Venus is the second brightest object in the night sky after the moon. Here is an interesting lesson that explores three planets — Venus, Earth, and Mars — specifically their surfaces and atmospheres. Through an analysis of their spectra,...

What better way to understand how an object works than to make one! Learners take what they learned in the previous lessons and construct their own compasses. Using a needle, water, and styrofoam, they build and test compasses and verify...

Erosion is no match for our canals. Learners first perform experiments to test the amount of erosion for different materials and different slopes. Based on the results, they design ditches or canals that carry water from one location to...

Rock exploration, so exciting! After reading the book Everybody Needs a Rock, the class makes sandwiches to better understand that the Earth is made in layers. They then use a description of the 3 types of rock to conduct an observation...

Students learn about the kinds of fossils and what scientists can learn from them.  In this earth science lesson, students are told how engineers and paleontologists work together.  Then students create a "fossil fondue" and...

Aspiring meteorologists make themselves a tool for reviewing the characteristics of each layer of the atmosphere. The procedure for this little project divides the paper into five sections, but many earth science teachers opt for the...

Eighth graders identify the different layers of the earth. In this earth science lesson, 8th graders choose a project to do from a given list according to their learning style. They present their finished project in class.

Pupils role play plate tectonics by creating a "plate statue" made up of students. In this earth science instructional activity, pupils describe how Earth's movement cause earthquakes and volcanoes. They draw and name the different...

In this origin of life worksheet, students write answers to five questions. They describe characteristics of the first life forms and how scientists believe oxygen accumulated in the Earth's atmosphere.

Fresh water is a precious resource. Most kids don't realize how little of the water on Earth is actually drinkable. This lesson will help to illuminate them on this important topic. They discus the ratio of water to land, where most...

Science learners simulate what happens when ice breaks up and floats on water and how increased pressure on ice causes it to melt faster. They view a clip from the movie, The Day After Tomorrow, and relate their lab activities to what...

Make sure to read through the activity procedures thoroughly before teaching this lesson because the materials list is incomplete. Also, the mentioned worksheets and booklet are not available. However, there is no need to discard this...

Chemosynthetic communities of cold seep areas are considered in this lesson. Working in collaborative groups, marine biology or oceanography learners research and prepare a report about oxidation-reduction reactions involved with...

Second in a three-part instructional activity on rivers, this instructional activity focuses on the flooding that occurs in riparian locations. First, learners take a look at facts about the Amazon River. They read online materials and...

Access local temperature data online, graph averages, and critique it. Learners listen to a scenario where weather and climate are confused, and then answer questions to differentiate the two. The lesson itself is compact, but there is a...

After reading an article about irrigation on Canadian farms, learners participate in a discussion. They individually write an opinion paper about the surrounding issues. A lesson like this can be used in an earth science class when...

Underclassmen create a cone-shaped landform and then draw a contour map for it. Then they examine a quadrangle (which was easily located with an online search), and relate it to what they experienced. The accompanying worksheet is...

Students become familiar with the variables that control Earth's solar energy supply. They explore the source and nature of solar energy, the genesis of radiation, and the structrue of the Sun, gas spectra are observed and sample...

Students examine satellite images of Earth and contrast images at different scales. In this exploring Earth from space lesson plan, students use satellite images to contrast images at different scales, calculate distances from the scale...

Students examine soil. In this earth science lesson, students define and describe weathering and erosion as it relates to soil. Students compare and contrast potting soil with forest soil and complete a science observation worksheet.

Students read excerpts from Annie Dillard's memoir, "An American Childhood," with the teacher. They experience opportunities to connect English, science, nature and art together from a new and unique perspective. This approach serves as...

The students recall events from Dr. Seuss' story The Lorax and make connections to environmental issues affecting their lives. They are expected to reflect on the facts of the story and respond verbally stating the inferences they made...

Fourth graders graph the percentages of the materials that make up the Earth and complete computations based on their results.  In this topsoil lesson, 4th graders diagram the different layers of Earth's composition.

Learners create a large (classroom-sized) timeline showing the history of life on Earth for the last 5 billion years. They are able to identify the events that are relevant to their taxonomic projects (the Origins and important...