Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Planet Earth

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students explore the planet Earth, outer space, and Earth's axis. They demonstrate reading comprehension skills, including literal meaning, inference and critical analysis.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth's Tilt Creates Seasons

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students examine how the Earth's tilt creates the seasons. In this seasons instructional activity, students study a diagram that shows the rotation of the earth around the sun and how it tilts during the rotation. They answer 4...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Rare Earth - How Rare Is Earth-Like Life?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students systematically investigate the time frame for complex life to develop on Earth. They approximate how many other planets there may be harboring Earth-like complex life in our galaxy.
Lesson Plan
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Seasons on Earth

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students engage in a multimedia study of the seasons in relation to the sun's angle of incidence on the Earth as it is tilted on its axis. They interpret satellite maps of the world as they show seasonal changes in plant life.
Lesson Plan
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Day and Night

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders investigate the Earth's rotation and revolution and the moon's orbit around the Earth. They participate in a class discussion about how night and day occur, and take notes. Next, they watch a video about the solar system...
Lesson Plan
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Day and Night

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders view a classroom simulation that demonstrates how the Earth's rotation creates day and night.
Lesson Plan
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The Earth's Atmosphere and Temperature

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students describe and compare the layers of the atmosphere. They explain how to measure the temperature of the atmosphere and discover what causes the atmosphere to heat up in some places more than in others.
Lesson Plan
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Motion of the Sun and Earth: Using a Classroom Model to Explore Rotation and Revolution

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students use a concrete model of the Sun and Earth to observe and manipulate a 3-D model of the Sun and Earth.
Lesson Plan
University of Arizona

The Exotic Vacation

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explain the concepts and vocabulary of Earth's rotation. They plan imaginary vacations based on the seasons in different locations. This is a very creative lesson plan, which students enjoy.
Lesson Plan
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Earth's Energy Balance Performance Standard

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students examine how Earth-Sun relationships affect Earth's energy balance and the pattern of world temperatures. Students study a Surface Temperature Regions map and write a paragraph describing the temperature pattern from the Equator...
Lesson Plan
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Plate Tectonic Cycle

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students explore the Earth's movements by completing worksheets. In this plate tectonics activity, students define such natural disasters as volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis and mudslides and discuss their connections to plate tectonics....
Lesson Plan
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Surface Air Temperature Trends of the Caribbean

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students use real satellite data to determine the changes in near-surface air temperature at different times of the year over the Caribbean Sea. They discover how Earth's tilt causes seasonal differences in incoming solar energy. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Seasons' Journey : Putting it All Together

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders complete a diagram of the revolution of the earth around the sun and write a one paragraph explanation of the factors that cause seasons.
Lesson Plan
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Investigating the Dynamic Martian Polar Caps

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students download NASA Hubble Space Telescope images of the Martian polar ice caps in summer and winter, and measure and compare various images of the changing Martian and Earth polar ice caps.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Adding the Moon: Using a Playground Model to Explore the Movement of the Sun, Earth, and Moon

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students experience the rotation of the Earth and the Moon, and the revolution of the Moon around the Earth using a playground model.
Lesson Plan
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Mission Planning: Earth/Mars Comparisons

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students compare and contrast conditions on Mars to those on our own planet, specifically, their local or regional environments. The physical characteristics, the atmosphere, and other astronomical data is considered.
Lesson Plan
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Astronomy with a Stick

For Teachers 6th - 11th
Students describe the movement of the Earth as it relates to the sun and formulate a hypothesis for the movement and the changing length of the shadow. They express the relationship between the sun and the Earth and how that causes the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Foucault's Pendulum

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate how the motion of the Foucault pendulum proves that the Earth is rotating. They research the Internet about pendulums and conduct an experiment online. They view a multimedia presentation about pendulums and read...
Lesson Plan
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Charting Seasonal Changes

For Teachers 6th - 10th
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.
Lesson Plan
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Shadow Trackers

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students use online websites to inquire about the cycle of day and night. In this web based lesson, students are able to see the movement of the sun and Earth. Students can look at different parts of the Earth as if they were on the Sun...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It's Gettin' Hot In Here, So Transfer Energy

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Pupils study the means by which energy is transferred from the sun through the Earth's atmosphere. They examine radiation, conduction, and convection. They complete a lab to determine how the different transfers affect the atmosphere and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar Storms

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the cycles of solar activity. They plot the solar activity and use the graph to answer a number of questions and explain the relationship between the solar storms and sunspots and the impact on earth and space travel.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biomes of the World (and Canada)

For Teachers 2nd - 7th
Young scholars explore environments by analyzing food chains. In this biome identification instructional activity, students define a list of environmental vocabulary terms such as tundra, rain-forest and desert. Young scholars create a...
Lesson Plan
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Winter Holiday Celebrations

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students understand how holidays revolve all around light. In this winter holidays lesson, students find the similarities and differences between the winter holidays. Students discuss the winter solstice and how it relates to the holiday...

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