Lesson Plan
Project SMART

Rocks and Minerals: Touch the Earth

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Learners complete a unit of lessons on rocks and minerals. They conduct research, write e-mail questions to geologists, write daily journal entries, label maps demonstrating types of rocks/minerals found, and create a web page that...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Many, Varied, and Unusual Places and Things on Earth

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students discover how energy flows through communities because of the relationship between producers, consumers and decomposers. Examining various ecosystems, they identify the materials that cycle continuously through them. They label...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Erosion: On the Move...Defending the Coast Against Wave Attack

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students study how people have tried to save beaches from wave erosion. They examine what has occurred to Cape Hatteras as a result of beach erosion and the efforts to reduce the erosion.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let's Think About... Magnets and Gravity

For Teachers K
Students watch an episode of the PBS show "Jay Jay the Jet Plane," and explore magnets and gravity. They conduct various experiments involving magnets and sand, bean bags, and a fishing pole with magnets.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Rocks

For Teachers K
Students recognize differences in the size, shape, texture, and color of different rocks. In this rocks lesson plan, students also learn and repeat back how a volcano erupts and make one out of a toilet paper tube.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Impact Craters

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Young scholars investigate the factors affecting the size of a crater. In this space science lesson, students collect data from the activity and graph them. They explain how velocity of impact relate to crater size.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Trees at Work... Just Look!

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students investigate the significance of trees. They collect magazine pictures of animals that live in trees, list products that are made from trees, collect twigs and create an item using the sticks, and bring in and discuss food from...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Awful 8: A Play

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students perform a play that presents the causes and effects on people and the environment of the eight major air pollutants.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The"Dirt" on Soil

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars examine the three different types of soil and their physical properties.  In this soil lesson students design and implement a model of a water treatment plant. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Snug in the Snow

For Teachers K - 3rd
Learners explore how snow helps animals survive in the wild. In this animal science lesson, students review key vocabulary words and discuss types of animal adaptations. Learners construct shoebox to simulate the snowy environment where...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Climate Change

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students explore environmental care by researching the impact of human beings on our planet. In this climate change lesson, students utilize the Internet to read informational text about climate change and the effect it will have on our...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mars Geologic Mapping

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students identify and interpret photographic details of a Martian surface image, design, and create a simple features map. They identify and interpret the geologic history of a part of Mars' surface and then, analyze and discuss the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Make A Rain Gauge

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students explore mathematics by participating in a nature measurement activity. In this rain lesson, students discuss the appropriate methods used in order to measure rain downpour. Students utilize a plastic bottle, tape, stones...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Magnets-The Quicker Picker Upper

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders research the design of and purpose of magnets. They investigate a group of objects to discover which things are attracted to magnets. Observe the effect that lodestone has on iron fillings. Summarize observations.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Storm Protection

For Students 5th - 8th
In this weather worksheet, students read an excerpt about how to protect yourself, others, and property from various types of storms. There are five short answer questions related to the excerpt that students respond to.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Clouds Pre-Quiz

For Students 6th - 8th
In this clouds worksheet, middle schoolers answer ten multiple choice questions about the types of clouds, the characteristics of clouds and the meaning of the prefixes found in the names of clouds.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spiders Live Everywhere

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the different habitats of spiders.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biomes: Extreme Climate

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners create a web connecting global warming, the Arctic, and wold climate. They write a paragraph explaining the role of the Arctic in world climate.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lead Extraction

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students investigate one method used in the detection of lead in the soil. They use a Lead Check Soil Kit to safely obtain results in 30 minutes or less in levels of 400 ppm or above. In addition, they write a brief description of what...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Environment: Erosion Boxes

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders discover how the processes of erosion and weathering alter the physical characteristics of the environment. In a student log,they record the various types of erosion and list ways to prevent it. Using clear, plastic...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Extreme Climate

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers discuss global warming, greenhouse effect, permafrost and other key words.  In this climate lesson students create a web that connects global warming, the Arctic and world climate then write a paragraph explaining...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Makes you Hot?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers manipulate different variables in a model and make inferences about the temperature on Earth.  In this heat lesson students calculate the blackbody radiation of an object at a certain temperature. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Food or Fuel?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners describe the process of transesterification utilizing chemical formulas. They construct and compare models of chemical structure of the substances involved in biodiesel production such as: alcohols, alkenes, alkanes, alkyls,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cloud Poems

For Teachers 1st
First graders make daily observations about clouds, write in their cloud books, make cloud charts, and make a poem about clouds.