Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rock Stories

For Teachers K - 2nd
Youngsters pretend they are rocks sitting on a hill. They listen to the provided guided imagery script to conceptualize the process of how rocks change over time. They draw a diagram of what happened to them as rocks during the story. An...
Lesson Plan
Green Learning

Build Your Own Solar Oven

For Teachers 6th - 12th
This is not exactly a lesson plan, but rather a six-page document detailing how to build a solar oven. A bit of background information, materials list, diagrams and photos, and clearly-written procedures are all included. There are no...
Lesson Plan
NASA

Cloudy vs. Clear - Maps

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Find out the science of how clouds keep Earth cooler on hot days. Using guided discussions, investigators analyze and interpret maps of how much solar energy Earth receives at different times of the year. Participants draw conclusions...
Lesson Plan
2
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Curated OER

Earthquakes and Volcanoes

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Even though volcanoes look alike, they can be very different based on the types of lava that erupts from their surface. Learn about strata volcanoes, shield volcanoes, and the varying viscosity of lava with an engaging hands-on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Does cloud type affect rainfall?

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Student use MY NASA DATA to obtain precipitation and cloud type data. They create graphs of data within MY NASA DATA. Young scholars compare different cloud types, compare precipitation, and cloud type data They qualitatively describe...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Design You’ll Dig: Designing a Habitat for Worms

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners discover how worms contribute to the balance of the environment. For this composting lesson, students study the composting and decomposition processes. Learners then create habitats for worms that allow them to do their jobs.
Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

Meet the Extractors, Harvesters, and Harnessers: Methods, Technology, Benefits and Consequences in Acquiring Natural Resources

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
There are advantages and disadvantages to all sources of energy; the trick is determining which one has the least impact! Part six in the series of 12 has learners further explore energy resources. After reading information about one of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It's a Gas! Or is it?

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Oceanography enthusiasts are given a series of thought experiments to consider in order to relate the solubility of gases and solids to underwater volcanoes. It is not particularly engaging to perform these thought experiments. Choose...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Think GREEN - Utilizing Renewable Solar Energy

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars use data to find the best renewable energy potential.  For this solar energy lesson students import data into Excel and explain how solar energy is beneficial. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Freshwater Fish Anatomy & Taxonomy

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders use a classification key to identify organisms.  In this classification instructional activity students identify freshwater species of fish and document their observations. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Matter of Accountability

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Pupils conduct a mock trial focusing on environmental accountability of industrialized nations. As an example, they evaluate evidence provided on carbon dioxide emissions. They participate in a mock trial of industrialized nations by the...
Lesson Plan
Polar Trec

Mini-Ocean Bathymetric Mapping Research Cruise

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Middle or high schoolers transform into oceanographers in a week-long simulation. To begin, each group follows directions to create a model of the ocean floor with specified features. Next, the groups prepare to set sail on a research...
Lesson Plan
Polar Trec

Can Carbon Dioxide Act Like a Greenhouse Gas?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
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...
Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

An Energy Mix: Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
What did the windmill say about renewable energy? I'm a BIG fan! Lesson three in the series of 12 has classes discuss potential and kinetic energy and then, in pairs, they complete a web quest over the different types of energy...
Lesson Plan
Forest Foundation

Forest Watersheds

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Where does the water we use come from? To understand the concept of a watershed, class members study the water cycle and then engage in an activity that simulates a watershed.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Thirsty Rocks: Please "Porous" a Drink!

For Teachers 4th - 10th
A simple activity goes a long way in demonstrating the property of porosity to your rock hounds. They will mass a specimen of dry sandstone and then soak it in a pre-measured amount of water. After seven minutes, they once again measure...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's the Matter? (Living and Non-Living Things)

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Understand how chemical reactions recombine atoms to create the "chemicals of life". An experiment, showing the basic chemical reactions of an iron nail or a match, helps young children start their understanding of permanent changes.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Physical Changes and States of Matter - Two

For Teachers 3rd
Here's a wonderful lesson on how substances change states. Groups of learners are given trays with a chocolate bar, a piece of paper, an ice cube, and a balloon. During the activity, the groups closely observe the changes that each...
Lesson Plan
Wilderness Classroom

Pollution

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Educate scholars on pollution—air, water, and land—with a series of lessons that begin with a thorough explanation of each type. Learners then take part in three activities to reinforce the importance of reducing pollution. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Coal Derivatives by Destructive Distillation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Chemists use the destructive distillation technique to produce three derivatives from a sample of bituminous coal. You will find background information, a materials list, procedures, and sample follow-up questions that you can use in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Winter Wonderland - Winter Olympics and the Water Cycle

For Teachers 5th - 7th
After a concise introduction to the water cycle, junior meteorologists access NOAA's average snowfall data. They choose a city to examine in terms of precipitation. Then they look at historical snowfall data and use it to predict snow...
Lesson Plan
Chymist

Alum from Waste Aluminum Cans

For Students 9th - 12th
Turn aluminum cans into pickles! An engaging experiment has learners chemically change aluminum into a substance with many purposes including the manufacture of pickles. After performing the chemical conversion, the experimenters verify...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Imagers: The Adventure of Echo the Bat Number to Pictures: How Satellite Images are Created

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Pupils examine the three primary colors of light and design a numerical code to represent those colors. They tell how satellites use numbers to create satellite images after completing a number of experimental activities.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Paper Plate Sunflowers

For Teachers Pre-K - 2nd
A great way to recall the parts of a flower is to make one. Little learners create sunflowers out of paint and paper plates. They also discuss and label the various parts of their flowers. 

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