Lesson Plan
Curated OER

One Tough Worm

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Learners explain the process of chemosynthesis and its relevance to biological communities. In this investigative lesson plan students discuss chemosynthetic communities, then in groups they are assigned a species and are to calculate...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kid Maps: Reading and Creating Maps with Human Characteristics

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students look at maps. In this map lesson, students listen to the book My Map Book by Sara Fanelli and they see the difference between human characteristics (buildings, etc.) and natural characteristics (rivers, etc.).  They...
Lesson Plan
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Getting Physical with Estuaries

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study estuaries and how the physical factors change over time.  For this investigative lesson students use a website to gain knowledge of estuaries then in groups they create and present their charts.
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Hawaiian Hot Spots

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers describe how plate tectonics contribute to the development of volcanoes. In this earth science activity, students examine the map of Hawaii and explore the physical and biological environment there. They write a story...
Lesson Plan
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Lesson 9 - Along Our Coast

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students study the benefits of estuaries. They construct a saltwater food web, and complete worksheets and a quiz.
Lesson Plan
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All Hands on Deck: A Harbor Education Program

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students build a model of an estuary. In this wetland lesson, students build a model estuary with a paint tray and modeling clay. They use the model to illustrate the impact of non-point pollution on the watershed.
Lesson Plan
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Coral Reefs Endangered

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students identify different types of nutritional relationships in a coral reef system and trace the energy flow.  In this marine biology lesson plan students create a simulation of acidification of the coral reef. 
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Disaster Strikes

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students examine the devastation caused by the tsunami of 2005. In this current events instructional activity, students consider the effects of natural disasters as they research tsunamis and the worldwide response to the December 26,...
Lesson Plan
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John H. Ritter Novels

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students read the books writing by John H. Ritter and complete discussion questions about them. In this reading lesson plan, students answer discussion questions for 4 different books.
Lesson Plan
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Breaking Away (Or Not...)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners compare and contrast common reproductive strategies used by benthic invertebrates. They describe the most common reproductive strategies among benthic invertebrates on a seamount, and explain why these strategi
Lesson Plan
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Algal Blooms

For Teachers 7th - 9th
In this algal blooms worksheet, students order the stages of a red tide. They answer two short answer questions. Students define three terms relating to algal blooms.
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Titanic: Looking for Clues

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students make inferences about a shipwreck based on the location of artifacts. They role play as marine archaeologists and list three processes that contribute to the deterioration of the Titanic.
Lesson Plan
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Antarctica

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students explore why Antarctica is so important to the planet. They investigate the physical characteristics. Students create their own unique treaty of governance for Antarctica and discuss how laws are enforced in Antarctica.
Lesson Plan
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Discovery Science Center Activities

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders complete a variety of experiments to meet science goals.  In this life sciences lesson, 4th graders make yogurt, discover the attraction of opposite charges in electricity, learn the effects of glaciers, and explore...
Lesson Plan
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What's So Special?

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students study the biology and morphology of Lophelia corals.  In this investigative lesson students explain how the coral contributes to communities, and create a poster.  
Lesson Plan
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Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica Today

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Young scholars explore the importance of research in Antarctica, then explain how snow becomes part of the Antarctic ice cap. They explore Antarctica's harsh environment and discover how scientists drill ice cores and what information...
Lesson Plan
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You Can't, but Genghis Khan

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students study the life of Genghis Khan from his childhood to adulthood as a conqueror. They write poetry for two voices. They investigate how rules and laws are made and work together to problem solve.
Lesson Plan
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A Reef of Your Own

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research and study the life and reproductive strategies of reef building corals. They examine how coral reefs can produce high levels of biological material when they are surviving in areas of low nutrition.
Lesson Plan
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Drifting Continents

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars, through teacher-led demonstration, explore the idea of continental drift. They complete a worksheet involving the calculation of continental drift over time.
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Alien Invasion

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Young scholars research how alien species can change an ecosystem. In this coral reef lesson, students describe invasive species and site evidence how these species came to be invasive and what control measures are possible.
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It's About Time

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate how Global Positioning Systems work and how and why GPS receivers make errors. They graph data points and apply estimation and prediction to real-life GPS situations, discuss time delay, and complete a worksheet.
Lesson Plan
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What Do We Know About Africa?

For Teachers 1st
First graders explore Africa, its geography and climate. After completing a KWL chart, 1st graders locate Africa on a globe and discuss how its location on the earth affects its climate. Using the Internet and a given fact sheet,...
Lesson Plan
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Adaptations

For Teachers 2nd - 7th
Students identify what adaptation is and to research a specific mollusk. They also identify and interpret how animals get their common and scientific name and why it is Latin. Finally, students draw their shell (mollusk) and name their...
Lesson Plan
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Bivalve Biology

For Teachers K - 5th
Pupils place clams into a beaker containing saltwater. They place a small drop of food coloring just above the shell. Students observe the movement of the food coloring. Clams are then placed into clean beakers of saltwater with 24 brine...