Curated OER
WorldWatcher Activity: What Happens to Sunlight?
Learners examine a set of data to try to determine the amount of cloud cover. In groups, they make a list of items that reflect light in the atmosphere and how different amounts of it can change the temperature. Using WorldWatcher,...
Curated OER
It's All In The Surface: The Effects Of Color & Texture On The Ability Of A Surface To Absorb Solar Energy
Ninth graders examine how dark surfaces absorb more light than light surfaces. They perform an experiment that compares various surfaces abilities to absorb heat, then record and analyze the results.
Curated OER
Photosynthesis: An enlightening experience
Students observe the effect of light on plants. They illustrate the exchange of gases between the atmosphere and the plant. Students see that plants are part of many natural cycles. They investigate how green plants use the sun's energy...
Curated OER
Physics- global warming
Students discuss the concept of global warming and view a multimedia clip on the global warming phenomenon. They statistically analyze mean temperature data and compare a given set of data. Data on atmospheric CO2 is done then they...
Curated OER
Don't Marry the Mole!
Third graders examine the power of solar energy. In groups, they create their own pizza box solar oven to discover the power of the sun and how it is a source for heat and light. To end the lesson, they use the internet to examine...
Curated OER
Ocean Color
Students examine NASA's SeaWiFS Project Web site to explore how the SeaWiFS Project monitors environmental and climatic changes in the oceans and atmosphere. They answer questions and write a summary in support of continued funding for...
Curated OER
Convection Currents
Students explain and understand the circulation of air in the atmosphere. They identify that energy can be carried from one place to another by heat flow or by waves, including water, light and sound waves, or by moving objects. ...
Curated OER
Albedo and Irradiation of Surfaces
Here is a physical science activity where pupils place thermometers inside of a white and a black paper pocket and place them under a lamp. They record and compare the temperature increase over a ten-minute period. Have your class...
Curated OER
Ocean Streams
The instructions for demonstrating ocean turnover are provided in this resource. You could set this up for your earth science class as part of a lecture on convection currents or as an explanation of how ocean currents form. An animation...
Curated OER
Ozone Pollution: Smog Alert
Students examine factors the create smog. In this pollution lesson students complete an activity about ozone.
Curated OER
Climate And the Greenhouse Effect
Students demonstrate the greenhouse effect. They recognize that relatively small changes to our environment can stimulate significant climate changes. They determine that the "scientific method" is a process of testing hypotheses and...
Curated OER
Sky Show
Students participate in a discussion of the sky and colors. They watch a demonstration of how colors can change. They examine the issue of if weather should be a part of their coursework.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Micro-GEEBITT Climate Activity
A truly hands-on and inquiry based learning activity bridges all the lessons in the series together. Beginning with a discussion on average global temperatures, young meteorologists use real-world data to analyze climate trends in order...
NASA
Producers Make Their Own Food
During an inquiry-based lesson plan, scholars decide which variable to test and then design an experiment to determine the needs of producers. After two weeks, they complete a full analysis and research paper.
Curated OER
Sending Messages to Space
Students interpret a message sent to space using a radio telescope and draw inferences from the interpreted message. Working with a partner, they interpret data that scientists believe is a message from aliens. They work on organizing...
Curated OER
Saturn
Looking for a good worksheet to help teach about the planet Saturn? This worksheet is for you! An excellent photograph of Saturn accompanies three paragraphs of text. Pupils answer five multiple choice questions based on what they've...
Science Matters
Post-Assessment Energy
After nine lessons and activities about energy, here is the final assessment. The 20-questions include multiple choice, multiple choice with justification, short answer, answer analysis, and labeling diagrams to challenge learners.
K12 Reader
The Inner Planets
Here's a reading exercise that uses an article about the inner planets to assess comprehension. After reading the article, kids respond to a series of questions using information from the text.
Curated OER
Fast Fact-Finding
Ever wonder why the sky changes color so often? Readers examine an informational excerpt from John Farndon's How the Earth Works. They underline key points as they read and then answer five response questions. Prompts review main...
Wild BC
Greenhouse Gas Guzzlers
Teams of six to eight players imagine that they are driving in a vehicle and collect balls that represent carbon dioxide emissions based on their different activities. "Greenhouse Gas Guzzler" cards tell teams how many balls to collect...
Weather Wiz Kids
Cloud in a Bottle
This resource provides a short experiment for students to explore how clouds are formed.
International Technology Education Association
Tidy Up Those Sloppy Force Fields!
It is just magnetic. This resource presents the concept of Earth's and another planet's magnetic field and how spacecrafts detect them. Learners study a problem using magnetometers and participate in three experiments to come up with a...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Understanding the Greenhouse Effect
Dive into the power of the sun with a two-part lesson. Budding scientists model the greenhouse effect in a hands-on activity, and then participate in a skit that explores the earth's energy balances and what really occurs in the...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Historical Climate Cycles
Ice core samples give scientists access to climates of old—those from more than 800,000 years ago. Through an analysis of various temperature graphs from ice cores, tree rings, and weather stations, scholars compare historical climates...