Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dead Zones: Why Are the Waters Dying?

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Students investigate the effects of pollution on marine ecosystems. They read and discuss an article, identify the effects of pollution on marine life, conduct research on local nutrient pollution, and conduct local water quality studies.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fossil Formation

For Teachers 6th - 8th
A fossil is worth a thousand words! Individuals craft their own amber fossil of an insect in addition to molds and casts of seashells. A third activity takes the lesson a notch higher: Learners measure stride lengths between tracks and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bringing Climate Change Into the Classroom

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the greenhouse effect and examine the potential effects of climate change in the Arctic. They construct a mini-greenhouse and test its effect on temperature, analyze historical climate statistics, and conduct an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Strawkets and Weight

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate the effect that weight has on rocket flight. They construct a variety of straw-launched rockets that have different weights, observe what happens when the weight of a rocket is altered by reducing its physical size...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Classroom Aquaponics: Exploring Nitrogen Cycling in a Closed System

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate nutrient cycling in a simplified desktop ecosystem involving aquarium and hydro-ponically grown plants. They set up an aquarium with 10 gallons of water at least a week before the lab is planned and place...
Unit Plan
University of Southern California

What Lives In The Ocean?

For Students 4th - 8th
One of the most diverse environments on Earth is the ocean. Young scientists explore the living things found in the ocean during an exciting seven-lesson unit. Their study includes organisms from plankton to invertebrates...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gandhi's Ashrams and School Sustainability

For Teachers 2nd
Explore philosophy and religion by researching Gandhi. Lead your young students to investigate the life and accomplishments of Mahatma Gandhi by reading the assigned text. Your class will define sustainability and create a sustainable...
Unit Plan
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Bird Communication

For Students 5th - 8th
Sing for your dinner! Investigate the purpose of bird songs and strategies birds use to communicate. Through the lessons, individuals learn how to recognize different types of bird communication as well as hypothesize the purpose of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Case Study of Local Trends in the Carbon Cycle

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students examine the relationship between chlorophyll and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  In this investigative lesson students study the local effects of climate change. 
Activity
American Chemical Society

Combustion and Burning

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
On Earth, a candle flame points up, but on the International Space Station, it forms a sphere. Young scientists practice their skills by recording observations before, during, and after a candle burns. Chemical and physical...
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

The Thermal Layers of Oceans

For Teachers 7th - 11th Standards
How much does the sun heat up a lake or ocean? Scholars use a cup and a strong lamp to investigate the heat transfer and thermal layers in the ocean to come up with the answer. They collect data and graph it in order to better understand...
Lesson Plan
AAAS

Identification and Classification of Grassland Plants

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Take learning outside and start classifying grasslands. Young ecologists observe grassland plants in order to classify them into the appropriate species by family. They note their characteristics and where they grow. A true...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Evidence of Heat Transformations

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Earth, life, and physical science classes can all benefit from understanding heat transfer. There is not room enough to describe these seven exceptional laboratory experiments that explore conduction, convetcion, and radiation. Several...
Lesson Plan
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NOAA

Marine Policy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Save the oceans! The 22nd installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program focuses on laws and marine policy. Pupils take part in an activity investigating fisheries stock data.
Lesson Plan
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NOAA

Marine Ecosystems

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Be at the top of the food chain when it comes to understanding marine ecosystems. The 21st installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program investigates marine ecosystems, ocean zones, and food...
Lesson Plan
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NOAA

Ocean Layers II

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Now that you know the ocean has layers, let's name them. The seventh installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program covers terminology associated with ocean layers, such as thermocline and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mid-Ocean Magnetism

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students investigate magnetic evidence that supports the theory of sea floor spreading.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fish and zooplankton habitat through remote sensing

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers are exposed to the variety of ways in which scientist use remote sensing and it used in everyday life. They investigate about zooplankton and fish. Students list the two important groups of organisms in both aquatic and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Penguins Around the World

For Teachers K - 5th
Students investigate penguins. In this Science lesson, students compare and contrast penguins to flying birds. Students use a Venn diagram to illustrate the differences and similarities of penguins and flying birds.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Carbon Monoxide and Population Density

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders investigate the carbon monoxide level at a fixed latitude. They determine if there is a relationship to population density. They download data sets and generate a graph. They determine a link between human activity and...
Lesson Plan
Santa Monica College

The Properties of Oxygen Gas

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Scholars generate and collect pure oxygen through a decomposition reaction of hydrogen peroxide in the fourth lesson of an 11-part series. Then, they complete six investigations into the properties of oxygen.   
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Agriculture and the Environment

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars investigate the interdependence of agriculture and the environment. They research areas of interdependence and provide examples of situations where farmers are practicing conservation in the local area. Their findings are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who's Range is it?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate the habits of panthers by analyzing radio transmitted data.  In this animal life lesson plan, students utilize computers to view the range of different statistics dealing with Florida panthers.  Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sea Water Mixing and Sinking

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners investigate the role of temperature and salinity in determining seawater density. They use a Temperature-Salinity Diagram to examine the effects of mixing on density.