Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

The Earth Has Many Layers

For Teachers 4th - 5th Standards
Students conduct an experiment. In this Earth's layers lesson, students learn about soil, sand and rock. They complete their own Jell-O Mountain and investigate the Earth's layers on-line.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Old Is Illinois?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers use fossils found in rocks to determine the age of the strata between Rock Island and Chicago. Pupils pretend they are geologists. They must determine the age of all rock layers between the Mississippi River and Lake...
Lesson Plan
NASA

Lava Layering

For Teachers 4th - 10th
Take the old baking soda and vinegar volcano to the next level by using it to study repeated lava flows over time, examine geologic features on Earth and Mars, and speculate about some of the formations on Mars. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Identifying Ozone Variations over Different Locations

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students analyze ozone data.  In this atmosphere lesson, students will use a NASA resource to gather data for different regions of the Earth.  Students will then create a graph for their data and answer related questions. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Big Are Earth, Sun, and Moon?

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders draw what they believe is in space on a dry erase board. In groups, they are given a beaker half filled with water and they add a teaspoon of oil, observing the different layers that form. To end the lesson, they identify...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plate Tectonics: An "Eggs"periment

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Learners investigate plate tectonics by observing a cracked egg shell.  In this Earth science lesson, students draw borders of continents on an egg shell, only to watch it crack in a glass.  Learners record the breakup of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mighty Earth Movers

For Teachers K - 5th Standards
Note that although the publisher lists almost all of the Common Core standards for both math and language arts, you will most likely want to take the general topic and choose which area to focus on. Regarding math, pupils measure worms...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scale Model of the Earth

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students work together to create a model of the Earth. They label and identify each layer and describing its properties. They discover how engineers use models to test different concepts.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Greenhouse Effect: Pop Bottle Experiment

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students explore global warming by conducting a weather experiment. In this greenhouse gas lesson, students define the greenhouse effect and the impact on our ozone layer. Students utilize a soda pop bottle, floodlight bulb, thermometers...
Unit Plan
University of Southern Indiana

Manifest Density

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
There's a lot content packed into the four lessons of this physical science unit on density. From salad dressing to the water cycle and hot air balloons, these lessons engage students in hands-on activities that explore real-world...
Lesson Plan
Ocean Explorer

Living with the Heat

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Young oceanographers study the Submarine Ring of Fire, which is a series of deep-water volcanic vents that come up from the ocean floor. Learners take a close look at the unique ecosystems that are associated with these areas, how these...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is Soil?

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders examine what makes soil by creating a Venn Diagram.  In this Earth environment activity, 3rd graders identify the different components that soil is made from. Students bring soil from their homes to examine and create...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ice is N"ICE"!!

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students observe and describe, both orally and in writing. the different forms of water on the surface of the Earth and measure the approximate size of an iceberg. They also estimate and measure the amount of ice that floats above the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Modeling Oil and Gas Reservoirs

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate energy by researching how oil reservoirs work. In this fossil fuels lesson, students conduct an experiment using a half full bottle of water, corn oil and oxygen, recording their data as the elements are mixed...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fostering Geospatial Thinking: Space to Earth: Earth to Space (SEES)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers locate and access data to help them with their science inquiry.  In this geographical positioning lesson students evaluate and compare data sets. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Effects Of Earthquakes

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the concept of how earthquakes occur and the after effects of how they effect landforms. They conduct research it using a variety of resources and measure the varying intensities of how earthquakes effect the...
Lesson Plan
National Park Service

Rock Ranking

For Teachers 1st - 3rd Standards
Junior geologists sort rocks and soil. They separate a sample of river gravel by size, shape, color, and other characteristics. To include Common Core standards, you could have little ones graph the number of particles in each sample.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Community Building

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Learners build different shapes using sketches. In this geometry lesson, students explore measurements and units as they build and create models of buildings. They use SketchUp to create and manipulate shapes.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cyanobacteria Races: Cyanobacteria Motility Experiment for a Classroom

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students experiment to determine the effect of light on cyanobacteria movement. They graph the data of the experiment for further analysis. They watch a time-lapse video of cyanobacteria motility at a NASA website.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cooking with the Sun!

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners access prior knowledge of solar energy and understand that solar energy produces heat. In this solar cooker lesson, students complete grade appropriate experiments using the heat of the sun. Learners complete a worksheet on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Environment: Battling for Oxygen

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners construct an interactive ozone depletion model using gumdrops and toothpicks. After analyzing the data obtained from the model, they record it on butcher paper and complete worksheets about oxygen.
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Action at Plate Boundaries

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students diagram the spreading of the ocean floor. In this earth science lesson plan, students read an article on plate boundaries of the ocean. Students are expected to diagram the oceanic convergent boundary, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy: Exploring Alternative Forms

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In the study of science, there is always going to be research, data, theories and wonderful new discoveries. I feel that my interest about energy will help me design an adequate unit full of intrigue and discovery. The students should...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Keep It Cool

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students complete a science experiment to study insulation, heat transfer, and permafrost. In this permafrost study lesson, students design and test a soda insulator. Students graph their class data and discuss the results. Students...