Teach Engineering
Energy Resources and Systems
We've talked a lot about energy, but where does energy come from? Pupils brainstorm different energy sources through a class discussion to kick off the 14th installment of a 25-part Energy Systems and Solutions unit. They then research...
Curated OER
Energy Conservation Lesson 1: Fossil Fuels and the Ticking Clock
Students explore energy production by participating in a class discussion. In this renewable energy lesson, students discuss the differences between solar, coal, wind and fossil fuel energy sources and why some are better for the...
Curated OER
How Old Is Illinois?
High schoolers use fossils found in rocks to determine the age of the strata between Rock Island and Chicago. Pupils pretend they are geologists. They must determine the age of all rock layers between the Mississippi River and Lake...
Teach Engineering
Enough Energy? Play the Renew-a-Bead Game
Pairs simulate the energy usage of different countries by drawing beads from a bag, which contain different beginning ratios of non-renewable and renewable energy resources. The activity concludes with a series of questions to tie...
Desert Discoveries
How Old is Old? (And, How Much is a Million?)
Here is an interesting lesson on how old things are designed for young scientists. In it, learners compile a list of their birthdays, and the class puts them in sequential order from youngest to oldest. Then, they sequence 15 objects...
Illustrative Mathematics
Accuracy of Carbon 14 Dating II
The scientific issue of carbon-14 dating and exponential decay gets a statistics-based treatment in this problem. The class starts with a basic investigation of carbon content, but then branches out to questions of accuracy and...
Curated OER
The Appliance Explosion
Students explain why the number of appliances used today differs greatly from the number used previously. They construct a bar graph to show changes in appliance use over a period of time. They also list appliances that could be eliminated.
Curated OER
Make a Solar Oven
Students build a solar oven. In this Science lesson plan, students construct a functional solar oven. Students design the oven and explain the energy concepts involved.
Teach Engineering
The Energy Problem
Think you can solve the energy problem? You'll first need to know about current energy use. Analyzing a set of circle graphs lets scholars see where energy consumption is the greatest, both by sector and by household use. They develop a...
Teach Engineering
Energy Sources Research
Turn your pupils into teachers! Here is a lesson that requires groups to research an energy source with the provided handout, create a poster, and present their information to the class. Connections are made to practical aspects of...
Curated OER
MUD-A Walk
Students investigate their tracks to determine the number of footsteps it takes to travel the entire length of their bodies. Then they determine the taller of two children and the shorter of two children with their tracks. Students also...
Curated OER
Environmental Agents of Mathematics: Mathematics for Change
High schoolers analyze environmental science data using Math. They do research about renewable energy, gather data, create graphs and interpret their findings. Then the group presents their arguments persuasively using their findings to...
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Megabeasts
Create larger-than-life insects for the classroom. Bugs are usually pretty small, but during the Jurassic period they were huge. Kids use diagramming and scale conversion to enlarge a modern day insect so that it is as big as its ancient...
Curated OER
Power and Auroras
In this power and auroras worksheet, students read about the relationship between power, work and energy and how the power of auroras are measured by the light they produce. Students use a data chart of the Great Aurora of 2003 to answer...
Curated OER
Discovering Fossils
Students dig for and discover fossils in a classroom setting. They dig on a tarp to find, map, assemble, and photograph their discoveries.
Curated OER
Math in Science-Radioactive Decay and Half-Life
In this radioactive decay and half-life worksheet, students use given half-lifes to calculate the amount of time it will take for certain amounts of elements to decay. They also find the age of samples and determine how many grams of...
Curated OER
Earth's Rotation Changes and the Length of the Day
In this Earth's rotation and day length instructional activity, students are given a table with the period of geological time, the age of the Earth and the total days per year. Students calculate the number of hours per day in each...
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The Mesozoic Era
Sixth graders recognize that the Earth was different in different eras. In this Mesozoic Era lesson, 6th graders compare the time frame of the different eras and how long they lasted for by graphing them. Students study the...
Curated OER
Fossil Fuels and Its Effects On The World
Students explore the effects of a declining fossil fuel system would have on the world. They read the line graph and other information to answer questions about fossil fuels. Students use mathematics to analyze graphical data and...
Curated OER
Understanding the Geologic Timescale
Pupils identify and analyze how the geologic time scale was developed by investigating 11 periods of time and the vast expanse of time of the Earth's existence. They study their period, determine the important factors indicative to this...
Curated OER
CO2 and You
Students study the scientific evidence about carbon dioxide emissions. They learn to calculate the amount of energy used by different appliances. They complete a worksheet which analyzes the amount of energy that their home uses.
Curated OER
Patterns in Nature
Research patterns in nature which illustrate biological and mathematical concepts. Your class will discover and explore aspects of fractals, Fibonaccis numbers, whale and butterfly migration patterns, whale identification, flower...
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How Big is a Dinosaur?
Fourth graders create enlarged replica of a stegosaurus drawing, using a grid to practice coordinates.
Curated OER
Cyanobacteria Races: Cyanobacteria Motility Experiment for a Classroom
Students experiment to determine the effect of light on cyanobacteria movement. They graph the data of the experiment for further analysis. They watch a time-lapse video of cyanobacteria motility at a NASA website.