Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Milkweed and Monarch Butterfly Mania

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students explore Earth science by completing a worksheet in class. In this botany lesson, students identify the relationship between the Milkweed plant and the butterflies which regularly feed on its nutrients. Students visit a list of...
Lesson Plan
Carnegie Mellon University

Introduction to Climate

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Begin a full lesson on climate change by demonstrating how carbon dioxide gas contributes to increased temperatures. Be aware that pressure inside the antacid-containing bottle in Activity 2 may cause the lid to fly off; keep viewers at...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Calculating Your Ecological Footprint

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
You can lower your ecological footprint by recycling! Lesson four in this series of five has individuals, through the use of a computer, calculate their ecological footprints. Through discussions and analysis they determine how many...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigating the Climate System: Energy, A Balancing Act

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Earth science explorers design an experiment to demonstrate that the albedo of a surface affects its temperature. They test to find out if moisture on the surface affects temperature. They discover whether or not concrete or asphalt heat...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Are You Bigfoot?

For Students 5th - 6th Standards
Scholars independently explore several websites to calculate their ecological footprint. Using their new found knowledge, they answer six short-answer questions and take part in a grand conversation with their peers about how...
Lesson Plan
3
3
Chicago Botanic Garden

Calculating Your Carbon Footprint

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Unplugging from technology for one day per week will decrease your carbon footprint—are you up to the challenge? Part two in a series of three allows individuals to explore their personal carbon footprints. By first taking a quiz at home...
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Water is a Heat Sink

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
One of the key objectives of Europe's Copernicus Earth program is to monitor the temperatures of the oceans and seas on Earth. Young scholars learn the effects of different heat capacities through two experiments. These experiments...
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Making A Sundial

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Can people really measure time just by using the sun? Scholars venture outside on a nice, sunny day to build sundials and learn how people measured time 600 years ago. The class builds two different sundials while gaining practice with...
Interactive
PBS

Why Isn't There an Eclipse Every Month?

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Searching for an eclipse activity that sends scholars over the moon? Try an interesting interactive to get their minds active! The resource, part of an extensive Space series from PBS Learning Media, uses modeling and data analysis to...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Moons in Comparison

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Just how big is Earth's moon? With a hands-on simulation, scholars use Play-Doh to model the sizes of the planets Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and their moons. They make predictions as a class, work together to make their models, and discuss...
Lesson Plan
Kenan Fellows

Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Energy Resources

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Is one type of energy inherently good or bad? Young scientists explore energy resources in a week-long unit. After extensive research, groups create powerful position statements and presentations supporting their energy resource of choice.
Lesson Plan
PBS

Technology: Conveniences and Consequences

For Teachers 8th - 12th
It's a delicate balance—using technology to improve our lives while still protecting the environment, and ourselves, from the hazards of technology use. Class members examine statistics about the increase in media use, complete a survey...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

GEEBITT (Global Equilibrium Energy Balance Interactive TinkerToy)

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
Students use the GEEBITT excel model to explore how global average temperatures are affected by changes in our atmosphere in part two of this series of seven lessons. Working in groups, they discuss, analyze graphs, and enter data to...
Lesson Plan
NASA

Climate Change Online Lab

For Teachers 6th - 8th
What are the key indicators that show scientists that our planet is in the fastest warming trend ever? Learners go on a WebQuest to examine the evidence for themselves. Following several links to NASA sites, kids see how the global...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Nevada Outdoor School

Let It Snow! Let It Melt!

For Teachers Pre-K - 2nd Standards
Winter weather offers a great opportunity to teach young scientists about the states of matter. This activity-based lesson plan includes a range of learning experiences, from experimenting with the rate at which ice...
Lesson Plan
1
1
University of Colorado

Distance = Rate x Time

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Every year, the moon moves 3.8 cm farther from Earth. In the 11th part of 22, classes use the distance formula. They determine the distance to the moon based upon given data and then graph Galileo spacecraft data to determine its movement.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Erosion in Different Soils

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders observe and identify the effects of weathering and geological activities. They take part in an excellent hands-on group activity called "Erosion Race," in which each group tries to simulate erosion of soil in the quickest...
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Energy from Water Wheels

For Teachers 6th Standards
Historians believe the first vertical water wheel was invented in Rome during the Augustan Age. The sixth lesson in the series of 10 has scholars experiment with designing their own water wheels. Through testing various pastas and...
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Peanut Energy

For Teachers 6th Standards
How do humans get energy since they aren't mechanical and can't photosynthesize? Learners explore this question by relating potential energy in food to human energy levels. Scholars measure the change in mass and a change in...
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Greenhouse Effect

For Teachers 5th - 11th Standards
A greenhouse provides additional warmth and protection to the plants inside, but what if the greenhouse gets too hot? Pupils discuss and experiment with the difference between natural and anthropogenic greenhouse effect. They measure the...
Lesson Plan
Earth Day Network

Filtering Water

For Teachers 5th - 8th
See the water filtration system up close with a fun science experiment. Young scientists work for several class periods to design a water filter using household objects, and then decide which filter material would be most effective...
Lesson Plan
UAF Geophysical Institute

Carbon Footprint

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Your young environmentalists can calculate their carbon footprint and discuss ways to reduce it with a worksheet about climate change. After reading a handout about what impact one's carbon footprint can have on the environment, kids...
Lesson Plan
Polar Bears International

Taking Action!

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Motivate young scientists to stand up and take action with this environmental science lesson. To begin, the class works in small groups brainstorming actions that support the conservation of the earth before creating and implementing an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Silica Tetrahedron Model

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Very simply, pairs of learners construct a model of the tetrahedral silica structure using raisins and toothpicks. They dip it into a soapy solution and then blow a bubble "atom" into its center. The lesson plan gives instructions that...

Other popular searches