Scholastic
Lesson One: The Earth, Background and Glossary
How much do you really know about our planet? Middle schoolers build up their prior knowledge about Earth, its placement in the solar system, its composition, and important geological vocabulary with an introductory earth science lesson.
Curated OER
Earth's Rotation Changes and the Length of the Day
In this Earth's rotation and day length 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 geological era,...
NASA
Ascent: 50 Seconds to MECO
All systems go! With a video and a Google Earth tour as background, pairs investigate two graphs. The graphs display acceleration vs. time and velocity vs. time of a space shuttle launch. Using graphing calculators, the pairs take a...
Curated OER
The Sun Affects Earth
Third graders read, write, and listen to information about the sun and its effects on the Earth.as it relates to its axis, orbit, rotate, and revolution. In this solar system lesson, 3rd graders examine how the sun effects the Earth's...
Curated OER
What Makes Day and Night? The Earth's Rotation
Learners discover that the Earth rotates on its axis in a cyclical fashion. They examine how this rotation results in day and night.
Curated OER
A Problem in Satellite Synchrony
In this satellite synchrony worksheet, students use a spreadsheet or Least Common Multiples to solve 4 problems related to the satellite orbits, orbital periods and their synchronicity. Students determine when the satellites launched in...
S2tem Centers SC
Seasons
Winter, spring, summer, and fall—take the learning of the seasons beyond the elementary level to the middle school classroom. Curious learners begin by watching videos about the seasons and the rotation of planet Earth. Then, they...
Messenger Education
Star Power! Discovering the Power of Sunlight
It takes less than 10 minutes for energy from the sun to travel 90 million miles to Earth! In the first installment in a series of four, groups measure the amount of solar radiation that reaches Earth. They then discuss how this is...
Curated OER
Earth in Space
In this reason for the days and nights on earth worksheet, young scholars study the reasons the Earth has days and nights by answering 28 questions about earth's rotation, the equator, the relationship between the sun and moon, and the...
Curated OER
Solar Eclipse
In this solar eclipse worksheet, learners solve seven problems about solar eclipses after making a model following five steps. They determine the different orbits for satellites, they determine the lengths of Earth's shadow and they find...
Curated OER
Egyptian Cartouche
Sixth graders demonstrate their knowledge of Earth clay construction by creating, inscribing, and glazing an earth clay Egyptian cartouche. The lesson culminates with learners sharing their knowledge of key terms in the lesson through...
Curated OER
To The Clock of Eras
Third graders investigate the events of geological time using a chart called a "Clock of Eras". In this geological events lesson plan, 3rd graders compare a standard clock to a geological clock. In addition, students consider periods...
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Getting Ready for the All American Eclipse!
Give your pupils a front row seat at the biggest light show in the sky this year! In addition to admiring the total solar eclipse, young astronomers can explain the phenomenon with a little help from an inquiry-based lesson. The focus of...
Yummy Math
Curiosity Landed on Mars
Out of this world math and science are mixed together on a activity that would be a great enrichment activity classrooms that are studying our solar system. The information presented is best suited toward middle school math, and...
Curated OER
Angle and Radian Measure
In this angle and radian measure learning exercise, students find the measurement of a central angle. Students determine the speed of rotation, linear speed of a point, and radians per second. This two-page learning exercise contains...
Curated OER
Adding the Moon: Using a Playground Model to Explore the Movement of the Sun, Earth, and Moon
Students experience the rotation of the Earth and the Moon, and the revolution of the Moon around the Earth using a playground model.
Curated OER
Environmental Studies: The Power of Wind
Investigate the prospect of wind as a renewable resource. Second and third graders make a pinwheel, answer critical thinking questions, and then attempt to use wind power to wind string. I would be more apt to use this lesson in a 1st or...
Class Antics
Leap Year
What is a Leap Year and why do we have it? Find out with this Leap Day/Leap Year response to reading learning exercise in which scholars read a short passage and use their new-found knowledge to answer five questions with short answers.
Curated OER
The Oscillation Period of Gaseous Spheres
In this oscillation period worksheet, students read about how the force of gravity effects the oscillation of bodies. Students use two given formulas to identify the oscillation period of the sun, the Earth and a neutron star.
Curated OER
Fly Me to the Moon!
In this Moon travel worksheet, students construct a simple rocket trajectory called the Hohmann Transfer orbit using a compass, string, paper and a pencil. Students solve 2 problems which include finding the number of hours it takes to...
Curated OER
Black Holes....II
In this black hole worksheet, students use the equation for time dilation to solve 8 problems including determining the time it takes to receive a GPS signal from space, the time delay for the GPS-Earth system, the distance a radio...
Curated OER
"Use an Anemometer," said the Meteorologist
Students participate in an hands-on construction of an instrument to measure wind speed.
Curated OER
Daily Radiation "Balance"
Students explore the amount of radiation in the Earth's atmosphere. They calculate the total amount of incoming and outgoing radiation over a day and determine how "balanced" the radiative system is over a particular location.
Curated OER
The Time is Right
Tenth graders study the timeline of life on Earth. They learn about the progression of prokaryotes to single celled eukaryotes and the development of increasingly complex multicellular organisms.