Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where in the World? Your Relative Location

For Teachers 5th - 6th
In this geography worksheet, students complete a graph showing their location on the planet earth. Students determine what percent of all people on Earth are on their continent, in their country and part of their town.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Tour of Saturn and Uranus

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders draw and label each planet, Saturn and Uranus, showing 2 specific individual characteristics of each.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Sun's habitable Zone

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the average surface temperature of planets. They use the Planet Temperature Calculator to find the average temperature. Students explore how the distance from the sun affects the Earth's average surface temperature. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Water Cycle - Family Page

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students discuss the steps of the water cycle. They create their own model of the water cycle. They complete the Family Page at the end of the lesson.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Whole Lotta Changin' Goin' On

For Teachers K - 2nd
Here's a fabulous lesson on the life cycle of a butterfly. Youngsters are able to identify and understand the four stages of life. They construct models of a caterpillar and write a sequence story about the life of a butterfly. This...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Talking About the Future

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students investigate how to communicate about the future using the proper verb tense. In this communication about the future lesson, students talk to a partner about future plans. They fill in an associated chart about the present simple...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Glow in the Dark Stars and Planets

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students view a "night sky" made from glow in the dark stars. They discuss stars, planets, the sun, and constellations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar System: Fantasy Planet

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars create their own fantasy planet using computer software on KidPix. In this planets lesson plan, students also write a paragraph about their planet including the name, population, weather, and more.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Finding Extra-Solar Planets

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students plot and analyze NASA data to determine the period of an invisible planet orbiting a wobbling star. They explore the motion of a two-body system around a center of mass to better explain how extra-solar planets are discovered.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Starry Night Time and Day Time

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders complete a unit of lessons on the solar system. They complete various art projects inspired by Van Gogh's 'Starry Night,' create a moon phases book, create a moon phase wind chime, develop a timeline of space exploration,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planetary Surface Evolution and Resurfacing

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students are provided with drawings of planet surfaces in order to investigate different types of planetary terrain. They make observations for each planet and discuss the characteristics observed. The lesson includes background...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Energy: A Day in My Life

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
If only we could harness the energy of fifth graders, our energy problems would be over! The class discusses where different forms of energy come from and how we use them. They complete a chart of the activities that they do daily...
Lesson Plan
SF Environment

Waste-Less Lunch

For Teachers K - 5th
Is it possible to have a waste-less lunch? Can your class become leaders in conservation? Discuss the importance of reducing waste during lunch time with a fun activity that can be extended to everyday practices. First the class examines...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sound Busters

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders engage in a study of sound pollution at their school. After a class discussion on what noise pollution is, learners are asked if they think there are areas of their school or community where noise pollution is a problem....
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Climate Change Impacts

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Getting kids thinking about climate change now, will hopefully push them into action when they become adults. Young environmentalists discuss the evidence and causes of climate change seen in the state of California. They brainstorm ways...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Solar System: Its Planets and Their Satellites

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders create a replica of our solar system. Each group arranges the balls in the proper order for our solar system by gluing them to the construction paper. Under each of the balls, the name of the object should be clearly printed.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Space Exploration

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore different planets of our solar system. Students gather specific information on each of the planets. High schoolers choose suitable planet for colonization.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Try This On For Size!

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students view a video to gather information about our solar system. They create models of the planets to scale and place them in scale relative to their distances from the sun. They also visit a planetarium or use the internet to gather...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cosmic Wheels

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students build a scale model of the Solar System and determine the time other planets take to travel around the Sun in comparison to the time of the Earth's revolution. The velocity of the planets are also determined in this lesson.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Path to Mars

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students compare Earth and Mars to find similarities between the two planets using given websites. They collect and download pictures of geological features of both planets from print and non-print sources. Descriptions of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lotto or Life: What Are the Chances?

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Though the website does not seem to have the mentioned video, a reding and lottery style games simulate the chances of finding intelligent life somewhere other than Earth. Without the video, this lesson is short, but it can be a useful...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth's Water: A drop in your cup

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Learners complete activities where they observe the amount of freshwater in the world as a fraction of the actual amount of water using different mixtures. In this freshwater lesson plan, students brainstorm on how to preserve...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planetary Mobile

For Teachers K - 4th
Students receive pre-cut templates of cardboard with appropriate diameters of each planet and the sun. They use multi-colored construction paper, scissors, yarn, and other art supplies to create their own models of planets. When students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar System Slide Show

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Pupils work in small groups to research a planet in our Solar System in order to compare it to Earth. They examine the planet's size, atmosphere, rotation and revolution periods, temperature, and other attributes. They collect...