Curated OER
Glacier Presentations
Students research news articles relating to global climate change. In this earth science lesson, students create a news broadcast using the information they gathered. They present this in class and each student gives their peer...
Curated OER
Icebergs Ahead!
Young scholars experiment with density of ice, and examine how density affects how icebergs float in water.
Curated OER
A Human-Powered Vehicle for Trans-Glacial Transport
Learners practice problem solving skills and experimental design. They build a vehicle that can traverse "glacial" ice capable of carrying a specific load and glide smoothly, creating as little effort as possible for the skier pulling...
Center Science Education
Looking Into Surface Albedo
How does the color of a surface affect the heating of the earth? Middle school science classes experiment with color and surface albedo to determine the relationship. The website has tabs for an overview, teacher's instructions,...
Curated OER
Where's the Water? Stream Side Science
After a whole-class discussion of water reservoirs, ten liters of water are given to each lab group to represent Earth's total amount of water. They divide the water into smaller containers, each representing one of those reservoirs. The...
Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment
Morals, Values and Beliefs
Your personality is based on the things you believe in, the morals you abide by, and the values upon which you make your decisions. Delve into a set of lessons about values and moral framework with your eighth graders as they explore and...
Curated OER
Slip Slidin' Away
Students investigate mechanical weathering as a form of erosion. In this erosion lesson plan, students, define weathering and erosion before determining how the Earth's surface is in a constant state of change. They watch a video, access...
World Wildlife Fund
Land of the Midnight Sun
From days of 24 hour sunlight, to endless nights that last for days, the Arctic is a very unique place to live. Examine the seasonal changes that occur in the northern-most reaches of the globe and the impact they have on the plants and...
Curated OER
Exploring the Water Cycle
The water cycle is one of earth's most easily observable processes, but demonstrating each step within classroom walls can be a challenge. Through a series of videos and quick demonstrations, cover each aspect of the hydrologic cycle in...
Curated OER
Building A Solar Still
Students investigate the water cycle by viewing an online video. In this drinking water instructional activity, students create solar stills at their campus in order to purify water that is tainted. Students view a video on their...
UAF Geophysical Institute
Carbon Footprint
Your young environmentalists can calculate their carbon footprint and discuss ways to reduce it with a worksheet about climate change. After reading a handout about what impact one's carbon footprint can have on the environment, kids...
Curated OER
Where in the World Is All the Water?
Middle schoolers investigate the distribution of the earth's water. They conduct a demonstration of water distribution, and create a pie graph to display the results.
Curated OER
Understanding Watersheds
Students should learn how their actions on land can affect the water quality of lakes and rivers.
Curated OER
Earth and Space Science: Let it Flow
Students engage in a lesson plan in which volcanoes be explored and examined. After watching a video, students create volcanoes out of clay.
Curated OER
Landforms in a Tub
Fifth graders use common household items to build landforms and simulate weathering and erosion.
Curated OER
Meteors and Meteorites
Students create Earth boxes containing some of Earth's biomes--desert, forest, tundra, ocean, and mountains. They simulate Earth's encounter with a comet trail and the resulting meteor shower. They present their Earth boxes to...
Curated OER
Network This
Students determine the number of paths in a network with up to six vertices. They construct a network to solve a problem situation. They describe and defend the solution to a network problem.
Curated OER
The Climate Change Skeptic's Argument: Natural Solar Cycles or Human Activity?
Teachers explore patterns in sunspots and total solar irradiance to understand the counterpoint to the human effect of global warming. For this professional development tool, teachers work through a lesson on the sun's natural patterns...
Curated OER
Walking on Frozen Ground
Students listen to an Elder speak about permafrost structures in their area. In this permafrost lesson plan, students listen to the guest speaker, take a tour outside to view permafrost structures, and draw them.
Curated OER
Snow Cover By Latitude
Learners create graphs comparing the amount of snow cover along selected latitudes using data sets from a NASA website. They create a spreadsheet and a bar graph on the computer, and analyze the data.
Curated OER
What Is Culture
Fourth graders investigate the concept of culture. They look into the influences that shape culture and how it effects people and regional areas. Students answer the question of why it is important to study culture to have a better...
Curated OER
Water, Water Everywhere
Young scholars recognize that all of the water on earth cannot be used for drinking and that the percentage of ground and surface water is a small percentage. In this water lesson plan students identify ways to conserve water.
Curated OER
Water Is Cool!
Students explore the importance of water. In this water lesson, students view a table to determine the amount of water found in the oceans, lakes, atmosphere, and streams. Students discuss ways to be a good steward of water.
Curated OER
Natural Phenomena That Change the Earth's Surface
Students explore a natural phenomenon. In this science lesson, students research a natural phenomenon and create a script about that phenomenon. Students act out their scripts for the class.