Curated OER
What Is Clay?
This resource could come in handy the next time you feel like teaching about clay. Basic sculpting techniques, vocabulary, and history of clay are outlined in this informative resource. Use prior to teaching an art project involving...
Virginia Department of Education
The Hydrologic Cycle
There is the same amount of water on earth now as there was when it was formed. The water from your faucet could contain molecules that dinosaurs drank! Young scientists build their own hydrologic cycle model and observe...
Space Awareness
Valleys Deep and Mountains High
Sometimes the best view is from the farthest distance. Satellite imaging makes it possible to create altitude maps from far above the earth. A three-part activity has your young scientists play the role of the satellite and then use...
Messenger Education
Look But Don’t Touch—Exploration with Remote Sensing
Mars is home to the tallest mountain in our solar system, Olympus Mons. In this set of two activities, learners review geologic land formations through the analysis of aerial maps. They then apply this knowledge to aerial maps of objects...
Curated OER
Good Vibrations Remote Sensing data Collection: Thermal Emission Spectrometer
The Mars Global Surveyor spent two years creating a mineral map of the planet Mars using thermal emission spectrometry. To help young astronomers understand this remote sensing instrument, have them simulate how data is collected and...
Curated OER
Water Cycle
Identify and interpret the earth's different water sources. Third and fourth graders describe and demonstrate the process of the water cycle, make a model of its two main parts, and predict and infer to answer questions about the...
EngageNY
The Motion of the Moon, Sun, and Stars—Motivating Mathematics
What does math have to do with the behavior of the earth and sun? Learn how the movement of celestial bodies has influenced the development of trigonometry. Scholars connects the details in mathematics to their...
Curated OER
Animals and Humans
Young scholars identify the functions of various body parts. They participate in the "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" song, draw a picture of themselves and other mammals, and create a traced outline of their body that they add...
Curated OER
Conductivity - Pass the Buoy and Pepper, Please
Buoys around our coastlines are equipped with sensory devices which monitor temperature, salinity, and water pressure. Emerging earth scientists examine some of this data and relate salinity to the electrical conductivity of the surface...
ARKive
Species Discovery
How many of your students know that even today new species are being found all over the globe? Introduce them to the amazing diversity our planet houses with a creative activity about animal variation and classification. They'll use a...
Turabian Teacher Collaborative
My Favorite Martian: Workshopping Warrants
Sometimes explaining an argument can lead to confusion and miscommunication. Narrow down the details in written arguments with a group activity in which learners pretend to be aliens from another planet, struggling to understand each...
Polar Trec
Can Carbon Dioxide Act Like a Greenhouse Gas?
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...
Chymist
How Do We Affect the Quality of Our Atmosphere
Explore the makeup of the earth's atmosphere. Using the set of specific experiments, pupils examine the main elements and compounds present in the atmosphere. Their study extends to investigate the effects of atmospheric...
Curated OER
Make Quiz Time a Fun Time
Learners investigate a topic and prepare a quiz activity. In this space science lesson, students investigate one of the planets and construct a quiz for their classmates.
Curated OER
Stellarium
Students explore the rotation of the planets from various locations on Earth
Using planetarium software, they will make observations, and explain how the rotation of the planets varies based on ones location on the Earth. Students...
Curated OER
Solar System
Students study space. In this solar system instructional activity, students discover the correct order of the planets and create a diagram showing this knowledge. They listen to the book A New View of the Solar System and then work in...
Curated OER
Planetary Research (Grades 9-12)
Students are introduced to planetary research and familiarize them with the planets and their features. They see that each planet has unique features. Planets have some common features and that images can be used to study the planets and...
Curated OER
How Do Atmospheres Affet Planetary Temperatures?
Students perform a literature search and use reputable research resources in order to find the surface temperature of different planets in our solar system. They speculate about the observed and unobserved factors. Then brainstorming is...
Curated OER
Mars Colonization Assignment #1
Eighth graders recognize the some day humans may wish to colonize Mars. They participate in an Internet adventure where they compare and contrast Earth to the other nine planets in the solar system.
Curated OER
Solar System Distance Activity
Students examine the distances between the Sun, planets, and smaller objects in the Solar System. They design a model using beads that shows the scale distances of the Solar System using astronomical units converted into a 10 centimeter...
Curated OER
Are There Other Neighborhoods Like Our Own?
Students investigate the possibility of life existing on other planets. They conduct research using a variety of resources. The lesson includes an overview that is used for classroom discussion practices. They tell the teacher how to...
Curated OER
Exploring the Universe
Students conduct Internet research to find information about each planet and present their findings to the class. Students research statistical information and two interesting facts about each planet, then create a multimedia...
Curated OER
Space - In Your Face or Not?
Second graders, in groups, examine how it doesn't matter if they can see the planets in the solar system or not--they're there.
Curated OER
Seasons' Journey : Putting it All Together
Third graders complete a diagram of the revolution of the earth around the sun and write a one paragraph explanation of the factors that cause seasons.