Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth, the Universe, and Culture

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers view segment of documentary, Swift: Eyes Through Time, explore famous scientists, their theories, places of origin, and culture, document scientific viewpoints of famous scientists throughout history, and discuss...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Aquifers and Groundwater

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars understand the purpose of an aquifer. In this aquifer and groundwater lesson, students build a model aquifer find its relationship to water usage. Young scholars record observations as they build the layers of the aquifer.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chain Reaction

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students study animal behavior and how it changes to its environment.  In this animal lesson students design and conduct experiments.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Frozen Desert: Graphing and Comparing Climates

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students explore the concept of climate. They use temperature and precipitation data from their area and other regions to construct climate graphs. These graphs are used to help identify factors that influence climate.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Differences between Climate and Weather

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students collect weather data over weeks, graph temperature data and compare the temperature data collected with averaged climate data where they live.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What are Rocks and Minerals? How can they help us?

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders investigate the difference between rocks and minerals. They name the three kinds of rocks (sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic) and know the differences between them.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Science of Weather: Hurricanes

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students use this USA today activity to learn about hurricane season. For this hurricane lesson, students study the map of the earth and hurricane science. Students complete discuss questions. Students draw a map of the United States and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Doin' The Moonwalk

For Teachers K - 2nd
If you are looking for an outstanding lesson on the Moon for your budding astronomers, look no further! This outstanding plan is full of wonderful, meaningful activities for your charges to engage in. Pupils will discover why there are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Weather Classroom - Atmosphere

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Meteorology learners explore the weight of air, layers of the atmosphere, and air pressure action through a series of discussions, demonstrations, and hands-on group activities. Enough discussion prompts, background information, student...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Curated OER

Ocean Careers Exploration

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Learners will work together in groups to gather information about careers in oceanography. They discover the need to have a diverse group of people on a team and then share their information with the class. Web links and materials are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wind Power

For Teachers 9th - 12th
What a wonderful way to explore wind power! Through this lesson plan, learners get a background in the history of wind power, create their own wind turbine, and the test their designs. This is a terrific way to tie scientific principles...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Suited for Space

For Teachers 5th - 8th
A fantastic lesson on survival in outer space should excite your learners! Pupils explore the challenges that living, working, and surviving in space elicit. They focus on the spacesuit itself; how it protects astronauts, and enables...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fostering Geospatial Thinking: Space to Earth: Earth to Space (SEES)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students locate and access data to help them with their science inquiry.  In this geographical positioning lesson students evaluate and compare data sets. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scientific Inquiry

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students create a poster. In this recycling lesson, students discuss pollution and the ways humans negatively affect the environment. Students describe examples of litter or pollution they have experienced. Students collect litter from...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Graphing Sea Ice Extent in the Arctic and Antarctic

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students graph sea ice data and predict long term trends in the data. In this climate change lesson, students use sea ice data from the Arctic and Antarctic to construct line graphs. They use their graphs to predict the effects of global...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth's Energy Cycle: Albedo

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students complete all of the steps in the scientific inquiry process to study Earth's energy cycle; most specifically temperature and the effects of albedo (energy reflected back from Earth's surface) on temperature.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Daily and Seasonal Cycles

For Teachers 1st
First graders identify the sun as a source of heat and light. They identify features of houses that help keep use sheltered and comfortable throughout daily and seasonal cycles. Students are told that summer is the best season to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Air and Water in the Environment

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Young scholars demonstrate an awareness of air as a substance that surrounds us and takes up space, and whose movement we feel as wind. They predict and describe how local weather conditions affect living things, including themselves.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Life on Earth Began

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders investigate the concept of evolution and how it was a mechanism for the foundation of life on Earth. They conduct research and attempt to make cognitive connections with the evidence to agree with the presupposition of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sucking Students into an Understanding of Air Pressure and Vacuums

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Students develop and test their ideas about air pressure and vacuums by conducting several investigations into the movement of fluids in tubes.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tetonic Plates and Faults

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students understand the basic properties of plate motion. They demonstrate what happens to a plate while faulting while using manipulatives. They demonstrate the Nature of Scientific Inquiry to solve scientific issues.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Air and Weather

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders study Earth's materials. In this air and weather instructional activity, 2nd graders note changes in the weather and examine tools that help us study the weather. Students analyze how changes in the environment make...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Structures and Behaviors of Planarians

For Teachers 2nd - 11th
Students investigate planaria of the phylum platyhelminthes. They use DigiScope technology to observe and describe the structure and movements of planarians.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Me And My Shadow

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students investigate the concept of a shadow. They design a tool to create shadows for an experiment. They make observations and record the size and shape of shadows. The lesson contains background information for the teacher to deliver...