Curated OER
Water Works
Students create a "water web" to illustrate the interdependence among water users and producers. They distinguish between direct and indirect uses of water; illustrate the interconnectedness of water users in a community; and demonstrate...
Curated OER
Natural Records of Change: Working with Indirect Evidence of Past Climates
Students take part in a dice game to better explain the differences between direct and indirect evidence. They apply this knowledge to how scientists have used both types of evidence to determine how climate has changed over time.
Curated OER
Developing Models
Students study the concept of a scientific model and demonstrate climate change models. In this scientific instructional activity students design a model using direct and indirect evidence and use it to make hypotheses.
Curated OER
Measurement
Students explore the necessity for standards of measurement and measure length, volume, mass and angles. In this measurement lesson plan, students use their hand and foot to measure objects in the room. They compare their measurements to...
Curated OER
The Pendulum
Learners discover and discuss relationships and functions between varying dependent variables and how they affect the period of the pendulum. They use graphing calculator to express the data collected in a graph, to analyze the graph,...
NOAA
Ground-truthing Satellite Imagery with Drifting Buoy Data
Ground-truthing ... is it even a word? The last installment of a five-part series analyzes how scientists collect sea surface temperature data. Scholars use government websites to compare temperature data collected directly from buoys...
Curated OER
Springtime Flower Fun
Students study directional skills and participate in a scavenger hunt to find flowers. They compare, group and classify the flowers by their similarities and differences.
NASA
Launch Altitude Tracker
Using PVC pipe and aquarium tubing, build an altitude tracker. Pupils then use the altitude tracker, along with a tangent table, to calculate the altitude of a launched rocket using the included data collection sheet.
Curated OER
The Earth is Tilted, What Does that Mean?
Students examine the tilt in the Earth's revolution around the sun. Using that information, they draw a picture and label the indirect and direct rays of the sun. In groups, they answer discussion questions and complete an assessment...
Curated OER
Introduction to Neutraliization
Students explore acids and bases and the process of neutralization.T hey practice volume measurements and observe the neutralization of an acid
directly through bubble formation and indirectly through indicator color changes.
Curated OER
Hover Above the Earth
Fourth graders build a balloon hovercraft, take direct measurements, answer critical questions, and make calculations using the data gathered in order to see the concept of acceleration as a change in velocity. They use a worksheet...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Modeling Trophic Cascades
In the ecological game of who eats who, one small change can have a big impact! Individuals create food chains in an array of ecosystems, then determine what happens to organisms in the chain when one organism changes its feeding...
Curated OER
Analyzing Soil Samples
Students grow grass or radish seeds in this experiment, which takes three to four weeks to complete. They become familiar with basic soil analysis techniques, as well as, explore the importance of analyzing soil samples.
Curated OER
Study of Animals
Third graders use the internet to research about an animal. After watching a demonstration, they follow the same steps to gain access to the internet as their teacher and find a picture of their animal to print. They complete a worksheet...
Curated OER
See Turtles Nest! See Turtles Hatch!
Learners graph data of sea turtles hatching rates from Watamu/Malindi Marine National Park and Reserve in Kenya. In this math lesson, students use real life science data to calculate mean and median values. Learners use the data to...
Curated OER
Flambe Elements
Eighth graders discuss atoms and electrons as well as atoic structure. They view atomic structure via the computer. Students watch a demonstration in which the teacher demonstrates glass tubing turning yellow in a Bunsen Burner flame....
Curated OER
Wanted: A Breath of Fresh Air
Students examine the causes and effects of air pollution, as well as ways in which various industries and government organizations are aiming to control it. They research the topic on the Internet and create posters based on their research.
Curated OER
Ladies Taking Over the Labs
Students explore the lives and accomplishments of the many women who have made tremendous strides in the various fields of science.
Curated OER
Cave Activity: Mapping Fractures
Students tour a cave and observe fractures in the cave's ceiling. They record characteristics of the fracture. They locate three major passages in the cave and ten major fractures.
Curated OER
Myths and Legends on Natural Disasters: Making Sense of Our World
Students explore different natural and manmade disasters through a webquest. In this earth science lesson plan, students explain their causes. They also discuss how disasters affect society.
Curated OER
Slow Rot or Not?
Fifth graders examine how environmental factors affect decomposition. In this decomposition lesson, 5th graders experiment with the decomposition of grapes in five different environmental settings. They look at images of items that have...
Curated OER
Landscaping and Urban Forestry - Lesson 4 (Grades 5-6)
Students discuss reasons to plant trees and the best locations for cooling. They analyze two homes identifying types and locations of trees, and location of the central air conditioners. The benefits of shade, the process of...
Curated OER
Landscaping And Urban Forestry - Lesson 4 (Grades 8-9)
Students discuss reasons to plant trees and the best locations for cooling. They study two homes and identify types and locations of trees and determine the placement of the central air conditioners. The class plans a landscape design...
Curated OER
The Web of Life
Students construct a food web to learn how living things in an ecosystem are interconnected. In this food web simulation lesson, students will be assigned an animal and the teacher will represent the sun. Students and teacher discuss...