Curated OER
The Planet Earth
Students explore the planet Earth, outer space, and Earth's axis. They demonstrate reading comprehension skills, including literal meaning, inference and critical analysis.
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Earth's Tilt Creates Seasons
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...
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Day and Night
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...
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Day and Night
Third graders view a classroom simulation that demonstrates how the Earth's rotation creates day and night.
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The Earth's Atmosphere and Temperature
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.
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Shadow Trackers
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...
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Motion of the Sun and Earth: Using a Classroom Model to Explore Rotation and Revolution
Students use a concrete model of the Sun and Earth to observe and manipulate a 3-D model of the Sun and Earth.
University of Arizona
The Exotic Vacation
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.
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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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Investigating the Dynamic Martian Polar Caps
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.
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Adding the Moon: Using a Playground Model to Explore the Movement of the Sun, Earth, and Moon
Students experience the rotation of the Earth and the Moon, and the revolution of the Moon around the Earth using a playground model.
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Seasons' Journey : Putting it All Together
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.
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Astronomy with a Stick
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...
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Foucault's Pendulum
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...
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It's Gettin' Hot In Here, So Transfer Energy
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...
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Sundials and Shadows - What Can They Teach Us About Seasons?
Students collect and analyze data relating to seasonal changes. They view a video, research web sites and build a sundial to collect their data.
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Motion Experiment
Students experiment with the laws of motion. In this motion lesson plan, students explore Newton's Laws of Motion. Students work in groups experimenting with different objects and observing different types of motion.
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Today's Weather on Mars
Students investigate the temperature and wind data locally, nationally, and internationally and compare these conditions to those on Mars. Conclusions are drawn about the differences of these conditions and the causes for the variance...
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Making Sense Of A Round World On A Flat Surface
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the development of geography skills. They take part in a number of activities that center around finding and traveling to different locations. The lesson has resource links that can be...
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Climate and Topography, What Is the Connection?
Fourth graders study Neumann's world continent map and explore topography and climate.
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Moon Observations
Third graders create a model of the moon and use a flashlight to illustrate the various stages of the moon.
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Astronomy
Students complete a unit of lessons on our solar system, its stars, and astronomers. They record information in a space journal, design constellations, define key vocabulary, observe the phases of the moon, and create a group planet...
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Time Zones and Migration Patterns of the Leatherback Sea Turtle
Young scholars identify the different time zones by plotting the migration patterns of the leatherback sea turtles. They discover that traveling around the worlds includes passage through different time zones.