Curated OER
Tools of Modern Astronomy
Students differentiate refracting and reflecting telescopes. In this earth science activity, students explain how they are closely connected to satellites. They complete the concept map at the end of the activity.
Curated OER
How's the Weather?
Students explore earth science by researching the Internet. In this weather pattern lesson, students utilize the website weather.com to analyze the weather in different geographic locations. Students view charts and graphs based on...
Curated OER
Hurricanes and the Importance of Wetlands
Students explain how wetlands minimize the impact of hurricanes. In this earth science lesson plan, students investigate how different materials affect the steam plume path. They complete their worksheet after the lab.
Curated OER
RIDING THE WIND
Students locate the Trade Winds, Westerlies and Polar Easterlies on a map, explain the impact of the rotation of the Earth, and plot a route for a round trip voyage from New York to London.
Curated OER
Water
Learners complete activities to examine the properties of water. In this water science lesson, students read a book about water's forms and study a map or globe of the Earth to investigate water. Learners discuss living things that need...
Curated OER
Your Expedition of Discovery
Students study GPS and see how it is used to determine points on the Earths surface. In this expedition lesson students use GPS to find given coordinates.
Curated OER
Soil Composition: Then and Now
Students identify the location of their school from a 1926 digitized Soil Sample map. Using remaining landforms, they determine the type of soil identified during that time, and compare it to the soil currently found near the school.
Curated OER
Making Rocks
Students use their imaginations in order to journey to the center of the earth to find different types of minerals. They create minerals using playdough and create scientific drawings of them. Finally, students create a map to locate the...
Curated OER
Take a Hike
In this geography skills learning exercise, students respond to 9 questions that require them to read topographic maps and interpret them. The topographic maps are not included.
Curated OER
Geology Word List
In this science worksheet, students review the vocabulary words for the separate categories related to the concept of geology.
Curated OER
Contour Map Worksheet #4
There are only four questions here. There is a contour map of Cottonwood, Colorado and the creek that crosses it. Earth scientists tell in what direction the creek flows, identify the highest elevation on the map, draw a topographic...
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics & Land Forms
Fourth graders discuss the different interactions of plates and the ways mountains are created. In this plate tectonics lesson students complete an activity in groups.
Teach Engineering
Magnetic Fields
Introduce your class to magnetic fields with an activity that demonstrates that a compass is affected by the magnetic field of the earth, unless a closer, stronger magnetic field is present. Pupils can use this fact in the...
Curated OER
Ecosystems Lesson Plan
Students research ecosystems (rainforest, desert, grassland, woodland, and arctic tundra). Students compare the seven continents and the importance of proximaty to the equator.
California Academy of Science
Tropical Belt
Where in the world is the equator? Explore a world map with your class, coloring in oceans, continents, and rainforests while locating the three major lines of latitude: the equator, Tropic of Cancer, and Tropic of Capricorn. Discuss how...
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics: First Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
A set of first grade geology lessons focuses on plate tectonics and movement of plate boundaries. During the pre-lab, learners experience three types of plate movement through a kinesthetic demonstration. The lab...
Science Matters
Energy and Winds
In the study of wind energy, scholars build a small windmill and observe how it transfers wind into mechanical energy. Learners will make connections to the previous instructional activity with concepts such as the...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Recent Weather Patterns
Decide whether weather is changing! A two-part activity first challenges classes to review the differences between weather and climate. Once finished, individuals then analyze historical data to determine if climate change is happening...
University of Colorado
Phases of Charon
Pluto, although no longer considered a planet, has five moons. Pluto's moon, Charon, is the focus of a resource that describes how the moon is viewed from the surface of Pluto. Photos help individuals see how Charon would look at...
University of Colorado
Are All Asteroids' Surfaces the Same Age?
Did you know scientists can tell the age of an asteroid by looking closely at its craters? This final lesson of a six-part series focuses on two asteroids, Gaspra and Ida, in order to demonstrate the concept of dating asteroids. Scholars...
Space Awareness
How Light Pollution Affects the Stars: Magnitude Readers
Did you know light can decrease visibility? Light pollution absolutely makes it more difficult to see stars. Scholars build a simple magnitude reader to determine the magnitude of stars. They use these data to estimate the impact of...
Space Awareness
Continental Climate and Oceanic Climate
There's nothing better than a cool breeze blowing in from the ocean. Scholars explore how water affects change in temperature using a hands-on experiment on climate. They use measurement tools to compare the continental and oceanic...
Messenger Education
Exploring Exploring
The reason people first began trading was because of their desires for objects other societies possessed. In the activity, classes discuss why exploration has been a common thread in all societies and where these desires have taken...
Space Awareness
The Big Meltdown
Explore the world (our world) of melting ice caps. Why are these caps melting? What is the effect of melting ice caps? Dive into the ever-present issue of global warming with a resource that has learners looking at data and participating...