Lesson Plan
Messenger Education

Star Power! Discovering the Power of Sunlight

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
It takes less than 10 minutes for energy from the sun to travel 90 million miles to Earth! In the first installment in a series of four, groups measure the amount of solar radiation that reaches Earth. They then discuss how this is...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Agents of Erosion

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders observe and identify the effects of geological activities and weathering on Earth's surface. They also take a look at reports of events such as storms, earthquakes, floods, and volcanoes. There is a hefty hands-on activity...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

3rd Rock and the Sun

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore the Internet to find the answers to the questions about the Sun, Earth, and the Earth's moon. They click on the links within the question to be sent to a website where answers can be found.
Lesson Plan
US Environmental Protection Agency

Weather and Climate: What's the Difference?

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Future weather forecasters collect daily temperatures over a period of time. Afterward, they compare their data with monthly averages, as researched on national weather websites, in order to grasp the difference between weather and...
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Hazards: Kindergarten Lesson Plans and Activities

For Teachers K Standards
The last unit in the series allows kindergarteners to see the dangers and hazards associated with each of the natural disasters learned so far in the series—earthquakes and volcanoes. They listen to sounds associated with the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Density with Salt and Fresh Water: Part 5

For Teachers 6th - 9th
This particular lesson was written by the National Earth Science Teachers Association, but density is a concept that you can teach at the beginning of the school year in your life, physical, or earth science classes. It would be fun to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Technology for Studying Comets

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students design an Aerogel model to capture clay particles. In this space science lesson, students discover what happens to comets as they hit a surface. They explain how the Aerogel technology would help scientists study comets better.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Modeling the Solar System

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Young scholars build a scaled model of the solar system. In this space science instructional activity, students arrange them according to their distances from the sun. They analyze each planet's unique features such as density and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creatasaurus

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Upper elementary children still are intrigued by dinosaurs. Here is a dinosaur lesson that is geared toward their age group! The learners consider a list of prefixes and suffixes. Using the list, they can analyze the names of their...
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Understanding Climate Change

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The young scientists in your class will appreciate a resource about different elements of climate change. The packet includes factual materials, informational text, and clear visuals, perfect for sharing with your environmental...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Avoiding Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Burning Fossil Fuels

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Chemistry and earth science meet in a lesson on carbon dioxide emissions. After reading about atmospheric problems caused by using fossil fuels, science stars balance equations for the burning of different alkanes. They compute the...
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
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Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement (COSEE)

One Ocean: It Matters!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Here is the first of four poignant lessons on how humans and oceans interact, even if people live far from the coast. This particular lesson also examines studies that are taking place in Antarctica of how climate change is affecting the...
Lesson Plan
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Berkshire Museum

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle: Sorting Through Personal Choices

For Teachers 2nd - 6th Standards
Raise children's awareness about the importance of conservation with this hands-on science lesson. Start by breaking the class into groups and having them collect trash from around the school or local park. Students then use the provided...
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Metamorphic Rocks

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Rocks can bend? Pupils investigate how heat and pressure produce metamorphic rocks by modeling them using clay, and then categorize samples based on observable characteristics. The lesson ends with a metamorphic rock identification...
Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Solar Structures

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
It's time to soak up the sun! Youngsters read about active and passive solar heating systems, then they collaborate to create a miniature solar-heated building. Provide a variety of materials for them to incorporate and watch their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changing Planet: The Warming of Our Large Lakes - Reasons for Concern

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Another A+ lesson on the impact of climate change comes to you from the National Earth Science Teachers Association. In this installment, learners model the stratification of water in lakes due to temperature differences. The lab also...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Poetry Through Digital Storytelling

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Bring digital storytelling to your language arts class! To begin, learners select their own topic, such as a poem that reflects a life experience they had or a historical figure who interests them. Then they work to create a storyboard...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Chemistry of Refining Crude Oil

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Consider our energy sources: wood, coal, oil, uranium. Learners compare the pollution to energy produced for each. They practice fractional distillation of an alcohol/water mixture to simulate the process of refining crude oil....
Lesson Plan
National Geographic

Mapping the Shape of Everest

For Teachers 4th - 6th
With Mount Everest as the motivator, your earth science class learns about topographic maps. Begin by showing a film clip from The Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest, featuring fearsome virtual imagery of a path up world's tallest...
Interactive
PBS

Earthquakes and Volcanoes

For Students 6th - 8th
Earth's surface constantly changes thanks to a variety of geological forces; in fact, Australia currently moves faster than GPS technology. Scholars connect the idea of continental drift to earthquakes and volcanoes with the help of an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Create a Cloud in a Bottle

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Meteorology or earth science classes reach for the sky with this lesson plan! You will need to purchase a Fizz Keeper® device and temperature strip for each lab group if you want them to perform this as an activity rather than you doing...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Carbon Dioxide - Sources and Sinks

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Where does all of the carbon dioxide come from that is supposedly leading to climate change? Earth science pupils test animal, plant, and fossil fuels as sources in this investigation. Using an indicator, BTB, they are able to detect the...
Unit Plan
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Brooklyn Children’s Museum

Rocks and Minerals in Our Lives

For Teachers K - 6th Standards
Young geologists discover the important role that rocks and minerals play in our everyday lives through this series of hands-on activities. Starting off with a lesson that defines the difference between plants, animals, and...

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