Curated OER
Fossils and Geologic Time
Students explore the development of the geologic time scale. They examine the major time periods in earth's history. Students discuss the role fossils play in helping us understand history.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Historical Climate Cycles
What better way to make predictions about future weather and climate patterns than with actual climate data from the past? Young climatologists analyze data from 400,000 to 10,000 years ago to determine if climate has changed over time....
Chicago Botanic Garden
Historical Climate Cycles
Ice core samples give scientists access to climates of old—those from more than 800,000 years ago. Through an analysis of various temperature graphs from ice cores, tree rings, and weather stations, scholars compare historical climates...
Energy for Keeps
The Energy Times
Extra! Extra! Read all about past and present energy use in a classroom-made historical newspaper. Useful as a cross-curricular assignment between science, history, and language arts, the project is sure to get young journalists...
Space Awareness
History of the Universe
Your pupils may believe that you and their parents are the oldest things in the universe, but surprise! There are elements of the universe that are even older. Elementary scientists create a class timeline to demonstrate the expansive...
Curated OER
Science NetLinks: Fossils and Geologic Time
Learners investigate the development of the geologic time scale. Also, to introduce them to the major time periods in earth's history, as well as to the role fossils play in helping us understand this history.
Space Awareness
The Sun Compass of the Vikings
Evidence shows the Vikings likely navigated by using a simple sundial to find their course. Videos, a short story, and discussion help bring this time period to life as they study European history with a hands-on experiment. Scholars...
Space Awareness
The Climate in Numbers and Graphs
Weather versus climate: weather relates to short time periods while climate averages the weather of a period of many years. Scholars learn about average temperature and precipitation in various climate zones and then apply statistics...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Historical Climate Cycles
Scientists use ice core samples to obtain temperatures of the earth from 400,000 years ago! The third of five lessons instructs pupils to interpret historical climate data to see changes over time. In part I, participants interpret...
Novelinks
The Good Earth: Concept Analysis
Designed for teachers, this resource provides an overview of Pearl S. Buck's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Good Earth. Information about the organizational pattern of the story, issues and themes addressed, historical background on...
Curated OER
Time and Earth History Socratic Questions
Young scholars develop a sense of geologic ("deep") time and the ways in which Earth scientists construct the geologic time scale. They study he major events that shaped Earth, including the origin and evolution of its lithosphere,...
Curated OER
The Time of Man
Learners demonstrate visually Mankind's relative place on the earth's timeline. They familiarize themselves with the use of the metric system in measuring and producting a timeline.
Curated OER
Modeling Geologic Time
Pupils design, construct and interpret a model of geologic time and investigate change through geologic time.
Curated OER
Expanding the Mission: Historical Parks
Students explore U.S. geography by viewing a documentary in class. In this national parks instructional activity, students view video clips of individual national parks and locate them using Google Earth software. Students create a...
Curated OER
Contain Yourself: Changes Over Time in the Use of Containers by Native Americans
Young scholars investigate how Native American containers changed over time and how the use of pottery changed their lifestyle. They create a pottery container.
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...
Curated OER
Layers of Time in the Earth
Learners are introduced to the concept of stratification as a historical and geological process. Students will read about the Richard Beene archaeological site, which lies near San Antonio, Texas on the Medina River, and watch a short...
Curated OER
JAPAN, IMAGES A PEOPLE
Young scholars interpret Japanese and American paintings; evaluate paintings as sources of cultural and historical information
Curated OER
Stratigraphy -- Layers of Time in the Earth
Students are introduced to the process of stratification. Using the internet, they read about the Richard Beene archeological site near San Antonio. Using a map, they color code the different layers present at this site and answer...
BBC
Walking with Dinosaurs
Breath new life into your class's study of dinosaurs with this extensive collection of materials. Offering everything from a printable T-rex mask, word searches, and connect-the-dots activities to informational handouts, hands-on...
Curated OER
Solar History
Using the sun's light as a source of energy is not a new concept. Give your environmental studies, engineering, or physical science class this list of how humans have used solar energy throughout history. Assign groups a certain time...
Curated OER
Walking with the Emperors: Exploring Imperial Rome
Students travel Rome. In this geography skills lesson plan, students explore famous places in Rome with Google Earth tools. Students research the city of Rome and create touring videos that feature their findings.
NASA
Melting Ice: Designing an Experiment
Sometimes, despite the best laid plans, the unexpected will occur. Learners witness this firsthand as they carefully design an experiment to determine the time needed for ice to melt in salt water or pure water. They uncover facts not...
Curated OER
Day And Night
First graders examine how the earth experiences day and night by using a flashlight and a globe as a model.