Curated OER
This Life Stinks
High schoolers study how organisms that live in cold seep communities get energy from methane. In this organism lesson students write a brief report and identify oxidation reduction reactions and explain if these are dependent of...
Curated OER
Oil Market Basics
In this natural resources worksheet, students take a ten question quiz based on their knowledge of the oil market. This a multiple choice quiz.
Curated OER
Melting, Freezing, and More!: Phase Transitions
Third graders listen to a talk on phase transitions and view three demonstrations. In this phases of matter lesson, 3rd graders complete a worksheet as they listen about phase transitions. They move through three demonstrations of phase...
Curated OER
Comets
Students explore the nature and composition of a comet. They research comet facts, legends, and myths. They identify different types of comets and describe what happens to a comet as it travels closer to the Sun.
Curated OER
Radiation
Students distinguish between natural and man-made radiation. They measure radiation using a Geiger counter and investigate footprints of radiation.
Curated OER
What's the Big Deal?
Students explore and define methane hydrates and describe ways that it can impact their own lives. In this methane hydrate lesson students create a molecular model and research methane hydrate.
Curated OER
The Way a Tree Works
Students explore nature by conducting botany experiments. In this plant life instructional activity, students define the necessary resources for a plant to thrive on our planet while defining scientific vocabulary terms. Students utilize...
Curated OER
Ozone Pollution: Smog Alert
Students simulate the development of smog. They discover how it forms naturally in nature. They read news articles about the ozone and pollution. They discuss what they can do to lower the pollution they generate.
Curated OER
The Geologists' Dilemma
Pupils search in groups of five for colored beads that have been scattered over the classroom. They will search for one of our energy resources represented by one color bead to determine that resources are limited.
Curated OER
Breaking it Down
High schoolers will identify the factors that contribute to erosion and weathering. They will start by differentiating between chemical and mechanical weathering. They then apply what they learned by playing the online jeopardy game. Key...
Carnegie Mellon University
How Power Plants Work 2
In this second of three lessons on power plants, future engineers find out how we generate electricity and how coal-powered plants operate. They work in small groups to make electromagnet generators to light LED bulbs. A set of...
Carnegie Mellon University
How Power Plants Work 3
Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble! Find out what drives a turbine to generate electricity and whether or not it has an impact on the environment. A discussion and lecture is divided by a hands-on activity in...
Curated OER
Miners
Students complete various activities related to mining and mining safety. They write an energy sentence, complete a word puzzle, cut and glue safety equipment on a mining character, solve a math code word puzzle, and complete a maze...
Curated OER
Up, Up, and Away
Second graders observe the changes that water has when there is a change in a state of matter. In this lesson they observe the results of applying heat to water with the end result of conversion to a gas.
Curated OER
Spectroscopy Demonstrations
Students study light and see what emits photons and that light can be separated onto a spectrum. In this energy and matter lesson students identify gases using a spectrum chart.
Curated OER
Ozone Pollution: Smog Alert
Students explain ozone pollution and make them aware of how it is formed. They simulate the development of smog and infer how it occurs in nature.
National Science Teachers Association
The Ethanol Project
In a mock senate hearing regarding the development of ethanol as a fuel source, each person in the class is assigned a role to play and must uphold the stance of their character. Once the senate hearing is complete, each person writes a...
Curated OER
Recreating the Greenhouse Effect
Students recreate the greenhouse effect. In this environmental science instructional activity, students gather materials and follow procedures to create the greenhouse effect on a small scale.
Curated OER
Sustainable Marine Fisheries
Through a fishing simulation, environmentalists discover consequences of over fishing. Afterward, they discuss how the activity relates to the impact of real-life commercial fishing. They also consider sustainability in the fishing...
Population Connection
The Carbon Crunch
Carbon is in the air; should we care? Teach the class why it is important to pay attention to carbon levels and how the world population and various countries across the globe affect the carbon levels in the atmosphere. High schoolers...
Curated OER
Technology and Oil
Students demonstrate how much our society depends on petroleum products. They show how advances in technology have allowed us to find, obtain, and transport oil more efficiently.
Curated OER
Fossil Fuels and the Debt Crisis: Political Cartoons
Wondering what dinosaurs have to do with the debt crisis? This analysis handout includes two political cartoons using dinosaur metaphors, and prompts pupils to consider the symbolism to understand the cartoonist's point. You may want to...
National Energy Education Development Project
Exploring Hybrid School Bus Technology
The color School Bus Yellow was created in 1939 because science had proven peripheral vision detects yellow 1.24 times faster than other colors. Young scientists explore modern school bus transportation options and then discuss the...
Curated OER
This Life Stinks
Chemosynthetic communities of cold seep areas are considered in this lesson. Working in collaborative groups, marine biology or oceanography learners research and prepare a report about oxidation-reduction reactions involved with...