Curated OER
Become a Member of the Mission to Mars Team
Students examine the various jobs of the Mars Mission Team, organize them into categories and write a formal application for a position on the Mars Mission. Entries are made into the logbook and on-line Field Journals read.
Curated OER
"To Terraform or Not to Terraform?"
Students analyze an article written by an engineer at NASA proposing colonizing Mars with human explorers on the fastest track possible. They are invited to react to the article through several activities.
Curated OER
Scaling the Map
Students practice determining map distances using the map scales. They discover how much an area represents on the map in relation to the actual area. They decide on the best place to build their cavern.
Curated OER
Lost at Sea: The Search for Longitude
Students research and chart the shortest course to circumnavigate the globe.
Curated OER
Determine Soil Particle Size
Students examine various soil samples in groups. Using the samples, they identify the characteristics of them and calculate percolation and infiltration rates. They use this information to discover why some species can survive in one...
Curated OER
Weather and its Effect on the Environment and Settlement
Students, after choosing two diverse cities, collect data on weather for a month and construct a graph on temperature and precipitation. After collecting population data of said cities, and graphing it, they plot population on a large...
Curated OER
Oregon Rainshadows
Students brainstorm list of possible highest locations in Oregon, identify and label places from list on map using color code, and discuss and identify causes of a rain shadow.
Curated OER
Trading in a Marketplace
Students complete a trade simulation in a marketplace. In the simulation, they role play the role of producer and consumer of goods and apply the concepts of supply and demand. In groups, they discover how an environment can affect the...
Curated OER
How to Celebrate the 800th Anniversary of the Mogol Empire
Young scholars research information on the Mongolian Empire from various readings and online videos of primary sources and create a poster for oral presentation. Students connect history with the current day, while incorporating...
Curated OER
When Things Heat Up
Ninth graders investigate relationship between the temperature and concentration of dissolved oxygen in water. They examine how pollution and other natural influences can cause the parameters to change. In groups, 9th graders collect...
Curated OER
Arsenic Contamination: Natural Disaster or Human Induced?
High schoolers list as a class the sources of arsenic contamination of water. They describe the major health effects of arsenic contamination in a letter. Students identify the regions that are affected by it.
Curated OER
Science: What Happens to Create the Lode?
Students understand how mineral deposits are formed and why they are not evenly dispersed. They create and describe three different precipitates from four solutions simulating mineral ore deposit formation in sedimentary rock.
Curated OER
Creating a Map
Third graders examine the process of creating an accurate map, and create a map of their playground. They identify what objects are on their playground, and discuss what is found on a map. Students then draw a map of their playground...
Curated OER
Oxygen: What a Gas!
Eighth graders explain how oxygen reacts to other elements. They also explain why oxygen is a reactive substance, how it has weight, and how it reacts with other substances. They construct an experiment to relate their findings.
Curated OER
Sleuth Rays
Students conduct a close examination of the atom's electrons, and discover how to theorize the energy levels, observe the brightness of light, classify colors, and measure temperature.
Curated OER
How Far And How Long Will It Take
Students use a ruler to determine length and then fit the unit to a scale in miles. This unit will also give a geological awareness of altitude and the difference it makes in travel time. The travel time with Mapquest will obviously be...
Curated OER
Sunlight and Heat
Young scholars brainstorm about the sources of heat. They discuss that sunlight is one of those sources. Students complete a lab about cold water and warm water. They record the temperatures from each thermometer and discuss which...
Curated OER
Hottest, Coldest, Highest, Deepest: Science, 4th Grade
Fourth graders investigate weather patterns in their home state of Utah. After creating KWL charts, they research weather and geographical data to locate the state's extremes. As an extension, 4th graders write and illustrate books about...
Curated OER
Coefficient of Restitution
Learners investigate variables that influence the bouncing of balls. In this exploratory lesson students observe how the manipulated and control variable are correlated by graphing the data.
Curated OER
Cloud Forecast
Students record weather observations and research online weather data. In this weather observations lesson, students study the cloud cover for several days and record their observations in a chart. Students identify the cloud types and...
Curated OER
Lives of Stars
Students explain in their own words how stars are formed. In this space science lesson, students summarize the life cycle of stars. They draw diagrams and label the step of the cycle they represent.
Curated OER
Plant Life
Seventh graders examine different categories of plant life and their roles as producers of food and oxygen for other organisms. They study the evolution of plants from simple organisms to very complex ones. They look at the different...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Density of Earth Materials
Students compare the densities of six different rocks/minerals collected from different environments, and then predict which rocks have the highest and lowest densities. Then they construct and test their hypothesis by calculating the...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Fast and Slow Changes on Earth's Surface
Observe fast and slow events that change the face of Earth's surface with this slideshow. Students will use evidence from videos and images to describe how changes on Earth's surface can happen quickly or slowly. Students will have the...