Curated OER
Civilizations of the Ancient Near East
Sixth graders investigate ancient civilizations by creating a research project. In this world history instructional activity, 6th graders investigate historic civilizations developed close to important rivers of the near East. Students...
Channel Islands Film
Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 1
How do scientists provide evidence to support the theories they put forth? What clues do they put together to create these theories? After watching West of the West's documentary Island Rotation class members engage in a series of...
Curated OER
Water Wars
Students investigate the water wars taking place in East Africa. In this global issues lesson, students watch video clips and read selected articles about the water shortages in East Africa. Students estimate their own average daily...
Curated OER
Gotham Equinox
By looking at the direction of the parallel streets of New York and figuring which days the setting sun is directly visible along those lines, your class can calculate the degree and angle of the sun. A really nice lesson, giving a photo...
Curated OER
Earth Science: Create a Star Clock!
Students identify and use the starts to tell time just as people had for thousands of years. They identify the stars that appear to rise in the east and set in the west, and that those stars near the North Pole appear to go in circles...
NOAA
Individual Species in the Deep Sea
A tube worm's outer covering is made of chitin, the same material that makes up the shells of lobsters and crabs. Scholars create tube worms and analyze and discuss the longevity of organisms living near cold seeps. They then discuss and...
Curated OER
Wolves: DNA Pawprinting
A mystery canine was shot and killed near Yellowstone National Park in the early '90s. Genetics whizzes explain how they might go about identifying whether the animal was a true grey wolf or a hybrid. A drawing of the animal's DNA bands...
Nevada Outdoor School
Let It Snow! Let It Melt!
Winter weather offers a great opportunity to teach young scientists about the states of matter. This activity-based lesson includes a range of learning experiences, from experimenting with the rate at which ice melts to singing a song...
Institute for Applied Ecology
From Salmonberry to Sagebrush - Exploring Oregon’s Native Plants
Take a deep dive into Oregon's ecosystems, plants, and changes from the past to the future. Many hands-on activities in an environmental science unit delight scholars, including creating a field guide for a local park. The in-depth study...
Curated OER
Burt County, NE, Soil Survey
Students identify the soil types and textures, and locate the waterways in or near the towns of Lyons and Decatur, Nebraska. They analyze soil profile maps, and answer conclusion questions.
Curated OER
P.O.V.'s Borders Picture Project: Lesson 1 - Air
Take photos of human activities that impact air quality. Collaborative groups present one of the photographs, identifying how the activity contributes to air quality and what can be done to minimize the impact. As one in a series of...
International Technology Education Association
Team Up on the Weather
There's a little bit about every aspect of weather in this trivia game. The lesson resource provides 36 questions and answers pertaining to four different topics related to weather: effects, science, technology, and statistics. Groups...
Curated OER
Comparing the Effects of El Nino and La Nina
Students examine the differences between an El Nino and La Nina year. In this investigative lesson students create maps and graphs of the data they obtained.
K12 Reader
Rainforest Ecosystems
Rainforests are the topic of this brief reading passage. Learners can find out all about the different layers of the rainforest as well as the types of creatures that live there. After reading, they respond to five questions about the text.
Curated OER
Separate Vacations
Young scholars plot the migration paths of birds using latitude and longitude data from a table.
California Academy of Science
California's Climate
The United States is a large country with many different climates. Graph and analyze temperature and rainfall data for Sacramento and Washington DC as you teach your class about the characteristics of Mediterranean climates. Discuss the...
NASA
How Does a Hurricane Form?
Young meteorologists examine the formation of a hurricane in a resource focused on severe weather conditions. Once they learn that a hurricane is also a tropical cyclone, and detail the different levels associated with tropical storms,...
Curated OER
History of the Current
Students, in groups, collect information from the Internet about historical events surrounding the effects of the Gulf Stream current on ship travel. They compile a chart and answer assessment questions.
Virginia Department of Education
Hurricanes: An Environmental Concern
Hurricanes, typhoons, and tropical cyclones are the same type of storm, but their names change based on where they happen. Scholars use a computer simulation to learn about hurricanes. Then they hypothesize ideas to prevent hurricanes...
Curated OER
Let's Go To The Movies
Young scholars explore technology used in making movies. In this movie making lesson, students investigate how technology has improved in the entertainment industry. Young scholars discover how simple tools are combined together to make...
Curated OER
What's That Tree?
Fifth graders identify trees along a nature trail. Using a dichotomous key, 5th graders answer questions to aid in their identification of trees along a specified nature trail. Observations are recorded in their science journals. Sample...
Curated OER
Shaky New Zealand
Students explore Earth science by building a model in class. In this tectonic plate lesson, students identify the impact tectonic shifts have on humans and animals and where the plates and faults lie under New Zealand. Students examine...
Curated OER
You Can Die Here
Students examine Death Valley including the amount of precipitation and winds that it gets. In this climate based lesson students explain the reasons for the amount of precipitation and windward patterns in Death Valley.
Curated OER
Oceanic Heat Budget Activities
Students map and research imaginary islands located in different parts of the world. They describe the weather and climate of their island and show how local currents, water temperatures and waves may influence the weather patterns.