Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Earth Moves Under My Feet

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study earthquakes, monitor seismic activity using the Web, and plot real-time activity. They examine movement of the Earth's tectonic plates. They create an earthquake preparedness project.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Environmental Health Hazards and Children

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students are introduced to the environmental hazards their community is facing. In groups, they develop a list of the ways humans have changed the Earth and how these changes have lead to environmental hazards. They record their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Story of Corn

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students use primary sources to compare the early development of corn with current techniques of biotechnology and genetically engineered seeds, and identify plants natural to the Americas and those natural to Europe that were part of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hunting Invertebrate Fossils in the Classroom

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students acquire a general knowledge of fossils and paleontology, the study of evidence of life in the past and identify the major invertebrate groups (phyla) commonly found in the fossil record.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Geologic History of Long Island Sound

For Students 7th - 10th
In this geologic history of Long Island Sound worksheet, students read about how the Long Island sound was formed through rivers and glaciers advancing and retreating. Students answer 5 questions about the reading and the formation of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where, Oh Where is All the Clean Air?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the history of air pollution dating back to the Roman Empire. In groups, they research the different types of pollutants in the air and how they can affect the environment. They participate in various experiments to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who Dirtied The Water/Clean Water: Is It Drinkable?

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students enter the room, receive a film canister that contains materials that be added to the dirty water bell jar. They record on their data table who or what is doing the adding and the actual substance that has been added to the bell...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stewardship of Yosemite National Park

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students devise a plan that would be true to John Muir's spirit of stewardship toward Yosemite. They analyze a core map to determine the original plan and usage of the park and compare the original plan to a current park map.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

For the Birds

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine the different types of pandemic flu viruses and virus "scares" that have occurred over the past hundred years by creating a master chart that displays the origins, transmission, symptoms, and socio-historical impact of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

State of the Planet's Wildlife

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners view and discuss a video about the challenges facing wildlife on the planet Earth. They define key terms, watch the video, and answer discussion questions about the film.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Basics of Archaeology

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students identify what and how to complete an Archaeological excavation is conducted. They identify the transition from one layer to the next more easily if the colors of the layers are different. When creating a dig, the teacher...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The History of Evolutionary Theory

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are introduced to the concept of evolution by natural selection from a historical standpoint. They examine the evidence and arguments that support the theory of natural selection.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Owls and Raptors

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students investigate the predator-prey relationship of owls and raptors. They examine a variety of resources about owls and raptors, develop a list of vocabulary words, dissect owl pellets and identify what owls eat, and play a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Letters from the Japanese American Internment

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students examine letters of Japanese-American children during internment in World War II. They discover what it was like in the camps and how they were treated once they were released. They also view photographs of the camps.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Beauty: Patterns in Nature

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Learners explore the patterns of nature. In this interdisciplinary lesson, students examine beauty in nature and participate in a hands-on simulation that demonstrates how human preferences for beauty have led to an increased frequency...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ancient Farmers of the Amazon

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read a sample research proposal and create their own. They discover the type of information needed for others to reject or accept the proposal. They practice applying the scientific process to different situations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Butterfly 1: Observing the Life Cycle of a Butterfly

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students observe and identify the characteristics of the life cycle of a butterfly.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Urban Ecosystems 4: Metabolism of Urban Ecosystems

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Cities are compared to living, breathing, metabolizing organisms. Fourth in a five-part series of lessons, this one focuses on the flow of materials through a city. Links to interesting websites and images make your delivery of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Co-evolution of Plants and Pollinators

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore biological evolution and natural selection and its evolutionary consequences. They also explore how organisms are interdependent on one another.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Explore the Effects of Immigration

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the effects of immigration on the immigrants and on society as a whole. They will record the experiences of specific immigrant groups using an E-sheet. Groups present a summary of what they learned about their ethnic...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Simple Harmonic Motion with Dr. DAQ

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students study the work and accomplishment of Galileo. In this physics lesson, students calculate the period of a pendulum's using a mathematical equation. They explain the different factors affecting its period.
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Learning About Location: Charting the Path of the George W. Elder

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Learners acquire a working knowledge of the geographical concepts: absolute location, relative location, longitude and latitude. They analyze primary sources that shows the physical and human characteristics of the places along the 1899...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Drama in the Refuge

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students write and perform dramatic presentations about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. They select formats from puppets, plays, improvisational skits, or screened silhouette.
Lesson Plan
PHET

AM Radio Ionosphere Station

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Tune in! Young scientists use an AM radio at home to monitor solar output. The long-term project would be ideal in a flipped classroom or as an out-of-class project.