Curated OER
Reason for the Seasons
Students study the seasons of the Earth. In this seasons instructional activity, students study the science of the seasons on Earth by studying the tilt and axis of the Earth's orbit. Students read background information and four...
Curated OER
Water Resources
High schoolers study water resources that are important to the people of North American and Africa. They use satellite images and data to explore how human actions can degrade, improve, or maintain water resources. They analyze and...
Curated OER
Habitable Zones
Students focus on stellar luminosities to estimate size of habitable zones, map out habitable zone around hot light bulbs that serve as models of stars, investigate how size of model "habitable zone" around light bulbs depends on...
Curated OER
The Life Cycle of a Star
Learners investigate the life cycle of a star and make conclusions based on evidence, research, and observation. In this lesson plan on space and scientific investigation, students describe the relationships between science and...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
How Does the Loss of Ozone Affect Our Climate
Students explore the greenhouse effect and what it does to the environment. They discuss if and how human behavior contributes to global warming and test natural materials for carbon content.
Curated OER
Practical Illustrations of Astronomical Concepts Relating to the Solar System
Eighth graders are introduced to concepts related to the Solar System. In groups, they participate in an experiment in which they must describe a ray of light and how it travels. They draw a diagram of the electromagnetic spectrum and...
Curated OER
Exploring the Night Sky: Summer
Students explain how moon phases occur. They describe and explain at least two common misconceptions that people have about the moon. Students explain what a star is. They explain 3 ways that the night sky has been used throughout history.
Curated OER
Program Your Partner
Young scholars explore the world of robotics. In this robotics lesson, students study the history of robots and work with partners to find out how hard it is to accurately guide robots through simple tasks.
Curated OER
Solar System Search
Students research topics related to space and the planets using the Internet. They explore various websites, construct scale models of the solar system, and create a travel brochure using HyperStudio computer software.
Curated OER
Wonder Underground
Students classify and record objects they find "underground." In this observation lesson, students dig into bins filled with soil and encounter various objects such as bark, twigs, etc. Students classify their findings.
Curated OER
Mass Spectrometer
In this mass spectrometer worksheet, students read about how a mass spectrometer determines the elements in gases around Earth. Students answer 3 questions and identify the elements in a graph found by a mass spectrometer.
Curated OER
It's A Meteor
Students complete a webquest to find Earth's relationship to the sun. In this webquest lesson plan, students complete tasks to understand the effect of the sun on weather and time. Students create a multimedia presentation as...
Curated OER
Computer Activity-The Sun
In this computer activity worksheet, students visit a website and take a Virtual Tour of the Sun. While navigating through the site, they complete 16 fill in the blank questions.
Curated OER
The Creation of an Imaginary Species
Students explore the characteristics that distinguish different forms of animal life on Earth which are the results of natural selection and adaptations to their environment. The creatures are created using a game and then drawn by the...
Curated OER
What are Stars?
Students research the solar system and it's characteristics. In this solar system lesson, students are broken into 4 groups, each assigned a specific part of the solar system. Students use the Internet to research their part...
Curated OER
The Sun Does What?
Students examine why the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. In this sun lesson, students explore the sunset and shadows. Students prove that the sun's position changes during the day. Students investigate what causes a shadow....
Curated OER
Climate Change Challenge
Students participate in a demonstration in which they role-play polar bears and habitat components to demonstrate the impacts of climate change on the Arctic Ocean ecosystem.
Curated OER
Using a Sundial
Students examine the use of a sundial to tell apparent time. In this sundial lesson, students watch a teacher demonstration using a flashlight to create shadows. They discuss what happens to shadows of different objects as the position...
Curated OER
Climate Change & Coral Activities
Students study how the ocean stabilizes our planet's climates and how global warming is becoming a threat to this fine balance. In this climate change lesson, students identify that fossil fuel emissions are responsible for...
Curated OER
Non Native Species: English Ivy-Landscape Plant or Deadly Killer?
Learners study the impact that invasive species have on biodiversity and more natural areas.
Curated OER
Relative Dating-Telling Time Using Fossils
Students explore how to read fossil range charts. They develop an knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the fossil record. Students become familiar with the concepts index fossil and fossil range. Students use bar graphs to...
Curated OER
What's In Our Backyard?
Eighth graders investigate the importance of an ecosystem by studying their own backyards. For this environmental lesson, 8th graders examine a schoolyard or backyard by marking quadrants and recording any animal or plant findings...
Curated OER
Creating Craters
Students explore parts of an impact crater and compare and contrast craters found in Earth, the Moon, and Mars. Crater formation is modelled and the relationship of mass, velocity, and size of the projectile to the crater formation is...