Students are introduced to the space environment. This lesson plan covers the major differences between the environment on Earth and that of outer space and the engineering challenges that arise because of these discrepancies. In order...

Students recognize the three main types of clouds. In this clouds lesson, students create a cloud mobile to understand clouds.

Students take a quick examine part of the water cycle, and the combined gas laws. The instructional activity lead them through the conditions necessary for cloud formation and allow them to create clouds in three different hands-on...

Learners explore hurricanes and tornadoes by conducting an experiment. In this weather pattern lesson, students define many extreme weather vocabulary terms and discuss the relationship with static electricity. Learners utilize plastic...

Learners explore clouds.  In this weather lesson, students identify the steps in the water cycle, define condensation and evaporation, and relate this information to cloud formation.  Learners perform a cloud experiment,...

Students make a windmill.  For this wind lesson, students learn background information about the windmill, complete an activity where they create a windmill, discuss using wind as a natural resource and brainstorm other inventions...

Students understand that a psychrometer is a weather instrument used to detect humidity. For this psychrometer lesson, students build a psychrometer.  Students use their psychrometers to measure humidity activity.

Students use water, beakers, hot plates, paper dots, and goggles to participate in a hands on activity where they see how a convection current creates wind. For this convection current lesson plan, students participate in a hands on...

Students investigate the concepts of hurricanes and violent weather conditions. In this violent weather instructional activity, students access an Internet site and watch a video about how air masses behave, how a tornado forms, how...

Students explore the weather system by analyzing water properties. In this precipitation lesson, students review weather related vocabulary terms and discuss how rainbows are created by light hitting droplets at the right time. Students...

If tap water is more acidic than ocean water, why are we so concerned about ocean acidification? The third installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program focuses on carbon dioxide levels in...

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...

Transform your class into young geologists as they learn about six different branches of geology. Using the included geology career descriptions and picture cards, learners work in small groups deciding which tools and locations fit...

Ninety-seven percent of scientists who study climate agree that human activity is warming the planet. Learners explore carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas, a gas causing this warming, through a hands-on experiment. Once complete, they...

Pupils solve the mathematical word problems by looking at the Earth's Energy Budget Diagram. They will work in small groups and then develop their own unique math problems from the diagram and share with the class.

Though this is meant to be second in a two-part lesson, the two are not dependent on each other. Pupils play the roles of visible light rays, light or dark surfaces, and carbon dioxide molecules. They interact and react according to...

Young scholars observe which of ten types of clouds are visible and how much of the sky is cloud covered. They see that by observing clouds, we can get information about temperature, moisture, and wind conditions in different places in...

Young atmospheric scientists create models of an atmosphere with and without clouds to determine the effect of cloud cover on Earth's temperatures, as well as figuring out whether dark or light surfaces absorb more energy. You may wish...

Learners examine the carbon dioxide cycle in the atmosphere. In this element lesson, students discuss the relationship between carbon dioxide on Earth and the plants that store it. Learners play a game to ensure their understanding. 

Students explore the greenhouse effect. They set up a simplified model of the earth and the greenhouse effect. Students compare temperatures inside a jar to temperatures outside the jar. Pupils collect information and create a line...

Students examine and describe the four physical systems of the Earth. Using two of the systems, they practice their writing skills and use vocabulary associated with the different types of landforms. They predict the types of shelters...

Students study the Earth's climatic system and construct a puzzle that names all of the pieces of the  components involved.  In this Climate activity, students draw a picture on a puzzle piece depicting a specific component....

Learners examine the connection between the habitat needs of endemic species to the habitat needs of humans.  In this habitat activity high schoolers research the habitat requirements of a given family then develop an idea to...

Learners engage in a lesson that investigates the hydrological cycle. They create bracelets with different colored beads that represent parts of the cycle. Students can follow the cycle in the order of the beads. The lesson includes...