Virginia Department of Education
Determining Absolute Age
How can radioactive decay help date old objects? Learners explore half-life and radioactive decay by conducting an experiment using pennies to represent atoms. Young scientists graph data from the experiment to identify radioactive decay...
American Museum of Natural History
Extreme Mammals
Extreme characteristics can create some unusual mammals. Learners flip through a slide show of some of the most interesting mammals that are both living and extinct. Implement as a remote learning resource or use in-class to review...
American Museum of Natural History
What Is Climate Change?
So many factors show that climate change has arrived. Learners read through an online resource that explains the data and the consequences of climate change. They also review strategies for slowing or even reversing the global influence.
Curated OER
Energy Resources: Where Are They and How Do We Get Them?
Future energy engineers visit several stations, each one dedicated to a different alternative source of energy. They describe how solar energy is converted into other forms of energy, the patterns of distribution of energy resources in...
Curated OER
Exploring Renewable Energy Through Graphs and Statistics
Ninth graders identify different sources of renewable and nonrenewable energy. In this math lesson, learners calculate their own carbon footprint based on the carbon dioxide they create daily. They use statistics to analyze data on power...
Curated OER
Fossils: Clues to Ancient Life
You can make your students amateur paleontologists with great fossil lesson plans.
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Finding the Ages of Rocks and Fossils
Students practice dating fossils. They learn the concept of "deep time"--that earth was formed billions of years ago. They experience excellent hand-outs and virtual age tutorial links.
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Lights Light Up My Life
Students conduct an investigation. In this energy conservation lesson, students observe and make predictions about fluorescent and incandescent light bulbs. Working in groups, students conduct an investigation to compare the two light...
Channel Islands Film
Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 3
How far have California's Channel islands moved? What was the rate of this movement? Class members first examine data that shows the age of the Hawaiian island chain and the average speed of the Pacific Plate. They then watch West of the...
Curated OER
Three Dimensional Geology
Here is a fine lesson plan on geology designed for high schoolers. Learners use rocks, fossils, and other geological clues to determine the geology of an area. Then, they make recommendations to a fictitious city council about the...
Curated OER
Half Life Lab
Seventh graders model radioactive decay using pennies, collect data from their model, apply scientific visualization techniques to their data and create animated models explaining the concept of radioactive half-life.
American Museum of Natural History
A Whale of a Tale
What's the most interesting fact about a blue whale? Learners read an interview about the similarities between the Titanosaur and the blue whale displays at the American Museum of Natural History. Pupils learn not only about blue whales...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Understanding the Greenhouse Effect
The greenhouse effect is important, for without it, life on Earth would not exist. An activity that includes modeling the greenhouse effect and acting out the Earth's energy balance makes up the first part in a series of seven lessons....
Curated OER
How Old Is Illinois?
High schoolers use fossils found in rocks to determine the age of rock in Illinois. They use a chart to identify the fossils and then identify the periods of rock.
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How Life on Earth Began
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...
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Determining the Age of Fossils
Students examine the concept of radioactive dating. In this radioactive dating lesson, students investigate how to determine the ages of fossils and rocks as they learn about half-life radioactive decay.
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Ocean Life
Students examine the fossil remains of ancient sea creatures. They create casts of fossils and identify how sea fossils are formed and consider what type of information fossils can give to scientists.
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Fossil Adventure
Learners work as a class to write a general definition of fossil based on their discussion and examine pictures of the different types of fossils. Once discussion is complete, they write and illustrate a book about a T Rex that has died...
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The Fossil Evidence for Evolution
High schoolers explore how scientists use fossils to explore how various species have evolved over time. For this fossil lesson students study how to date fossils.
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Bringing Dinosaurs Back to Life
Students explain how the earth makes fossils and how dinosaur remains become fossils. In this Bringing Dinosaurs Back to Life activity, students solve paleo-puzzles which ask students to solve problems as if they were paleontologists....
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A Day In My Life
Students brainstorm how they can conserve energy in their daily lives. In this energy lesson plan, students discuss how they use energy and ways to conserve it.
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A Day in the Life of Bottled Water
Students research natural resources. In this environmental lesson, students define what a natural resource is and explore the life of a single-use water bottle. Students create a waste-reduction plan.
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The Fossil Record
Young scholars research about the animals found in Burgess Shale. In this earth science instructional activity, students evaluate the significance of fossils in human history. They create models of their chosen animal.
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Forms of Energy
Students complete a series of activities related to forms of energy. In this energy lesson, students look at forms of energy in their school, how energy is conserved and used efficiently, how magnets are used to generate electricity, and...