Curated OER
Temperature Changes: Atmosphere & Ocean
Students observe temperature differences of water and air in sunlight and darkness. They determine that the sun warms the Earth's surface, which controls global currents and climate, keeping the earth habitable. They discover water and...
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics
Young scholars complete a data sheet. In this Earth composition lesson, students learn what happens when the Earth's plates push against each other. They watch a teacher demonstration and complete a data sheet.
Curated OER
PLATE MOVEMENTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Students label three geological maps with continents provided to analyze the relationships between the movement of tectonic plates and the changes in the climate. In small groups, they discuss their findings and form hypotheses about the...
Curated OER
A Changing Planet
Learners describe climate change and the future impact it could have on our physical environment. They identify the regions of the world that would encounter the most significant effects of a global warming.
Curated OER
The Earth's Landscape#156
Students define a word from the natural disaster list, find a location in the world where this type of disaster has occurred and discuss what they have identified. They design a crossword puzzle of natural disaster words or check a...
Curated OER
The Water Cycle
Fourth graders explore changes in water forms. In this water cycle lesson, 4th graders build a water cycle model and monitor it for 2 weeks in order to understand that water changes state as it moves through the cycle.
Curated OER
The Cherokee: Trail Where They Cried
Students read the Trail of Tears about the Cherokee Nation removal and write a letter pretending they are the grandparent of a Cherokee child. In this Trail of Tears lesson plan, students understand the changing of boundaries.
Curated OER
The Work of Waves and Wind
This is not revolutionary, but it is informative. Earth science viewers in grades 7-12 get carried away with wave and wind erosion. They view diagrams of how waves impact ocean shorelines. They see examples of the different types of sand...
Curated OER
Introducing The Gulf Stream
Sixth graders research the average temperatures of different places on Earth. In this earth science lesson, 6th graders explain how the sun's heat cause ocean movement. They discuss how temperature change affects the weather we experience.
Curated OER
Energy and the Environment: What Can We Do?
Students consider the impacts of global warming and brainstorm ways to help decrease their contribution to the problem. In this climate change lesson, students are exposed to facts concerning global warming and think of ways to...
NASA
Water Works on a Blue Planet
Keep within a water budget. Learners find out that less than 2.5% of Earth's water is available to drink—and that there is a fixed amount of water. Scholars read an interesting article comparing the available water to a game of Monopoly...
Curated OER
Is Portland, Oregon Experiencing Global Warming?
Students use data to determine if the climate in Portland has changed over the years. In this weather instructional activity students complete line graphs and study long wave radiation.
Curated OER
Volcanoes!: The Mountain Blows its Top
Students observe two demonstrations to conclude why bulge developed on the north flank of Mount St. Helens and conclude that when the "cap" was removed the pressure inside the volcano was suddenly released causing the violent eruption.
Columbus City Schools
Constructive and Destructive Geologic Processes
Show the class the world as they've never seen it before—from way above! Learners try to unravel the mysteries presented by rich satellite imagery, learn to interpret topographic maps, and study erosion by constructing their very...
PHET
Soda Bottle Magnetometer
Introduce learners to set of complete instructions that describe how to build a magnetometer that works just like the ones professional photographers use to predict auroras. The diagrams are wonderfully descriptive, and the written...
Curated OER
Earth's Water: A drop in your cup
Learners complete activities where they observe the amount of freshwater in the world as a fraction of the actual amount of water using different mixtures. In this freshwater lesson plan, students brainstorm on how to preserve...
California Academy of Science
Climate Change Impacts
Getting kids thinking about climate change now, will hopefully push them into action when they become adults. Young environmentalists discuss the evidence and causes of climate change seen in the state of California. They brainstorm ways...
National Institute of Open Schooling
Water Pollution
Fifteen million children under the age of five die each year due to diseases in their drinking water. Water pollution is the topic of lesson 34 in the series of 36. Scholars, through reading and discussing, study numerous aspects of...
Virginia Department of Education
Weathering of Limestone
We all know limestone weathers, but what affects the rate of weathering? Young scientists investigate the physical and chemical weathering of limestone (chalk) through experimentation. First, they conduct trials with different-size...
NASA
Collecting Electromagnetic Radiation
Astronomy is literally over your head, but this lesson will explain how we study it. Young scientists make telescopes, calculate and compare the light gathering power of lenses, and simulate detection of infared radiation....
Curated OER
Our Changing View of the Earth
Students explore the theory of Plate Tectonics. They participate in a simulation in which they re-enact the debate over Plate Tectonics vs. traditional beliefs of stationary continents that were widely accepted during the 1800's and...
Curated OER
Structure of the Earth
Eighth graders explain the difference between igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. They identify the stages in the rock cycle. They discover the origin of rocks as well.
Curated OER
The Rock Cycle: The Story of a Rock
Students describe the changes undergone by rocks during the rock cycle and develop an understanding of the interconnectedness of the rock cycle.
Curated OER
Human Impacts on Major Rivers of the World
Students explore motivations behind human intervention in the stream flow of selected rivers, infer kinds of interventions and their results, and evaluate level of success of such interventions of stream flow as well as environmental...