Curated OER
Climatic Zones
Third graders recognize and locate Frigid, Temperate, and Torrid climatic zones on the word map or globe. They explain that plants, animals, and human societies display adaptations to the climates they live in .
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Cloudy vs. Clear
Learners analyze line plots. In this weather lesson using real NASA data, students discuss how weather affects the way the Earth is heated by comparing different line plots.
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Learning Lesson: The Shadow Knows I
Students examine the elevation of the sun to discover the changes in seasons. They observe and measure the length of their shadow. They compare this measurement to one taken four months later.
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Fall Lesson Plans
Fall lesson plans can combine science, history, and writing into an enticing combination.
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Taiga
For this taiga worksheet, students read a short article describing what a taiga is and then answer 10 multiple choice, true or false or short answer questions relating to the article.
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Making Sense Of A Round World On A Flat Surface
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the development of geography skills. They take part in a number of activities that center around finding and traveling to different locations. The lesson has resource links that can be...
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Look At Those Leaves!
Students observe, measure and sort leaves. In this leaf lesson students divide into groups and observe the different kinds of leaves.
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Exploring the Night Sky: Fall/Winter
Students explain how moon phases occur. They explain three ways that the night sky has been used through history. Students locate some of the constellations in the night sky. They discuss stories and myths surrounding stars.
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Astronomy
Students complete a unit of lessons on our solar system, its stars, and astronomers. They record information in a space journal, design constellations, define key vocabulary, observe the phases of the moon, and create a group planet...
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Ancient Sun Models of the World
Students explain that many different cultures across the world developed their own reasoning for the weather around them. They explore the different cultural beliefs of the sun's cycle and to create their own story of the sun's movement.
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Precession
Students explain how Hipparchus, around 130 BC, used a shift in the predicted location of a lunar eclipse to detect a slight shift in the path of the Sun around the sky. They examine the elliptical orbit in which the Earth travels around...
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Today's Weather on Mars
Young scholars investigate the temperature and wind data locally, nationally, and internationally and compare these conditions to those on Mars. Conclusions are drawn about the differences of these conditions and the causes for the...
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Is it Really Winter in Australia? It is June!
The purpose of this activity is to determine how the location of a place on the Earth (hemisphere) determines what season that place is experiencing relative to the Sun's rays. Day one the students will be introduced to the terms...
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Climatic Changes
In this climate changes worksheet, high schoolers review the different events such as volcanic eruptions and El Nino that change the climate. This worksheet has 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions.
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Our Universe: Always Moving, Always Changing
Students explore the main concepts of astronomy through the eleven lessons of this unit. The past, present, and future methods of studying the science are examined in this unit.
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Investigating daylight
students investigate a natural factor affecting their everyday lives: daylight. First, they collect data on sunrise and sunset in their hometown, create a Microsoft Office Excel chart to help them understand the data pattern, and offer a...
Curated OER
Graphing San Diego Tides
Students observe the tides in San Diego for one month. Using this information, they graph the tides on a chart along with the phases of the moon. They answer questions related to the graph to end the lesson.
Illustrative Mathematics
Illustrative Mathematics: G Mg Tilt of Earth's Axis and the Four Seasons
This task gives students a chance to explore the effects of the Earth's tilt and rotation using a simple geometric model of Earth-Sun interaction that shows why the seasons occur. Aligns with G-MG.A.1.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: A Matter of Degrees: Tilt of Earth's Axis Affects the Seasons
In this science fair project, use a globe and a heat lamp to investigate how the angle of the Sun affects global warming. This project includes the objective, background questions, a list of all the materials you'll need, and the...
Scholastic
Scholastic: Study Jams! Science: Weather & Climate: Seasons
A slideshow and a short multiple-choice quiz on the topic of seasons and how they are caused by the Earth's rotation and orbit.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Cosmology and Astronomy: Season Simulator
This season simulator takes Earth through an entire year cycle allowing the viewer to observe the tilt of the Earth and the intensity of the sunlight.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Plix: Seasons: Earth's Orbit
[Free Registration/Login Required] An interactive animation demonstrating the Earth's tilted axis and how that causes the seasons. Also included on the site is a short quiz on the topic.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Modeling Earth's Seasons by Rotation and Revolution
In this lesson plan, students will discuss, define, and demonstrate the Earth's rotation and revolution around the sun in a counterclockwise position. They will be able to predict seasons based on the amount of light that hits the Earth.
NASA
Nasa: Sea Wi Fs Biosphere Globes
This interactive globe allows you to get any view of the earth by entering latitude, longitude and season criteria.