Orange County Water Atlas
Location, Location, Location…
Young geographers discover not only how to read and recognize coordinates on a map, but also gain a deeper understanding of latitude and longitude and how climate changes can vary significantly across latitudes.
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
Flying Too Close to the Sun
Students research the myth of Icarus and his father and discuss the associated metaphor. They view the work of a number of artists and create a painting depicting the myth.
Curated OER
The Night Sky
Third graders develop questions they have about the solar system. After being read a book, they view and discuss different constellations in the sky. In groups, they are given a piece of butcher paper and glow in the dark crayons in...
Curated OER
May the Force be with You -- All about Force and Gravity
Here is a fabulous set of teacher's notes that will make your next hands-on gravity and force lab fun and interesting. These notes provide you with three activities that allow children to make and test hypothesis regarding force,...
Curated OER
The Properties of Water: "Dead Or Alive"
Learners study the water cycle and create a booklet entitled: "Discover the Wonder of Water" They observe and record data regarding evaporation, condensation, and precipitation and how water moves from a solid to a liquid to a gas. They...
Concord Consortium
Going Up
Going on up—and up and up! An open-ended task asks learners to model the movement of an amusement ride with parametric equations. They then analyze their equations to determine how the shadow of the ride's car moves as it rises at a...
Curated OER
Erosion by the Wind
Fifth graders simulate wind driven soil erosion by using paper confetti to demonstrate the movement of the soil. They write about three examples of soil erosion found in their community.
Curated OER
A Moon with a View
Third graders explore the rotation of Earth and the moon. In this solar system instructional activity, 3rd graders participate in an Earth and moon simulation in which part of the class "becomes" the sun, while other children represent...
Curated OER
A Raisin in the Sun: Vocabulary Bingo
Students study A Raisin in the Sun. Students study new vocabulary through a game of bingo. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech "I Have a Dream" as a supplementary text. Students create their own bingo cards.
Curated OER
Earth, Sun and Moon
Students investigate that the sun is at the center of the solar system through role play. One student is the sun and one student is the Earth. The students then show how the Earth orbits around the sun. Students view a flashlight and...
Curated OER
Movement of Air II
In this movement of air activity, students determine the deflection of air masses that result from Earth's eastward rotation. Then they describe what winds provide for different trades. Students also identify and describe the imaginary...
Curated OER
Structure of the Earth
Sixth graders define atmosphere and hydrosphere, explore through experimentation how the atmosphere was formed, and describe the layers of the Earth's atmosphere and their distances.
Curated OER
The Layers of the Atmosphere
In this atmosphere activity, learners read about the four distinct layers of the atmosphere. Then students complete 3 short answer questions.
Scholastic
Study Jams! A Day on Earth
It's good thing that it isn't up to RJ to spin the earth on its axis; he can't even keep a basketball spinning! In this video animation, he and viewers learn about Earth's movements in space. One thing to consider before you use this...
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
Weather Watch Activity Guide: Groundhog Day
Exactly what do groundhogs know about weather? Not as much as your science students will after completing these lessons and activities that cover everything from the earth's rotation and the creation of shadows, to cloud...
Curated OER
Solar Oven
Sixth graders design two different solar ovens to learn about heat transfer. They investigate the movement of heat between objects by conduction, convection, and radiation. They become aware of things they can't control, like the...
Curated OER
Me and My Shadow
Middle schoolers apply the process of scientific inquiries or technological design to explore the explanations of the daily patterns of the Earth's rotation. They record different shadow lengths showing the apparent movement of the sun...
Curated OER
Sky Watchers: Ancient Astronomers
Students close their eyes and picture the sky. They are asked to brainstorm things they may see in the course of a night and day, such as the movement of the sun, moon, and stars. Students work in groups to coduct their research. They...
Curated OER
The Water Cycle
In this water cycle worksheet, students read an informational passage, observe a labeled diagram of the transpiration water cycle, and answer comprehension questions. Students answer seven multiple choice questions and write a story from...
Curated OER
Tracking and Tracing Sunspots
Learners examine sunspots. In this sunspot lesson, students use applets to investigate the movement of sunspots. Learners research sunspots and evaluate the rotation of the sun. Lesson references outside resources not available in this...
Curated OER
Celestial Motions
Ninth graders complete a unit of lessons on the history of our knowledge of celestial objects. They conduct Internet research, plot the motion of a planet, construct a model of the sun's apparent motions, and create diagrams of the solar...
Curated OER
The Sun
Third graders examine basic information about the sun and its relationship to the solar system. They conduct Internet research and complete a WebQuest about the sun. Students then create a seven question true or false quiz using...
Curated OER
Exploring the Moon
First graders complete an experiment illustrating why the moon appears to change over time using a flashlight and ball. Students discuss the shape of the moon and identify it as a sphere. Students write a short informational piece after...