investigations. Covering the topics of temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, and cloud formation, these activities engage young...
Lesson Plan
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Mixing Colors with Corn Syrup and Food Coloring

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Anyone who has worked with small children know that color identification and color mixing can be fun! This simple idea has a lot of potential. It suggests to mix food coloring with corn syrup to provide an opportunity for color mixing...
Lesson Plan
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Paper Plate Sunflowers

For Teachers Pre-K - 2nd
A great way to recall the parts of a flower is to make one. Little learners create sunflowers out of paint and paper plates. They also discuss and label the various parts of their flowers. 
Lesson Plan
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Mr. and Mrs. Cress Head

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Young scholars explore Earth science by completing a plant art project. In this botany lesson, students utilize tights and soil to create a furry, grassy puppet style animal from cress seeds. Young scholars cut off the excess cress after...
Unit Plan
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Core Knowledge Foundation

A Time for All Seasons - Spring

For Teachers 1st - 3rd Standards
Celebrate the arrival of spring with this fun primary grade science unit. Engaging young scientists with a variety of hands-on activities and inquiry-based investigations, these lessons are a great way to teach children about...
Lesson Plan
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SCHOOLYARD SUNDIAL

For Teachers K - 8th
Students study the apparent motion of the Sun in the sky over the course of a day and a year, and analyze what causes seasons on Earth. They participate in a project that has both a science as well as an art component.
Lesson Plan
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The Origins of Business

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the world of inventions by utilizing Google Earth. For this global geography lesson, students research inventions such as the ball point pen, computer, telephone and typewriter. Students use the Google Earth software to...
Lesson Plan
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Far Out!

For Teachers 6th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
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Techno Hero

For Teachers 1st
First graders explore digital communication by creating a slide-show presentation. In this PowerPoint presentation instructional activity, 1st graders research a famous hero using search engines and other Internet tools. Students create...
Lesson Plan
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Energy Audit

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers examine the level of energy usage on a local and national level. Using the internet, they discover ways to conserve energy every day and how over-consumption of energy negatively affects the environment. In groups,...
Lesson Plan
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Rock River Watershed

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discover what a watershed is and which one they live in. Using the internet, they research why watersheds are important to an ecosystem and how to keep them from getting polluted. They use a map to locate various items within a...
Lesson Plan
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The Water Cycle

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students simulate the water cycle. In this water cycle activity, students create a model of the water cycle. Students draw the water cycle and write a paragraph explaining their drawing.
Lesson Plan
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Ocean Murals

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students identify characteristics of water. They describe the process by which light decreases and pressure increases as water depth increases. They demonstrate the principle of water pressure in a small group experiment.
Lesson Plan
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Moon Journal

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders observe Moon and its features, and record results both in written form and in a drawing on the given template.
Lesson Plan
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Rock Creek Water Quality

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders test water in a local creek using chemical kits and probes. They take GPS readings and digital photos. They calculate the Water Quality Index and create a spreadsheet of the test data.
Lesson Plan
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Sunshine and Shadows

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students measure their shadows early in the morning, record direction of shadow, make marks in ground with chalk or tape, measure with ruler, and record results. Students repeat process at noon, and then later in afternoon. Students...