Lesson Plan
NOAA

A Quest for Anomalies

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Sometimes scientists learn more from unexpected findings than from routine analysis! Junior oceanographers dive deep to explore hydrothermal vent communities in the fourth lesson plan in a series of five. Scholars examine data and look...
Website
American Museum of Natural History

What is the Greenhouse Effect?

For Students 6th - 12th
Without the greenhouse effect, Earth would not be inhabitable. A thorough online resource describes the greenhouse effect and how it occurs. The source highlights the different types of gases that work together to absorb the sun's...
Lesson Plan
US Department of Energy

Building the Basic PVC Wind Turbine

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Here is a comprehensive and well-written lesson plan that results in learners building a standard wind turbine. Once built, teens can design a variety of experiments to test different factors. This activity is a noble undertaking that...
Unit Plan
Australian Government

The Great Artesian Basin

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Covering 23% of the continent and holding 64,900 cubic kilometers of water, the Great Artesian Basin is the primary source of water for much of inland Australia. Using detailed student worksheets, experiments, and case studies,...
Lesson Plan
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

Goldilocks and the Three Planets

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
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,...
Website
American Museum of Natural History

What is Biodiversity?

For Students 6th - 12th
Not all dogs are the same just like not all finches are the same. An interactive online lesson helps individuals learn about the causes and limitations to biodiversity. The clickable sections describe the basics of the genetics of...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Mapping the Deep-Ocean Floor

For Teachers 7th - 8th
How do you create a map of the ocean floor without getting wet? Middle school oceanographers discover the process of bathymetric mapping in the third installment in a five-part series of lessons designed for seventh and eighth graders....
Lesson Plan
Pace University

Pollution

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Over the course of 10 days, scholars take a pre-assessment to place them in one of three leveled groups. Whole-class and in small groups, pupils take part in read-alouds, field trips, hands-on activities, and complete learning contracts...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

The Methane Circus

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
Step right up! An engaging research-centered lesson, the third in a series of six, has young archaeologists study the amazing animals of the Cambrian explosion. Working in groups, they profile a breathtaking and odd creature and learn...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Journey to the Unknown

For Teachers 5th - 6th
What's it like to be a deep-sea explorer? Tap into the imaginations of your fifth and sixth graders with a vivid lesson, the second part of a six-part adventure. Learners close their eyes and submerge themselves in an expedition aboard...
Interactive
CK-12 Foundation

Satellites, Shuttles, and Space Stations: Satellites in Orbit

For Students 6th - 8th
Blast off! How do satellites, space shuttles, and space stations escape Earth's gravity and achieve orbit? Young astronauts study rocket science (literally) with an interactive lesson. They discover the four main uses for satellites, how...
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Three Types of Rocks

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Rock out with the second installment of a five-part series on earth materials and processes. Your budding geologists make observations of given rock samples and posit classification systems for rocks. They then learn about the...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Where Have All the Glaciers Gone?

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
What happens when ice melts? Well ... water happens. When that melting ice is a glacier, the amount of water that results produces change throughout the world. Middle school science sleuths uncover the truth about global...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Off Base

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How does carbon dioxide affect the world's oceans? The final installment in a series of six lessons has pupils research ocean acidification, then conduct an experiment to witness the delicate balance that exists in our seas. Materials...
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Water We Going To Do? Floodplains And Watershed Management

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
How has human activity affected Earth's watersheds? An action-packed lesson plan, part of the K20 Center, examines water's ability to go with the flow regardless of what is in its path. Scholars build model watersheds, examine time-lapse...
Interactive
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

Polar Vortex Interactive

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
An interactive lesson places pupils as scientists who must learn why the ozone layer is being destroyed by analyzing the data from multiple satellites. The first analysis shows how UV is related to the ozone cycle. The second...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Rifting of Pangaea and the Gettysburg Battlefield

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders analyze and interpret an animated model of Earth’s rifting processes.  In this Earth Science instructional activity, 11th graders connect Earth’s rifting processes with the Earth’s surface in the Gettysburg...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science Trail

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the solar system by conducting Earth science experiments. In this Sun lesson, students identify the different seasons on Earth and discuss their purpose and cause. Students create a sundial and observe the changes to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How We Impact the Earth

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students work in cooperative learning groups to create PowerPoint or KeyNote presentations on how humans impact the earth. This lesson can be accomplished in three different parts.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Does Flowing Water Shape a Planet's Surface?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars investigate how flowing water influence landforms. In this earth science lesson, students observe water behavior as it flows from the stream table at various inclinations. They discuss whether water shaped Mars landforms...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Glacier Presentations

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research news articles relating to global climate change. In this earth science lesson, students create a news broadcast using the information they gathered. They present this in class and each student gives their peer...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lighthouses and Lenses

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars explain the importance of lighthouses. In this earth science lesson, students investigate the focal lengths of Fresnel lenses. They research about the different lighthouses in their area.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather Versus Climate

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students differentiate weather and climate. For this earth science lesson, students investigate the climate of a zone they chose. They create a presentation and share their findings with the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making and Mapping a Volcano

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students build a baking soda volcano model. In this earth science instructional activity, students identify the sequence of lava flows. They make a volcano map using their models.

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