Curated OER
Mass, Volume, and Weight
Students explore mass, volume, and weight. In this science and measurement lesson, students compare volume, mass, and weight after listening to the teacher's description of each. Students explore different scales and balances and...
Curated OER
Making Models To Understand Our Home
Students investigate the concept of a model and how it is used to represent something that is real. They recognize how the model can be applied to other types of concepts like the solar system. Students create a scale drawing of a house...
Curated OER
Bones
Fifth graders observe real bones and models to learn about the structure and function of the skeletal system. For this skeletal system lesson, 5th graders manipulate objects and models of bones. They handle real bones and determine the...
Curated OER
Satellites and the Radiation Budget
Students engage in a prelab discussion about the earth's radiation budget and global warming. They use "trading cards" to find specific websites to research radiation budget questions.
Curated OER
Galileo's Dialogue
Explore how Galileo's controversial theory raised objections in his time. In this physical science activity, learners research about current controversial issues. They role play both sides of the issue, and decide which one has a...
Curated OER
Go With the Energy Flow
Students explore energy and nutrient flow. In this science instructional activity, students diagram the flow of energy through food chains and food webs. Students discuss the importance of energy flow in Earth's ecosystems.
Curated OER
Bible (Day 7) Redemption and Caretakers
Whether you are religious or not, humans can be caretakers of the Earth. Students will discuss recycling, how their wasteful actions effect the Earth, and the Alaskan oil spill. They then have small group discussion and write about how...
Mr. Jones's Science Class
Planet Presentation
Upper-elementary astronomers take on the role of interplanetary real estate salesmen. They research an assigned planet and create a PowerPoint to persuade the rest of the class to purchase property and move there. This fun project would...
Curated OER
Bacteria in Drinking Water And Water Purification
Students explore how sewer systems can contribute to water pollution and perform an experiment to see how well a water purification technique can protect against water-born microbial illnesses. They compare the bacterial growth from...
Curated OER
Massif Mystery
After reviewing plate tectonic theories and the discovery of both the Atlantis Massif and the Lost City hydrothermal vents, earth science learners complete a worksheet and participate in discussions about what the types of rock found...
Curated OER
Watering Our Prairie Farms
After reading an article about irrigation on Canadian farms, learners participate in a discussion. They individually write an opinion paper about the surrounding issues. A lesson like this can be used in an earth science class when...
Smithsonian Institution
Watching Crystals Grow
Amazing science can sometimes happen right before your eyes! The class gets cozy as they watch crystals grow. They use Epsom salts, rocks, and food coloring to create crystals. They'll observe the entire process, documenting every step...
Curated OER
Heat Transfer
Learners examine heat transfer using energy efficient houses. In this heat transfer lesson students calculate the heat that is transferred between a system and its surroundings.
Curated OER
Newtonian Mechanics
Students familiarize themselves, through teacher demonstration, with Gavendish's apparatus first used for experimentally determining the value of the Universal Gravitational Constant G, and calculate theoretical value of Earth's...
Curated OER
Great Rivers 2: The Ups and Downs of River Flooding
Second in a three-part instructional activity on rivers, this instructional activity focuses on the flooding that occurs in riparian locations. First, learners take a look at facts about the Amazon River. They read online materials and...
Curated OER
The Right Ratio of Rest: Proportional Reasoning
Students see how NASA scientists are studying the circadian timing system to improve astronaut's physical and mental tasks while working in space. They demonstrate how fractions, decimals, and percents are related.
Curated OER
Homemade Barometer
To reinforce the action of air pressure, have your meteorology pupils construct a barometer. They place the barometer into a closed system, a miniature atmosphere if you will, and notice the movement of the needle on the homemade...
Curated OER
Gingerbread Spacecraft
Students explore the different parts of the Cassini spacecraft. In this space science lesson, students create a model of the spacecraft using food products. They compare and contrast their model with the real one and evaluate its...
Curated OER
The World's Last Great Wilderness (Antarctica)
It's a shame that there are no photographs in this presentation because the information is fascinating! Each identically fashioned slide contains bullet points of information about Antarctica that will enhance an earth science...
Curated OER
Water
Third graders study different bodies of water and how they fit into the water cycle. They explain that materials exist in different states (solid, liquid and gas) and change from one to another, that there are systems, order, and...
Curated OER
Season's Greetings
Young scholars explore Earth's seasons using an interactive website. In this earth science instructional activity, students watch video segments and explain Earth's seasonal milestones. They discuss the factors that causes seasonal changes.
Curated OER
Day and Night
Fifth graders investigate the Earth's rotation and revolution and the moon's orbit around the Earth. They participate in a class discussion about how night and day occur, and take notes. Next, they watch a video about the solar system...
Curated OER
Sun Shadow Cycles
Students use diagrams to review how the Earth rotates around the sun. In groups, they use the same diagrams to explain how the sun shadows are produced and how they differ between seasons. They describe the Earth's rotation and...
Curated OER
What's Happening With the Moon?
Students review the process of scientific inquiry. Using this information, they identify the patterns and cycles of the moon as it revolves around the Earth. In groups, they model the phases of the moon from the Earth and Sun's...