Curated OER
Scientific Sampling
Students take a sample of fish and try to determine how many fish are in the sea. For this scientific sampling lesson, students explore the way scientists measure large areas of samples. Students record the distribution in a quadrant.
Curated OER
The Great School Clean-Up
Students clean up their school grounds. In this environmental stewardship instructional activity, students take part in cleaning their school area and reflect on the experience.
Curated OER
Lines, Segments, and Rays
Fifth graders use their arm, toothpicks, and marshmallows to create lines, segments, and rays. In this lines, segments, and rays lesson plan, 5th graders learn how these appear on a plane.
Curated OER
A Journey Through Our Solar System
High schoolers investigate the concept of the solar system in our universe by constructing a model that is made to a measurable scale. Once the model is constructed it should be placed in a wide open space for observation and...
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics - Electronic Scavenger Hunt
Students explore the attributes of plate tectonics. In this plate tectonics lesson plan, students use computers to access a plate tectonics scavenger hunt file and complete the required activities using their textbooks.
Curated OER
Plan a Mission to Recently Discovered Planet
Students plan a mission to a recently discovered planet. In this science lesson, students research spacecraft design, distances in space, long-term missions in space, and life-sustaining planets. Students work in groups to research an...
Curated OER
NASA Robots
Young scholars discuss the needs for robots in space discovery, and take turns simulating a robot and controller to demonstrate the difficulties of programming a robot to successfully complete simple tasks.
Curated OER
Rain Shadows and Sea Breezes
Students plot the average rainfall for a variety of cities in the United States. Using the map, they work together to determine patterns on which toxicants are transported through the air. They determine the impacts of various weather...
Curated OER
Looking into Surface Albedo
Students demonstrate how the color of materials on Earth affect the amount of solar energy that is absorbed. For this solar energy lesson students complete a lab to explore how the color of materials on the Earth's surface impacts...
Curated OER
Human Activity and the Environment
Students review and analyze graphs and tables as a group. They develop their graph and data analysis skills by converting data tables from Human Activity and the Environment into graphs.
Curated OER
Milestones in Human Spaceflight
Students investigate the history and goals of NASA and human spaceflight. For this space science lesson, students answer questions about one of seven manned space programs and print pictures from the mission. As a...
Curated OER
Common Themes
Tenth graders test usefulness of a model Earth by comparing its predictions to observations in the real world. In this landforms lesson students construct an island from a contour map using model clay then analyze the landscape...
Curated OER
The Energy of Light
Students discuss different ways engineers use light. In this engineering lesson, students are introduced to the properties of light and the way light is used. They view a demonstration of light waves using a slinky, and practice using...
Curated OER
This House is Made of Mud: Exploring the Shapes in Our Lives
Learners study about our dependence on the earth's resources for materials. They practice their knowledge of geometric shapes by recognizing them in the context of the story.
Space Awareness
What is Time?
Does it ever seem like time is slipping through your fingers? Model the passing of time with an hourglass activity in which individuals determine whether hourglasses are the most efficient way to measure time.
University of Wisconsin
What’s a Square Foot Anyway? Laying Out the Design Plan
Clever! Participants don square-foot cardboard shoes to mark out the rain garden plot that they have spent the last few weeks designing. In this way, they are practicing scale modeling as well! Note that this lesson is part of a unit,...
Curated OER
Rocket Me into Space
Fourth graders study the concept of thrust and how it propels rockets into space. They discover why airplanes cannot travel into space while considering the engineering techniques use in designing rockets. They look at how space...
Curated OER
Body Changes in Space
Learners explain the cause of and effects of fluid shift in a microgravity
environment. Students identify the effects of microgravity during long duration space flight. Learners describe research on cardiovascular effects in microgravity...
Curated OER
Gravity
Sixth graders explore the characteristics of gravity. They discuss gravity on Earth and then use cereal boxes to research and compare the weight of objects on Earth to the weight of those objects on other planets.
Curated OER
Moon Observations
Students study the science of the moon. In this moon observations lesson, students study vocabulary associated with the moon, study a lunar calendar, and a phases of the moon's orbit around the Earth.
Curated OER
Keep in Touch: Communications and Satellites
Students investigate how satellites help people communicate with others far away and in remote areas. They discuss a scenario of someone travelling to an area with no mode of communication, observe a teacher demonstration, and create a...
Curated OER
The Space Shuttle
Middle schoolers share what they comprehend about the space shuttle program. They are given information about the first space shuttle mission. Students work in groups to investigate the different shuttle missions from April 1981 through...
Curated OER
the Potential Consequences of Climate Variability And Change
Pupils analyze the consequences of changing variables on a system. Changes in a model are measured and recorded and conclusions drawn based on the data provided in this six lessons unit.
Curated OER
Geologic Time: Relative and Absolute Dating
Students investigate relative and absolute dating; determine the difference between the two dating systems; and apply this knowledge by creating a geologic timetable of their own.