Center Science Education
Field Projects: Science in Action
Cooperative groups select from one of four scenarios regarding hurricanes, greenhouse gases, thunderstorms, or the global climate domino effect. They discuss what kind of research needs to be conducted to address their chosen scenario...
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Thunderstorms
Fourth graders investigate the attraction between two different charges to explain the concept of lightning in a thunderstorm.
US Environmental Protection Agency
Weather and Climate: What's the Difference?
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...
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Thunderstorms
Fourth graders examine the attraction between two different charges to investigate lightning in a thunderstorm. They complete an experiment and a worksheet.
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Making Thunderstorms
First graders investigate the causes of thunderstorms and create the sounds of a thunderstorm.
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Science Videos
Students plan, practice, and act in a 2-3 minute videotaped production about a specific topic. Students from a local high school give presentations pertaining to seasons, earth rotation, and moon phases. Students analyze the...
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The Earth's Atmosphere and Temperature
Students describe and compare the layers of the atmosphere. They explain how to measure the temperature of the atmosphere and discover what causes the atmosphere to heat up in some places more than in others.
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The Magma Also Rises
Convection is thoroughly demonstrated using a model of Earth's mantle. Detailed background information is provided for the teacher, as well as a list of materials. Although a colorful and detailed worksheet is available for the class,...
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The Science of Weather: Hurricanes
Students use this USA today activity to learn about hurricane season. In this hurricane lesson plan, students study the map of the earth and hurricane science. Students complete discuss questions. Students draw a map of the United States...
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How Heating and Convection Contributes to Natural Disasters
Students study the basics of heating and cooling and how it pertains to the earth. For this global lesson students read the Magic Tree House book then create a chart of their findings.
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Severe Weather
Fifth graders identify the causes and effects of several different kinds of
severe weather phenomenon. They read an excerpt from John Muir's book The Mountains of California and research one of the following severe
weather phenomena...
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Weather Lesson 2
Students identify the elements that make up the earth's weather. Begin by having students pretend they are hiking along a mountain ridge. It's been sunny and warm all day, but you see a dark line of clouds moving from the west.
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Wonders of Weather
Students understand the destructive force of a tornado. They learn the role of a thunderstorm in the creation of a tornado.
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Lightning
Students study lightening and the history behind how it was used for electricity. In this electricity lesson students complete several experiments on the invention of the lightning rod.
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Classroom Meteorologists: An Experiential Approach to Learning about Seasons and Weather
Students examine several concepts about weather in the seven lessons of this unit. This year long activity helps students to gather data seasonally about wind, clouds, precipitation, and temperature. Earth's three climate zones are...
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Weather Fun Facts
In this science worksheet, students investigate fun facts about weather by reading 25 short paragraphs about weather, storms, climate and geography. Students complete a crossword puzzle about weather.
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Review For Weather Quiz
In this science worksheet, students review the concepts that were previously covered related to weather fronts and other types of systems.
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Rising Air
Students investigate the concept of rising air in the formation of clouds and precipitation. In this rising air instructional activity, students conduct an experiment with hot and cold water that shows how warm water rises due to thermal...
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Lightning
Students investigate lightning. In this lightning lesson, students demonstrate how static electricity is in the air by observing how a balloon reacts to a charge.
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Clear Day, Cloudy Day; Weather, Cloud Types and Formations
Pupils explore the formation of clouds and different cloud types. Students simulate a cloud formation within a bottle.
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Infrared-Hot
Students describe how the sun heats the Earth, explain the nature of infrared light, explain how thunderstorms are formed and use infrared maps to predict severe weather.
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Matter in Motion
Second graders examine matter, what it is and what the different states are. In this matter activity students view The Magic School Bus Meets Molly Cule and answer questions.
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Tornadoes
Students examine the characteristics of a tornado. They practice using new vocabulary and participate in a question and answer session. They use the internet to gather more specific information.
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Tornado
Students study the classification system of tornadoes. In this tornado lesson students make their own tornadoes in different mediums.